Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyHearingBalanceEar ConditionsSymptoms of Ear ProblemsDiagnostic ToolsHow to Care For Your Ears
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Hearing
Balance
Ear Conditions
Symptoms of Ear Problems
Diagnostic Tools
How to Care For Your Ears
The ears are a pair of sensory organs whose primary functions are hearing and balance. They are divided into three portions: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. Each has an intricate structure of bones, nerves, and muscles.
The ears are two sensory organs. They are located at the sides of the head, directly over a person’s temporal lobe, a part of the brain. They have two main functions: hearing and balance. Each ear is divided into an outer, middle, and inner section that have distinct structures.
Outer Ear
The outer ear includes two parts:
Tympanic Membrane (Eardrum)
Middle Ear
Three smallossicles(bones) in the middle ear transmit vibrations to the inner ear:
Theeustachiantubeconnects the middle ear to the upper throat and nasal cavity. It’s lined with mucous and helps regulate pressure around the eardrum so that sound waves can be transferred.
Inner Ear
The major structures of the inner ear include:
Anatomical Variations
Ears can vary, so what’s considered normal anatomy of the inner or outer ear in one person may be different for another. For example, 19% to 54% of people have an attached earlobe, which is a genetic variation.
The shape of the outer ear directs sound waves from the environment to the ear canal. These waves are then directed toward the tympanic membrane (eardrum), which causes it to vibrate. The vibration passes on to the malleus, incus, and stapes, which leads the perilymph within the cochlea to vibrate. This stimulates tiny hairs on the organ of Corti, a small structure in thecochlea. This stimulation is translated into electrical signals that are delivered to the auditory nerves of the brain for processing.
Many health conditions can affect how the ear functions. These include:
See a healthcare provider if you or your child experience any of the following symptoms:
A healthcare provider may use one or more of these tools and tests to assess the ear and its functioning:
Verywell
Here are some simple steps you can take to keep your ears healthy:
Summary
The ears are a pair of organs on each side of the head that help with balance and hearing. Each ear consists of an outer, middle, and inner portion. All three parts of the ear are involved in hearing.
20 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bruss DM, Shohet JA.Neuroanatomy, Ear. [Updated 2023 Apr 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551658/Vaskovic J.Ear. Kenhub.National Library of Medicine.Tympanic Membrane.Nemours KidsHealth.Your Ears.Bell D, Gaillard F.Eustachian tube: Radiology reference article. Radiopaedia.Krishan K, Kanchan T, Thakur S.A study of morphological variations of the human ear for its applications in personal identification.Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2019;9(1). doi:10.1186/s41935-019-0111-0InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.In brief: How does our sense of balance work?[Updated 2023 Sep 25]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279394/National Library of Medicine.Tinnitus.National Institutes of Health.What is Ménière’s disease? Diagnosis and treatment.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear Infection.American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear).Sevy JO, Hohman MH, Singh A.Cerumen Impaction Removal. [Updated 2023 Mar 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448155/Hohman MH, Jamal Z, Krogmann RJ, et al.Auricular Hematoma. [Updated 2024 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531499/Dolhi N, Weimer AD.Tympanic Membrane Perforation. [Updated 2023 Aug 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557887/American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.National Library of Medicine.Perichondritis.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.Overview: Outer ear infection. [Updated 2023 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279353/American Speech Language Hearing Association.Types of tests used to evaluate hearing in children and adults.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Swimmer’s Ear.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bruss DM, Shohet JA.Neuroanatomy, Ear. [Updated 2023 Apr 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551658/Vaskovic J.Ear. Kenhub.National Library of Medicine.Tympanic Membrane.Nemours KidsHealth.Your Ears.Bell D, Gaillard F.Eustachian tube: Radiology reference article. Radiopaedia.Krishan K, Kanchan T, Thakur S.A study of morphological variations of the human ear for its applications in personal identification.Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2019;9(1). doi:10.1186/s41935-019-0111-0InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.In brief: How does our sense of balance work?[Updated 2023 Sep 25]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279394/National Library of Medicine.Tinnitus.National Institutes of Health.What is Ménière’s disease? Diagnosis and treatment.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear Infection.American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear).Sevy JO, Hohman MH, Singh A.Cerumen Impaction Removal. [Updated 2023 Mar 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448155/Hohman MH, Jamal Z, Krogmann RJ, et al.Auricular Hematoma. [Updated 2024 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531499/Dolhi N, Weimer AD.Tympanic Membrane Perforation. [Updated 2023 Aug 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557887/American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.National Library of Medicine.Perichondritis.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.Overview: Outer ear infection. [Updated 2023 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279353/American Speech Language Hearing Association.Types of tests used to evaluate hearing in children and adults.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Swimmer’s Ear.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bruss DM, Shohet JA.Neuroanatomy, Ear. [Updated 2023 Apr 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551658/Vaskovic J.Ear. Kenhub.National Library of Medicine.Tympanic Membrane.Nemours KidsHealth.Your Ears.Bell D, Gaillard F.Eustachian tube: Radiology reference article. Radiopaedia.Krishan K, Kanchan T, Thakur S.A study of morphological variations of the human ear for its applications in personal identification.Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2019;9(1). doi:10.1186/s41935-019-0111-0InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.In brief: How does our sense of balance work?[Updated 2023 Sep 25]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279394/National Library of Medicine.Tinnitus.National Institutes of Health.What is Ménière’s disease? Diagnosis and treatment.American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear Infection.American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear).Sevy JO, Hohman MH, Singh A.Cerumen Impaction Removal. [Updated 2023 Mar 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448155/Hohman MH, Jamal Z, Krogmann RJ, et al.Auricular Hematoma. [Updated 2024 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531499/Dolhi N, Weimer AD.Tympanic Membrane Perforation. [Updated 2023 Aug 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557887/American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.National Library of Medicine.Perichondritis.InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.Overview: Outer ear infection. [Updated 2023 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279353/American Speech Language Hearing Association.Types of tests used to evaluate hearing in children and adults.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Swimmer’s Ear.
Bruss DM, Shohet JA.Neuroanatomy, Ear. [Updated 2023 Apr 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551658/
Vaskovic J.Ear. Kenhub.
National Library of Medicine.Tympanic Membrane.
Nemours KidsHealth.Your Ears.
Bell D, Gaillard F.Eustachian tube: Radiology reference article. Radiopaedia.
Krishan K, Kanchan T, Thakur S.A study of morphological variations of the human ear for its applications in personal identification.Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2019;9(1). doi:10.1186/s41935-019-0111-0
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.In brief: How does our sense of balance work?[Updated 2023 Sep 25]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279394/
National Library of Medicine.Tinnitus.
National Institutes of Health.What is Ménière’s disease? Diagnosis and treatment.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Ear Infection.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis Externa (Swimmer’s Ear).
Sevy JO, Hohman MH, Singh A.Cerumen Impaction Removal. [Updated 2023 Mar 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448155/
Hohman MH, Jamal Z, Krogmann RJ, et al.Auricular Hematoma. [Updated 2024 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531499/
Dolhi N, Weimer AD.Tympanic Membrane Perforation. [Updated 2023 Aug 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557887/
American Academy of Family Physicians.Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.
National Library of Medicine.Perichondritis.
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-.Overview: Outer ear infection. [Updated 2023 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279353/
American Speech Language Hearing Association.Types of tests used to evaluate hearing in children and adults.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing Swimmer’s Ear.
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