# Anatomy - Author: **Cleveland Clinic** - Document Tags: [[ear]] - [URL link](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24048-ear)  ## Highlights - semicircular canals filled with fluid and hair-like sensors ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj2twtjf4qdpq03rdd8q5hm1)) --- - When you yawn, sneeze or swallow, your eustachian tubes open to equalize the pressure inside of your ears ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj2tz02vwjwe250zy563m4vt)) (Tags: [[eustachian tube]]) --- - directly over your [temporal lobe](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/16799-temporal-lobe) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9crxqtx6kbqhcx74h2cgx8)) (Tags: [[temporal lobe]]) --- - There are three tiny bones in this area — the malleus, incus and stapes. (Healthcare providers refer to these three bones as the ossicles.) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9csy45f2yeztj0d1hzv16y)) --- - Your cochlea is the hearing organ. This snail-shaped structure contains two fluid-filled chambers lined with tiny hairs. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9ctg5e7408aermv5zja04w)) --- - The semicircular canals, also known as the labyrinthine, are responsible for balance. They tell your brain which direction your head is moving. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9cttcnpghe7mj076chjz7e)) --- - If these tubes become clogged, it’s called [eustachian tube dysfunction](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22527-eustachian-tube-dysfunction). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9cvm1cjv4f1dnw96xyj9xa)) --- - [Swimmer’s ear](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8381-swimmers-ear-otitis-externa) is an ear canal infection caused by bacteria or fungi. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9cvy6fm4kvhfnq5dpshgz5)) --- - With otosclerosis, the tiny bones inside of your middle ear (the malleus, incus and stapes) become hardened and stop vibrating. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9cx30qcw7nefs4j8pnysvv)) --- - [Vestibular neuritis](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15227-vestibular-neuritis) occurs when the vestibular nerve in your inner ear becomes inflamed. People with this condition experience a sudden [vertigo](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21769-vertigo) attack, which is often accompanied by [nausea and vomiting](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/8106-nausea--vomiting). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9cxsd10xefyhw8f6p4gn2h)) --- - Meniere’s disease This chronic condition affects your inner ear. Common symptoms include [dizziness](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/6422-dizziness), vertigo and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Most of the time, [Meniere’s disease](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15167-menieres-disease) improves on its own over time. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hj9cycxpn4xmk4skk2dabj0r)) ---