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The acoustic reflex (also known as the stapedius reflex, [1] stapedial reflex, [2] auditory reflex, [3] middle-ear-muscle reflex (MEM reflex, MEMR), [4] attenuation reflex, [5] cochleostapedial reflex [6] or intra-aural reflex [6]) is an involuntary muscle contraction that occurs in the middle ear in response to loud sound stimuli or when the person starts to vocalize.
For example, very curvy ear canals, narrow ear canals, or surgical ears are more prone to earwax buildup. When wax builds up, it causes muffled hearing, tinnitus, or aural fullness (plugged-up ...
Normal human ears can discriminate between two frequencies that differ by as little as 0.2%. [14] If one ear has normal thresholds while the other has sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), diplacusis may be present, as much as 15–20% (for example 200 Hz one ear => 240 Hz in the other).
In some cases, tinnitus is generated by muscle spasms around the middle ear. [50] Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs)—faint high-frequency tones that are produced in the inner ear and can be measured in the ear canal with a sensitive microphone—may also cause tinnitus. [14]
Ear infections are more than just a pesky, painful condition. They can do a number on the auditory system and trigger tinnitus. "Ear infections can interfere with sound transmission, causing a ...
Middle ear myoclonus occurs in the muscles of the middle ear. These muscles may include the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles. It can involve the muscles surrounding the Eustachian tube, which include the tensor veli palatini, levator veli palatini, and salpingopharyngeus. Those affected describe it as a thumping sound or sensation in the ear.
Hearing loss that worsens with age but is caused by factors other than normal aging, such as noise-induced hearing loss, is not presbycusis, although differentiating the individual effects of multiple causes of hearing loss can be difficult. One in three persons have significant hearing loss by age 65; by age 75, one in two.
The symptoms of cochlear hydrops fluctuate, and the condition may stabilize or go away on its own after several years. However, because the organ of Corti undergoes stress during the hydrops episodes, long-term hearing loss, tinnitus, or hyperacusis is possible. It is considered by some that cochlear hydrops is an early form of Meniere's disease.