If we lose our hearing, are afferent nerves still firing?

In summary: So if the vibration of the ear drum is the only thing that causes hearing loss, then theoretically, you could just replace the ear drum and you would be able to hear again?That's right! However, as you might imagine, this is not a very common procedure and would not be recommended if there was any chance of the person's existing hearing being impaired.That's correct! However, as you might imagine, this is not a very common procedure and would not be recommended if there was any chance of the person's existing hearing being impaired.
  • #1
icakeov
379
27
If we lost our hearing from a loud sound, does that just mess up the mechanics of the ear or does it affect the afferent nerves that would actually carry the signal if it could be detected?

Thanks for any responses!
 
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #2
Well, first, what kind of sound are you talking here?
 
  • #3
Any sound that an ear can detect. I wasn't talking about vibrations that the skin can detect, but I guess, a similar question could be framed for that one too. :)

Or did you mean more, different sounds can affect different parts of the hearing system? In that case, I would be talking about the sounds that would, for example "destroy" vestibular duct in the inner ear right between between 20Hz and 20KHz in humans.
 
Last edited:
  • #4
icakeov said:
If we lost our hearing from a loud sound, does that just mess up the mechanics of the ear or does it affect the afferent nerves that would actually carry the signal if it could be detected?

As far as I am aware, hearing loss from loud sounds is usually just the result of damage to the middle/inner ear, not the nerves.
 
  • Like
Likes icakeov
  • #6
Interesting! Thanks Berk!
 
  • #7
Yes, thanks for your response berkeman. Basically both can get damaged!
 
  • #8
FWIW have you heard of phantom pain? People have a leg amputated. Several years later the leg that is not there seems 'itchy' or has some other problem.

The reason is the answer to your question. Just because some neural input is turned off for whatever reason does not mean that the rest of the neural input 'machinery' that originally handled the input automatically switches off or dies . You can present to a physician with tinnitus in a totally deaf ear.

Computer analogy: Just because a peripheral device is disconnected or gone South does not mean the kernel automatically unloads the drivers and powers off the interface cards.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_pain
 
  • Like
Likes icakeov
  • #9
Sweet! Such a great addition Jim! That really does address the question on so many additional levels. Thanks!
 
  • #10
Loud sound has nothing to do with hearing nerves or amplification process. The only reason is that it creates heavy vibrations on inner cochlear region in which ear drum is present. These excessive vibrations above normal makes ear drum rigid that ultimately reduce the ear drum capacity to vibrate.
 
  • #11
Thanks for your response @Stephen Albert. So you are saying that there hasn't been any research that shows that nerve tissue damaged due to loud sound? It is all a matter of the vibration of the ear drum (or not).
In that sense, if we could replace the ear-drum cells (or in some way, found a way to take away the rigidity), would that mean that we would hear again?
Thanks again
 
  • #12
Stephen Albert said:
Loud sound has nothing to do with hearing nerves or amplification process. The only reason is that it creates heavy vibrations on inner cochlear region in which ear drum is present. These excessive vibrations above normal makes ear drum rigid that ultimately reduce the ear drum capacity to vibrate.

This is not correct. Roughly 90% of hearing loss results from nerve damage or damage to the hairs and hair cells of the inner ear. See here and here, along with the link in post #5.

Also, the eardrum isn't part of the cochlea. It isn't even directly connected to the cochlea, instead being connected to the ossicles (bones in the middle ear) which are themselves connected to the cochlea.
 
  • Like
Likes icakeov and berkeman
  • #13

1. What are afferent nerves and how do they relate to hearing?

Afferent nerves are a type of sensory nerve that carry information from the body's periphery, such as the ears, to the central nervous system. In the case of hearing, afferent nerves transmit sound waves from the inner ear to the brain to be processed and interpreted.

2. Can a person still hear if their afferent nerves are damaged or not functioning?

No, a person would not be able to hear if their afferent nerves are damaged or not functioning properly. Afferent nerves are essential for transmitting sound information to the brain, so without them, the brain would not receive any auditory signals.

3. What causes afferent nerves to stop firing?

There are several possible causes for afferent nerves to stop firing, such as physical damage to the nerve, nerve compression, or diseases that affect nerve function. In the case of hearing, the most common cause of afferent nerve damage is noise exposure or aging.

4. Is it possible for afferent nerves to regenerate or repair themselves?

Unfortunately, afferent nerves do not have the ability to regenerate or repair themselves. Once they are damaged, the loss of their function is permanent. This is why it is important to protect our ears from loud noises and to seek treatment for any hearing-related issues as soon as possible.

5. Can a person still experience tinnitus if their afferent nerves are not firing?

Yes, a person can still experience tinnitus even if their afferent nerves are not firing. Tinnitus is a sensation of ringing or buzzing in the ears and can be caused by a variety of factors, including damage to afferent nerves. However, it is also possible for tinnitus to be caused by other factors, such as muscle spasms in the ear or issues with the auditory processing centers in the brain.

Similar threads

  • General Engineering
4
Replies
136
Views
14K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
16
Views
1K
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
8
Views
1K
Back
Top