What Is the Ear Canal?

The ear canal (English name: Acoustic Meatus) is the name of the organ structure in the ear. The ear canal other than the eardrum, the full name is "External Ear Canal" (English name: External Acoustic Meatus). The ear structure can be divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.

Ear canal

The ear canal (English name: Acoustic Meatus) is the name of the organ structure in the ear. The ear canal other than the eardrum is called "

From the perspective of the physiological anatomy of the ear, the auricle is distributed with about 1,800 acupuncture points, and looks like an inverted human figure. It has representative areas of various human systems and organs.
Anatomically, there are abundant blood vessels, nerves and lymph around the auricle. The nerves come from the spinal nerve cervical plexus, cerebral nerves, sympathetic nerves, small occipital nerves behind the ear, and extremely thin tissue under the skin. Therefore, the skin and cartilage are closely attached, and the stimulation of the auricle can easily regulate the body's organs. In addition, the ear part is covered with nearly a hundred important points of the body, which are targeted for various system diseases. Regulatory effect.

The ear is associated with the internal organs and meridians of the human body, and the ear is most closely related to the kidney and heart.

The relationship between the ear and the kidney: The ear is the master of the kidney, and the kidney is described in the ear. "Su Wen · Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun" said: "The kidney is the main ear", and the kidney is the ear. "Lingshu · Pulse" said: "The kidney qi passes through the ear. In addition, the" Difficult Scriptures "and the" Tibetan Scriptures "also record that the kidney person, the spiritual house, the root of life, pass through the ear. The special relationship of the kidney.

The relationship between ear and heart: "Su Wen · Jin Kuizhen's speech" said: "The heart is open to the ear, the essence is in the heart." Regarding the meaning of Xinkaiqiao in the ear, there is an explanation in the Jiayijing that the mind Qi passes through the tongue, and the five internal organs all have qi, and the tongue is not qiao, so the xinqi is sent to the ear. Also, its masters are in the ears. " Yang Shangshan's "Tai Su" also holds the above point, and points out that the heart is open to the ear because "the kidney is water, the heart is also fire, the water and the fire are complementary, and the heart breath is in the ear. ". Experimental observations have confirmed that the stimulus of the heart meridian of the hand Shaoyin can be uploaded to the auricle, indicating that the heart and ears are indeed mediated by meridians, and there is a close relationship between the two.

The ear structure can be divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. During the transmission of sound from the natural environment to the human brain, three parts of the human ear have different physiological functions:

The external ear refers to the part of the ear that can be seen from the outside of the human body, that is, the auricle and the external ear canal. The middle ear consists of the tympanic membrane, the middle ear cavity, and the ossicular chain. The inner ear is located in the temporal bone, and includes the semicircular canal, vestibule, and cochlea. The semicircular canal can sense movement in all directions and play a role in regulating body balance. The cochlea is a snail-like structure surrounded by a skull. The cochlea is filled with fluid and is separated by a basement membrane. Above the basement membrane is a screw. This is a structure that collects electrical nerve impulses. The cross section of the cochlea shows the structure of the screw.

The sound we hear is actually a vibration wave _ sound wave with a certain frequency range issued by a sounding body. The human auricle is like a satellite receiver that can receive sound waves and collect them into the external ear canal, and then transmit them to the eardrum, causing the eardrum to vibrate. In this way, the sound energy of the sound waves is converted into mechanical energy, and the vibration of the eardrum can drive The connected auditory ossicles, and the movement of the auditory ossicles can vibrate the portal of the inner ear, the oval window membrane. In this way, the lymph fluid in the inner ear is vibrated, which causes the inner ear basement membrane to vibrate and stimulates the cell production Corresponding potential changes, at this time, mechanical energy is converted into biological signals, this electrical signal converges into the auditory nerve, and then is transmitted to the auditory center in the brain through the auditory nerve. Until then, talents can truly "hear" the sound. The listening center is like an information research institute. It sorts, numbers, analyzes and organizes the bioelectrical signals. The brain can understand what the received sound waves mean, and then it can respond. Although we talked a lot, in fact, this process was completed in a very short time, only a few thousandths of a second, and we were not even aware of it.

Care of the ear skin

We often take care of our eyes, nose, mouth, and hands, but often ignore the other sensory organ of the body-the ear. In addition to the function of receiving all external sounds, the ear can actually help balance the body to prevent falling, but why are we left alone in our series of skin care steps?

