Natural masterpiece
The "reception" of all the sound riches of the world is provided by three parts of the hearing organ: the outer, middle and inner ear. The first, consisting of the auricle and the external auditory canal, captures the vibration of the air and transfers it to the eardrum (which even distinguishes the "vibrations" of molecules!). It amplifies the sound, directing it to the middle ear, in which the smallest bones in the body are located: the hammer, anvil and stapes (the muscles connecting them create something like a buffer that reduces the intensity of vibration from loud sounds). An important component of the middle ear is the auditory (eustachian) tube, which makes it possible to balance the air pressure in the tympanum with atmospheric pressure. Constantly excreted in it wax (earwax) has antiseptic properties, protecting the ear from harmful bacteria and insects. In the inner ear is the most important part of the auditory system - the Corti's (spiral) organ, hidden in a shell-shaped snail filled with fluid (perilymph) and strewn with hairy structures (steroids). It provides the transformation of the signal received from the outside into a nerve impulse, perceived by the brain. "Culprit" it may be banal sulfuric cork, and otitis. The second type of deafness is most often associated with genetic disorders, the use of phototoxic drugs (some types of antibiotics), the consequences of infectious diseases, head injuries and age-related changes. However, we should not discount the excessive impact of noise, typical of modern times. The background roar of metropolitan highways, enthusiasm for discotheques, mobile phones and MP3 players leads to retirees already; are not the most numerous group in the statistics of hearing impairment. Doctors say - today a person hears much worse than his ancestors a couple hundred years ago: already by the age of 40 most of the townspeople can not make out a whisper from a distance of three meters!
Do not shout at your husband
Auditory abilities are different in men and women. The strong floor hears worse (especially the conversation on elevated tones), but it perfectly recognizes the direction of sound and the distance to its source. Ladies perfectly perceive high frequencies and catch more sound shades (already one intonation, understanding, in the spirit of whether the interlocutor), have a developed musical ear. Even singing a simple melody in the bathroom, a woman is falsified six times less often!
Safety regulations
To keep the "audibility" to a very old age, doctors advise: Refuse the headphones (and if unbearable - prefer large, not earbuds, aggressive to the auditory nerve). Limit the time of communication on the phone, watch TV watching (especially at full volume). Adjust the sound load: if after a stay at the rock concert in the ears for a long time rings - the hair cells of the cochlea are damaged (the force of vibration breaks them, and the new ones do not grow!). Prevent ingress of foreign bodies and water into the ear canal (using special earplugs when diving), minimize the use of cotton buds (they can push sulfur deep into the ear canal), avoid catarrhal diseases (which can be complicated by otitis media). After the pool, use a hair dryer - a draft and a moist environment provoke inflammation. Noticing a decrease in hearing, immediately go to the doctor: only he can find out the reasons and prescribe the treatment.
Attention, children!
It is very important to diagnose the hearing impairments in time - they can slow down the child's mental development and impede the development of speech. If in one month the baby does not flinch from loud sounds, by the half-year - does not buzz, by the year - does not utter the first words, it is necessary to sound the alarm. Is the auditory "start" in order? Watch out for the noise environment - children are very sensitive to its effects (it damages microscopic sensory receptors located in the inner ear, and hearing loss occurs imperceptibly and is irreversible). The most favorable sound background for a person ranges from 45 to 50 decibels (which corresponds to a quiet conversation). At a loudness of 65 the pulse becomes faster, at 90 - tachycardia begins. On the sounds of low frequency the body reacts less clearly, but they provoke a feeling of inexplicable anxiety. Potentially harmful noise: the track (85), the player at an average loudness (110), loud musical toys (125), fireworks and firecrackers (135), drill (140).
A palette of sounds
The presence of a musical ear directly depends on the language spoken by the person. For example, Koreans whose language is different in tonality (the difference in the pronunciation of the same word can change its meaning), absolutely everything is musical from birth. Some talents are able to perceive the sound of colors and the color of sounds.