The Mysteries of Ear Muscles and Why Your Hearing Seems to Shift During a Yawn

Have you ever experienced a peculiar sensation where your hearing seems to shift to the inside of your head when you yawn? This phenomenon is fascinating and can be explained by a variety of physiological changes that occur in your ear and head during a yawn.

Understanding the Eustachian Tube Function

One of the primary reasons your hearing might seem to shift is due to the function of the Eustachian tubes, which are responsible for equalizing pressure in the middle ear. When you yawn, the Eustachian tubes open, allowing air to flow and equalize the pressure. This pressure change can affect how sound is transmitted, leading to a sensation that sound is coming from inside your head. This is a natural response to prevent discomfort and potential damage to your ears.

The Role of Muscle Contraction During Yawning

Another factor that contributes to the sensation is the contraction of various muscles in the jaw and around the ear. These muscles play a role in the structural changes that occur during a yawn. The contraction of these muscles can alter the tension in the ear structures, potentially altering how sound is perceived. This can create a temporary sensation of fullness ora shift in how sound is felt.

Impact on Auditory Perception

The movement and pressure changes in your head during a yawn can also influence the way sound waves travel through your ear. These changes can create a temporary sensation of fullness or a shift in how sound is perceived. This is especially noticeable when the pressure in your ears changes, such as when you change altitude during a flight.

The Neural Processing Behind the Sensation

The act of yawning is associated with changes in brain activity. This can lead to temporary shifts in auditory processing, making sounds feel more internalized. If you experience this sensation frequently or are accompanied by discomfort or hearing loss, it may be worth consulting a healthcare professional. Such issues can sometimes indicate underlying health problems that need attention.

A Little-Known Fact About Ear Muscles

It's a little-known fact that people have muscles in their ears. These muscles can move when they're not supposed to, and this can cause you to hear sounds internally. This was my personal experience a few years ago. I had a faint, dull buzz in one ear or the other, lasting a second or less. It was so unpredictable that I couldn't determine if anyone else could hear it by placing their ear close to mine. I thought it might be a new kind of tinnitus until my doctor explained that my ears were moving their muscles at the wrong time, causing the sensation I was hearing.

The doctor explained that the purpose of these muscles is to protect your inner ear from loud noises. When we speak or shout, the sound can be very loud and potentially damaging. The muscles in the ear immediately pull apart the tiny bones that conduct sound from the ear drum to the inner ear, thus preventing the sound from reaching the delicate sound-detecting nerves.

Additionally, the crackling sound in your ears during a yawn is common. This sound can be due to the shifting of fluids in your ear system, the bone-chain getting slightly dislocated, or the muscles in action. The slightest movement in the inner ear gets magnified. This was especially noticeable in my youth, but as I aged, I noticed that these sounds became less prominent.

Our human hearing system is one of the most sensitive and accurate of any animal. Whales, bats, elephants, and owls all have remarkable hearing abilities. But no other animal except perhaps some parrots can hear the subtle distinctions between sounds like "tog" and "dog" or "crass" and "crash." It's important to enjoy your hearing while you have it, and if you experience any unusual sensations or discomfort, it’s wise to consult a professional.