Environmental and UV damage

Although it can secrete protective oils, the external auricles are often damaged by exposure to the external environment, including ultraviolet rays and weather in winter. Ears are easily frostbite, so regular moisturization is critical. In the summer, the external auricles are most easily overlooked and vulnerable, and direct sunlight can even cause skin cancer. So don't forget the ears when applying sunscreen, apply at least SPF15 + sunscreen (containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) every day to protect these sensitive areas. Also, remember not to drop your ears during the morning skin care step.

Metal allergic reactions and ear tears in earrings

The structure of metal molecules determines whether it will trigger sensitive reactions in the body, which is why some MMs are allergic after piercing the ear holes. Gold and stainless steel are chemically inert metals, so wearing these jewelry is not allergic. The higher the purity of gold, the less likely the skin will have a sensitive reaction. Dr. Spiegel tells us: "Inert metals such as gold will never cause problems even if implanted directly into the skin." However, metals like nickel often cause ear allergies, causing inflammation and crusting. This is why many girls are allergic to alloy earrings.

As you get older, your pierced ears can relax and may tear. "I've seen some people accidentally tear their earlobe with earrings." To avoid these tears, remember to remove those heavy earrings before going to bed every night.
Headphone noise

Headphones seem to be fertile ground for bacterial growth, but in fact the most harmful are the noise. Dr Spiegel emphasized that headphones can cause severe hearing loss. Too loud music can cause permanent eardrum damage, so it's safer to reduce the sound in decibels, and don't always use earphones instead of hearing equipment.

Ear hair

Cleaning the hair around the ears is particularly troublesome. Ear hair is especially common in men, but even a small beard is not very beautiful. You can use ear hair cleaners or nose hair trimmers to remove the annoying beard, but Spiegel cautions that this can be a potential risk. Ear hair removal can cause permanent ear damage, so it is best to keep the tool clean and sterile during removal.

acne

Acne on the ears? of course! There is nothing more annoying than having a puppet that can't be seen or scratched. Because the ears secrete protective oil, pores are often blocked in these areas. Although the acne pimples on the ears may resolve on their own for a period of time, the small bubbles protruding on the earlobe or in the ear canal may also be a cyst, so it is better to go to a professional doctor to clear them, but don't try to squeeze them yourself.

Choose the environment: Try to enjoy music in a quiet environment. Existing tests have shown that in a quiet environment, the output sound effects of most headphones are almost the same. Once the external environment becomes noisy, the output effects of the headphones will be interfered to varying degrees.

Because the blood supply to the inner ear is unstable during exercise, it is best not to listen to MP3s or use a mobile phone while exercising.

Volume control: When listening to MP3 or using a mobile phone, adjust the volume to 40-50 decibels to reach a level of clarity. It should not exceed 60% of the maximum volume (when the MP3 maximum volume is 100 decibels).

Control time: Wear any headphones, even if the volume is appropriate, it cannot last too long, let alone sleep with headphones. Excessive intense music, you should take a break for about 1 hour; listen to a CD length, you should take a 15-minute break; light music, slower popular music can take a break about 100 minutes. Also, use your phone to minimize time. Experts have found through experiments that hearing has not changed significantly within 10 minutes of using a mobile phone. Therefore, we recommend that each time you use your mobile phone is controlled within 10 minutes.

Choose earplugs: Keep away from noise environments such as bundy, strong rock percussion music, firecrackers, gongs and drums, etc. Choose earmuffs or sponge earplugs to protect your hearing. Earplugs include two types of repeated use and disposable. A good hearing protection product should have the following characteristics: close contact with the ear; can effectively filter noise; feel comfortable when wearing;

Long distance: When using a mobile phone, try to keep it away from your ears to reduce side effects caused by electromagnetic waves.

Replace headphones: Avoid using plug-in headphones when using MP3, try to choose headphones. If you buy plug-in headphones, it's best to buy high-quality products.

Regular inspection: Including the inspection of the quality of the Walkman, especially the sound quality and volume, and the detection of personal hearing. If dizziness, earache, tinnitus, hard of hearing, etc. occur, an ear examination should be performed in time.

Early treatment: Low-molecular-weight dextran, vitamin B1, B12, salvia and other drugs can improve blood circulation and promote neurotrophic metabolism. Hyperbaric oxygen can also be used if necessary.