The ear is made of three different parts: inner, outer and middle. Your middle ear is a minute space located between your inner and outer ear. It is separate from your outer ear via the eardrum. Three intricate bones are critical in an individual’s hearing, which are the anvil, hammer and the stirrup.
How does hearing all play out? Sound creates a vibration in the air, which is picked up via the eardrum. As the eardrum vibrates, the miniscule bones inside of the middle ear begin to vibrate, which helps in transmitting the vibrations from the middle ear and into the inner ear. This causes the fluid inside of the inner ear to move around. Once the fluid begins moving in the inner ear, it begins stimulating the nerve cells inside the individual’s ear.
These endings will then transmit the impulses into the brain along with the hearing nerve to help us hear sounds. Eustachian tubes connect our middle ear into the base of the throat. When they are functioning correctly, they are able to perform the following functions:
• Equalizing the amount of air pressure within both sides of the individual’s eardrum is pivotal for the Eustachian tubes. Whenever you swallow or yawn and you hear a popping noise in your ears, it is simply your Eustachian tubes making the necessary adjustments inside of your middle ear. If you have a negative amount of air pressure inside of your middle ear, you will notice a feeling of fullness accompanied by pain.
• They allow drainage from your middle ear into your throat.
• Protecting the middle from any germs that try to enter into the back of the throat and nose is essential for your Eustachian tubes.
