Primary Parts
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The border of the outer and middle ear is the eardrum, or tympanic membrane. This very thin structure vibrates in response to sounds traveling down the ear canal. The eardrum also has a resonance and further amplifies the speech sounds. Like the ear canal, the eardrum acts to protect the middle ear from foreign bodies and bacteria. For the eardrum to work properly, it must vibrate freely. Even minor changes in air pressure can |
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| limit the eardrum's movement enough to affect hearing
temporarily. Attached to the inside of the eardrum are three tiny bones called the ossicles (more commonly know as the hammer, anvil and stirrup). Like the ear canal and eardrum, the ossicles resonate, further enhancing the sounds of speech. The third bone, the stapes, vibrates in the oval window and passes the airborne sound vibrations into the fluid of the inner ear, known as the cochlea. |
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| A tube at the bottom of the middle ear space, called the Eustachian tube, connects to the back of the nose to control the air pressure of the middle ear. Swollen tonsils or adenoids are common causes of Eustachian tube blockage. If left untreated, a blocked Eustachian tube can lead to a build up of fluid in the middle ear space. While this fluid may become infected, it is usually sterile. Even after an ear infection has cleared, the fluid may persist, causing a temporary hearing loss. |
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