The ears never stop working; the left ear hears music better than the right ear, and it feels pleasant to hear laughter or boiling water.
The ears function to hear and maintain the body's balance. The ear's structure is complex, and all its parts must work at an optimal frequency to transmit airwaves to the brain. Here are some facts about the ears.
Ears never sleep
Our ears can still hear surrounding sounds while we sleep. However, most people are unaware of this because the brain is resting and shutting off its hearing ability, leading to the omission of surrounding sounds. Therefore, the ears only react to loud or sudden noises as a defense mechanism.
Ears sensitive to unpleasant sounds.
A 2012 study by Newcastle University (USA) found that the most unpleasant sounds to the ear include the scraping of a razor against a bottle, the scraping of a fork on a plate, the vigorous friction of chalk on a blackboard, crying babies, electric drills, the creaking of a rusty swing, someone vomiting, and two pieces of expanding polystyrene rubbing against each other. Conversely, the most pleasant sounds are boiling water, laughter, and the clapping of young children.
Ear size increases over time.
Ears come in many shapes and sizes, and men's ears are generally larger than women's. According to Texas Tech University (USA), ear circumference increases by an average of 0.51 mm per year, possibly due to changes in collagen.
The left ear hears music better than the right ear and feels more comfortable listening to sounds like boiling water or laughter. (Image: Freepik)
Sound in the ear
The middle ear is connected to the back of the nose and throat by the Eustachian tube. Most of the time, this tube is closed. Occasionally, it makes a clicking sound when we swallow, yawn, chew, or when on an airplane. This is caused by Eustachian tube dysfunction, where the tube doesn't open or close properly.
The two ears serve a complementary function.
People with hearing loss in one ear often have difficulty identifying the exact source of a sound. Therefore, they are often advised to use two hearing aids to pinpoint surrounding warning sounds and navigate safely while driving.
Ears are the "culprit" causing motion sickness.
Every movement is perceived by the brain through various pathways of the nervous system, including the inner ear, eyes, and tissues on the body's surface. Motion sickness occurs because the repetitive motion of vehicles disrupts the inner ear, causing the central nervous system to receive conflicting messages from the ears and resulting in vomiting.
Ear hairs aid in hearing.
The tiny hairs inside our ears help us hear by transmitting sound waves to the brain. The brain then analyzes and understands the sound. Damage to these tiny hairs can lead to permanent hair loss and hearing loss.
The left ear perceives music better.
Research from the University of California and the University of Arizona (USA) shows that the right ear typically reacts more quickly to speech from birth, while the left ear is more receptive to continuous sounds and those related to pitch and music. The study, published in 2004, used data from over 7,000 infants.
Huyen My (According to Boldsky, Live Science )
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