Auditory System and Vestibular System

The sense of hearing connects us with our fellow human beings. Every dialogue, every conversation depends on it. Deaf people have the highest suicide risk. They are cut off from their social environment in a much more severe way than blind or paralysed people are. Unfortunately, age-related hearing loss and balance disorders are not rare at all and they have an enormous effect on the quality of life—even without a complete loss of hearing. The diseases and the respective diagnostic tests which are going to be mentioned here will give you an overview of the wide field of diseases of the inner ear, their diagnosis and treatment possibilities.

The sensory organs enable us to interact with our surroundings and perceive things outside our body. As fascinating as their function is, as complex and vast seems the topic during medical studies. Despite the large variety of sensory organs, they all follow a few fundamental principles in their structure and function. From the fundamentals to the necessary detailed knowledge of the different sensory perceptions is only a short way.

Integration of vestibular input, vision and proprioceptive feedback is instrumental in maintaining orientation and balance of the body in both static and kinetic environment. In this article, a prelude to organization of vestibular system is followed by discussion on caloric test and control of horizontal gaze.