Little girl wispering in the ear of a woman with glasses

About hearing

Hearing is the process of perceiving sound. A hearing loss can restrict communication and social interaction with others causing quality of life to suffer.

Illustration of ear anatomy with sound waves

How does hearing work?

Sound waves travel down the ear canal and hit the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations set the fluid of the cochlea into motion which stimulates 15,000 sensory cells, called “hair cells”, that convert the vibrations into electrical signals. The brain processes this raw data, making it possible to hear and enjoy things like music or an engaging conversation.

Physiology of hearing

Your ear can be divided into 3 parts. The outer ear and middle ear help collect and amplify sound. The inner ear converts sound waves to messages that are sent to the brain.

  • Illustration of the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear with the outer ear highlighted in red

    Outer ear

  • Illustration of the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear with the middle ear highlighted in red

    Middle ear

  • Illustration of the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear with the inner ear highlighted in red

    Inner ear

What is hearing loss?

Get an overview of the causes, types, and symptoms of hearing loss.

About hearing loss

Feet wearing gray shoes balancing on a wooden log in the forest

Interesting facts about hearing

  • The smallest bones are the ossicles in the middle ear: the incus, the malleus, and the stapes.
  • The inner ear is the circumference of a pencil eraser.
  • Your ears never stop hearing, even when you sleep. Your brain just ignores incoming sounds.
  • Ears are more than just necessary for hearing; they also help you keep your balance.

Woman sitting with headphones taking the Bernafon online hearing test on a tablet

Do you think you have hearing loss?

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What the path to better hearing looks like