LESSON 6
IRRIGATE AN OBSTRUCTED EAR
6-1.
GENERAL
The ear is often regarded as two important organs housed in one anatomical
structure. Hearing is one of the organs in which sound waves are converted into nerve
impulses. Sense of balance is the other organ that maintains the proper relationship
between head positioning and motion. This lesson provides procedures used to irrigate
an obstructed ear. We will first review the structure of the ear. The ear is divided into
three parts: the external ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. (See figure 6-1 and
paragraph 6-2.)
Figure 6-1. Structure of the ear.
6-2.
STRUCTURE OF THE EAR
a. External Ear. The external ear includes the outer ear (pinna), the auditory
canal, and the eardrum. The pinna is the most prominent structure of the external ear.
Its shape is maintained by cartilage. The auditory canal is the opening and the canal
that runs from the pinna into the skull. This canal ends at the eardrum. The eardrum
separates the inner end of the canal from the middle ear. The principal function of the
external ear is the collection and conduction of sound waves to the middle and inner
ear.
b. Middle Ear. The middle ear (tympanic cavity) is an irregular space in the
temporal bone filled with air and containing the three ossicles of the ear: malleus
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6-2