article_snippet: The hearing organ, the cochlea, is found deep in the inner ear.
article_snippet: It is filled with fluid — when soundwaves enter It, the fluid moves and tiny hair cells then trigger signals to the auditory nerve, which passes the signals to the brain.
article_snippet: These are recognised as sounds, allowing us to hear.
article_snippet: The most popular theory is that The most popular theory’s caused by a virus damaging the nerve in the inner ear.
article_snippet: Another is that a blood clot blocks a blood vessel that leads to the inner ear.
article_snippet: so people get scared it will happen in the inner ear, too.
article_snippet: people often get balance problems because the inner ear contains the balance organ, the labyrinth, too.
article_snippet: Losing balance function on one side can make someone feel disorientated before the brain eventually adapts.
article_snippet: And the damage is often permanent.
article_snippet: ‘Because the brain isn’t receiving sound from the ear the brain tries to strain to hear more and so picks up sounds that don’t have a genuine source.