How Hearing Works Hearing loss is not just an age-related
disability; it is affecting people at younger and younger ages.
A study for WorkSafe BC found that 25% of young people entering
the workforce had the early warning signs of hearing loss, with
a further 4.6% showing “abnormal” results on hearing tests
(WorkSafe BC, 2005).The Anatomy of the Ear The outer ear
consists of the pinna and the auditory canal. The auditory canal
amplifies frequencies in the range 3 to 12 kHz. The middle ear
includes: o the eardrum (tympanic membrane) o ossicles - the
three smallest bones in the human body o two muscle tendons o
two nerve bundles: the vestibular (for balance) the auditory
(for hearing) The inner ear is filled with fluid and includes: o
The cochlea (for hearing), which each have 15,000 hair cells o
The vestibular apparatus The auditory cortex is the area of the
brain that interprets sounds. The eustachian tubes regulate
pressure in the middle ear. How We Hear ear (known as the outer
pinna) directs sound waves dow