Why is it that when I yawn I can’t hear while my mouth is open? Id imagine its got some weird sinus connection, but have no clue. It also sometimes sounds like rustling/pulsing while yawning. Is that related?
In: Biology
ok, ill give this a go.
there are tubes in your ears called eustachian tubes, they link the back of the throat and the moddle ear, these tubes are to regulate pressure, and are normally closed (imagine a deflated inner tube from a bicycle)
now when they are closed, they allow the eardrum to be at its optimal for hearing, because the eardrum works through vibrations, and when it is open (yawning) it creates a pressure difference essentially the pressure goes up and bends/distorts the eardrum creating that muffled sound..
i hope someone comes along with maybe a more detailed version
source, years of ear examinations (as a patient) and an eager sense of wanting to understand everything.
When you yawntge pressure in your body changes slightly. The muscles around your throat and jaw are flexing, putting pressure on your ear drums. As a result they aren’t capable of resonating in the same way they usually do and transmitting sounds to the nerves to be interpreted by the brain.
There’s a tiny muscle that is attached to one of the bones that attached to your ear drum. These little bones help transmit sound from your ear drum to the part of your ear that sends the sound signals to your brain. The purpose of this little muscle is to hold the bones still if there is too much noise in order to protect the sensitive parts of your ear. Yawning and chewing also activate this little muscle so it makes your hearing drop a little.
Latest Answers