Normal hearing
Unaided hearing loss
Aided hearing loss
Four parts of the ear are involved in hearing
The inner ear
This part of the ear contains a fluid-filled cochlea lined with thousands of tiny hair cells. As the fluid moves in waves along the cochlea, the hair cells bend and trigger impulses through the auditory nerve. The number of hair cells bending, and their location, determines the frequency and intensity of the sound.
How wearing
hearing aids can help
The inner ear
This part of the ear contains a fluid-filled cochlea lined with thousands of tiny hair cells, some of which are damaged or missing, causing the hearing loss. At this stage, the sound has been amplified to compensate for the missing sounds and their location. As the fluid moves in waves along the cochlea, a greater number of intact hair cells are now able to bend and trigger impulses through the auditory nerve.
How wearing
hearing aids can help
The auditory nerve
Impulses from the increased number of hair cells travel up the auditory nerve to the brain and provide more information than would otherwise be available. This additional information makes it easier for someone with a hearing aid to interpret meaningful sounds.
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