Your ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner. You use all of them in hearing. Sound waves come in through your outer ear. They reach your middle ear, where they make your eardrum vibrate. The vibrations are transmitted through three tiny bones, called ossicles, in your middle ear. The vibrations travel to your inner ear, a snail-shaped organ. The inner ear makes the nerve impulses that are sent to the brain. Your brain recognizes them as sounds. The inner ear also controls balance.
A variety of conditions may affect your hearing or balance. Ear infections are the most common illness in infants and young children. Tinnitus, a roaring in your ears, can be the result of loud noises, medicines or a variety of other causes. Meniere's disease may be the result of fluid problems in your inner ear; its symptoms include tinnitus and dizziness. Some ear disorders can result in hearing disorders and deafness.
- Ear Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/507.printerview.html
- Ear Discharge(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/ear-discharge/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Ear Injury(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/ear-injury/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Ear Pain(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/ear-pain/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Ear Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/507.printerview.html
- Noises in the Ears(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/noises-in-the-ears/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Understanding Your Audiogram(American Academy of Audiology) - http://www.audiology.org/aboutaudiology/consumered/guides/audiogram.htm
- Ear Surgery: Otoplasty(American Society of Plastic Surgeons) - http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/procedures/Otoplasty.cfm?CFID=100645219&CFTOKEN=59132701
- Airplane Ear(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/airplane-ear/DS00472/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/autoimmuneInnerEar.cfm
- Barotrauma(American Hearing Research Foundation) - http://www.american-hearing.org/disease/barotrauma.html
- Cholesteatoma(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/cholesteatoma.cfm
- Earwax(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/earwax.cfm
- Foreign Object in the Ear(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid/HQ00061/METHOD=print
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Otosclerosis
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/otosclerosis.asp
- Outer Ear Disorders: Injury(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch219/ch219f.html
- Outer Ear Disorders: Tumors(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch219/ch219e.html
- Perforated Eardrum(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/perforatedEardrum.cfm
- Perichondritis(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch219/ch219d.html
- Temporal Bone Fracture(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch220/ch220k.html
- Vestibular Neuronitis(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch220/ch220j.html
- Chondrodermatitis Nodularis Helicis - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/chondrodermatitisNodularisHelicis.htm
- Atlas of the Body: The Ear(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZYXNW46JC&sub_cat=198
- How the Ear Works(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/earWorks.cfm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Ear Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Ear+Diseases%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Reducing emergency department visits for ear pain. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18828181&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Vestibular paroxysmia: diagnostic features and medical treatment. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18809837&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Observations on bilateral symmetry of the stapedial footplate lesion and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18771071&tool=MedlinePlus
- Ear Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(ear+diseases[majr]+OR+ear/abnormalities[majr]+OR+ear+deformities,acquired[majr])+NOT+(hearing+disorders[majr]+OR+otitis+media[majr]+OR+vertigo[majr]+OR+ear+neoplasms[majr]+OR+neuroma+acoustic[majr]+OR+meniere's+disease[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Ear cancers -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=ear+neoplasms[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+3+Years&tool=MedlinePlus
- Ear wax -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=cerumen[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+3+Years&tool=MedlinePlus
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NIDCD Glossary(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/glossary/
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org//findanentmore.cfm
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery - http://www.entnet.org/
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
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Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts and Childhood Hearing Loss(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/eva.htm
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Flying and Your Child's Ears(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/flying_ears.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/flying_ears_esp.html
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Taking Care of Your Ears(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/body/ear_care.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/ear_care_esp.html
- What's Cauliflower Ear?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/cauliflower_ear.html
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What's Earwax?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/yucky/earwax.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/preguntas/earwax_esp.html
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Your Ears(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/ears.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/ear_esp.html
- Acoustic Neuroma - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/acousticneuroma.html
- Ear Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earinfections.html
- Hearing Disorders and Deafness - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hearingdisordersanddeafness.html
- Meniere's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menieresdisease.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Ear Disorders is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/