Our external ear is innervated by various types of nerve. Some of them come directly from crane, so called cranial nerve: trigeminal, fascial and vagus. Another come from the spine: lesser occipital and greater auricular.

Signals from the external ear go to inner ear (cochlear hair cells) and then carried to Central Nervous System by the vestibulocochlear nerve. One part of this nerve, called cochlear, is responsible for hearing. While another, the vestibular, is responsible for maintaining body balance.

Injury to this nerve may lead to symptoms such as tinnitus, vertigo, and nystagmus and hearing loss.