I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a Studies in Hearing class at Columbia College here in Chicago.  It's a class taught by Benj Kanters, a very knowledgeable and entertaining speaker.

I've been finding with my ear problems
that the more understanding I have about not only aspects directly related to my tinnitus and hyperacusis, but also of how everything works within the different structures of the ear, the more I feel like I'm in control of my ear problems.  It just really helps to be as pro-active as possible -- no matter what difficulty you're struggling with.

Here are just a few things I learned in the first class that I found fascinating:

-We have 30,000 nerve fibers connecting to 15,000 hair cells in each ear

-Our inner-ear system uses electro-chemical energy and has a chemical balance of Sodium, Calcium, and Potassium.  (That is why tinnitus can be affected by diet -- foods high in sodium can especially disrupt the inner-ear balance.)

-Ear wax, also called Cerumen, is an insect repellent. :-)

Learn more about Benj on his website:
HearTomorrow.org