US Medical Term · anatomy
Cochlea
Cóclea
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Cochlea |
| Spanish (Español) | Cóclea |
| Chinese (中文) | 耳蝸 |
| Korean (한국어) | 달팽이관 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Ốc tai |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Kokleya |
| Portuguese (Português) | Cóclea |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | คอเคลีย |
| Japanese (日本語) | 蝸牛 |
What it means
The cochlea is a snail-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear that converts sound vibrations into nerve signals your brain can understand. When vibrations from the middle ear's tiny bones enter the cochlea, they create ripples in the fluid inside. Thousands of tiny hair cells lining the cochlea sense these ripples and generate electrical signals that travel through the auditory nerve to the brain. Different parts of the cochlea respond to different sound frequencies, which is how we distinguish high and low pitches. Damage to the cochlear hair cells — from loud noise exposure, aging, or certain medications — causes permanent hearing loss because these cells do not regenerate. Cochlear implants can restore some hearing for those with severe cochlear damage.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
My audiologist said the hair cells in my cochlea are damaged from years of loud noise.
Mi audiólogo dijo que las células ciliadas de mi cóclea están dañadas por años de ruido fuerte.
Would a cochlear implant help me since I have cochlear hearing loss?
¿Un implante coclear me ayudaría ya que tengo pérdida auditiva coclear?
Can medicine damage my cochlea and cause hearing loss?
¿Puede un medicamento dañar mi cóclea y causar pérdida de audición?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026