Ear Ringing And The Outer Ear
To get a better grasp of tinnitus, how it comes about, and what can be done about it, it helps to understand something about how our sense of hearing works. This first part of a three article series explains the basics of the outer ear, how it functions, what can go wrong to precipitate tinnitus, and what can be done to get tinnitus help. The next two articles deal with tinnitus and the middle ear and the inner ear. Now, let’s look at the outer ear.
When we think of the ear it is usually the outer ear, the part protruding from the head, that comes to mind and it is called the pinna or auricle. Pinna or outer ears may be variously shaped and sized, but certain features are common to them all. They are made of cartilage with numerous curves and folds that serve to gather sounds and funnel them into the auditory canal. Before we go on, let’s take just a moment to see how sound works.
Sound is generated in the form of vibrating air molecules traveling in waves at about 740 miles per hour. The sound waves behave somewhat like the spreading ripples seen on a pond’s surface when a stone splashes in. We hear the sound as the waves are gathered by the pinna, or outer ear, which funnels the sound through the auditory canal, and then the wave applies pressure against the ear drum. From the ear drum, the energy is passed to the middle ear and inner ear, and then to the brain where it is processed as the sound we hear. With that overview before us, let’s back up for more detail.
When the auricle collects the sound from the atmosphere, it is channeled through the ear canal. The auditory canal, which measures about 1 inch long by 1/4 inch in diameter, channels the sound energy gathered by the outer ear to the ear drum or tympanic membrane. There the pressure of the sound wave will press upon the eardrum according to the intensity of the vibration. The ear canal is specially shaped to focus and channel wave energy. Funnel shaped for transmitting sound, the ear canal is also sloped to prevent water from gathering near the tympanic membrane under normal conditions. The form and dimensions of the auditory canal are just right for transmitting sound and for keeping outer ear infections to a minimum.
The inner boundary of the outer ear is the external side of the tympanic membrane. This ear drum is a thin, skin membrane that separates the outer ear from the middle ear. With its slightly conical form, the eardrum serves to transfer the sound vibrations to the middle ear. The ear drum is amazingly sensitive. When struck by the softest sound that can be heard by a healthy young adult, the tympanic membrane moves only 1 millionth of an inch or so. When you try to gain a mental picture of 1 millionth of an inch, you can begin to gain an appreciation for how truly wonderful our ears and hearing really are.
Cerumen or earwax plays a vital role within the outer ear. Cerumen is produced in the external auditory canal by wax producing glands. Cerumen coats the ear canal with a protective layer which helps to keep the ear canal clean and free from infection. As a word of caution, neither cotton swabs nor anything else should be pushed deeply into the ear canals. Earwax can become impacted when swabs are pushed deeply into the ear canals, while other objects can abrade the thin layer of skin that lines the canals, exposing them to inflammation or infection. The best approach to earwax is to leave it alone as much as possible. Most of the time, for most people, earwax moves slowly toward the ear opening, carrying dirt and debris with it, keeping the ear canal clean.
Sometimes, however, this cleansing function of earwax breaks down, often in elder years. When that happens the ear canals may require cleaning from time to time, usually done best by a physician. Still, in most cases, only the outer surfaces of the ear canal need to be cleaned. Whenever using cotton swabs to clean your ear canals, caution is advisable.
Tinnitus can come about in the outer ears in two common manners: earwax impaction and outer ear inflammation or infection which is generally called swimmer’s ear. Both of these ringing in ears causes can be identified easily and can be treated by the methods of conventional tinnitus treatment.
