The Human Ear
All About Ears
THE EAR CANAL is the part of the ear that produces wax and we often try to
clean. Wax is normal and healthy and generally doesn¹t need to be removed.
Earwax protects against dust and foreign objects entering the external ear,
and only becomes problematic when it forms a plug.
THE EAR DRUM is what we look at when we examine the ears. The appearance of
the eardrum tells us if there is an ear infection or if there is fluid in
the middle ear, which might cause glue ear or frequent ear infections.
A healthy drum looks pearly.
THE MIDDLE EAR is the part of the ear which causes most of the problems in
young children (and some adults).
The middle ear is a tiny space behind the eardrum, which contains small
bones that help us to hear. Sound waves from the noises we hear, make the
eardrum vibrate, which send signals to the three little bones in the middle
ear move and then to the brain. When the middle ear contains fluid, it
affects the movement of the eardrum in response to sound, and how the small
bones in the middle ear move. This can affect hearing which can be
accurately assessed by a hearing test conducted by an audiometrist
THE EUSTACHIAN OR AUDITORY TUBE connects the middle ear with the back of
your nose (naso-pharynx). When you swallow you hear a little click¹. This
is the sound of the eustachian tube opening and closing. To keep the middle
ear healthy, the eustachian tube needs to open and close several times each
minute.
EAR PROBLEMS OCCUR when the eustachian tube becomes blocked. This occurs
when a child has a cold, allergies, tonsillitis or milk backtracking¹ up
the eustachian tubes during feeding times.
An infant¹s eustachian tube is more horizontal, compared to older children
and so becomes blocked more easily. When the eustachian tube becomes blocked
a middle ear infection is more likely.
Older children can sometimes unblock their eustachian tube by holding their
nose and making their ears pop.
TREATING EAR PROBLEMS
Most children have a few ear infections before the age of five years old and
eventually grow out¹ of them. Sometimes ear infections become frequent,
requiring repeated courses of antibiotics. Homeopathic medicines can treat
the acute ear infection and decrease the frequency of ear infections in
susceptible children. Dietary adjustments are sometimes required as well.