Auditory Functions of the Peripheral Hearing System and the Common Conditions Affecting Sound Conduction
Abstract
The peripheral hearing system combines mechanical and electrical transmission through the different structures of the outer, middle and inner ear. The World Health Organization estimates a prevalence of 6.1% of the world population living with a bilateral disabling hearing loss. Here, the roles of the different peripheral hearing system structures are reviewed and the most common causes of hearing loss related to mechanical transmission in the human ear are presented. Some common causes of sensorineural hearing loss are also discussed. More precisely, ear canal blockage, external ear infection (when the ear canal is blocked due to severe swelling), Eustachian tube dysfunction, serous and acute otitis, tympanic membrane perforation, cholesteatoma, ossicular chain discontinuity, otosclerosis, Meniere’s disease, presbycusis and noise-induced hearing loss are briefly presented in this paper in an attempt to highlight these problems and pathologies to the Canadian acoustical community.
i) to publish, reproduce, distribute, display and store the Contribution;
ii) to translate the Contribution into other languages, create adaptations, reprints, include within collections and create summaries, extracts and/or, abstracts of the Contribution;
iii) to exploit all subsidiary rights in the Contribution,
iv) to provide the inclusion of electronic links from the Contribution to third party material where-ever it may be located;
v) to licence any third party to do any or all of the above.
