User:Lmccaslin/Acoustic trauma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acoustic trauma is the sustainment of an injury to the inner ear as a result of being exposed to very loud noise[1]. The ear is composed of three sections: outer, middle, and inner. The outer ear includes the pinna, ear canal, and tympanic membrane (otherwise known as the eardrum)[1][2]. The middle ear includes the ossicles: the malleus, incus, and stapes (also known as the hammer, anvil, and stirrup)[1][2]. The inner ear includes the cochlea and semicircular canals. The cochlea contains outer hair cells, or sensory cells, that register sound signals and send them to the auditory nerve[1]. When an excessively loud sound or signal occurs, there can be lasting damage on the outer hair cells, negatively affecting an individual's hearing[1]. This occurrence is known as acoustic trauma.
![Acoustic Trauma](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Healthy_vs_Damaged_Hair_Cells.jpg/640px-Healthy_vs_Damaged_Hair_Cells.jpg)