Why You Can't Hear Any External Sounds When You Stretch Or Yawn?

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Why You Can’t Hear Any External Sounds When You Stretch or Yawn?

Avatarby Karthikeyan KC — updated on September 23, 2015 · in Biology

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Geekswipe_Hearing_Yawning_Stretching_Res_2

It’s something unusual that you don’t hear your surroundings when you yawn or stretch to the breaking point. Ever wondered, why we turn a deaf ear during these stretches?

A little about the human ear

How it works?

Human ear works by amplifying the sound waves that reaches the eardrum through the ear canal. The eardrum then mechanically vibrates the three tiny bones of the ears, Malleus, Incus and Stapes. The Stapes then finally transfers this mechanical energy into the Cochlea, which is filled with a fluid called Endolymph, which when comes in contacts with the hair cells, produce the impulses that are interpreted by the brain as sound.

Geekswipe_Hearing_Yawning_Stretching_Res_1

Eustachian tube

Eustachian tube is more like a pressure regulator that prevents your ears from popping out. One end of this tube is found between the eardrum and the cochlea, and the other end behind the nasal cavity (Nasopharynx), the uppermost part of the pharynx. Whenever, the pressure changes in your ears, this tube opens and balances the pressure. This tube is normally closed all the time and opens when you chew something, yawn, stretch or when there is a necessity to balance the pressure (when you travel in an airplane).

Why no sounds?

The reason why we don’t hear any external sound while yawning is that, when the Eustachian tube is opened, the source of the sound is now actually two – The ear canal and the Eustachian tube. The sound through the Eustachian tube fills the middle ear, which thereby also reduces the ability to amplify the sound from the ear canal. This is the reason, why we hear our internal sounds more, when we yawn or stretch. This opening of the tube is just temporary while yawning, stretching, and a few people develop the ability to open it voluntarily.

The next time you click your ear to hear your own voice, you should understand that you are actually opening you Eustachian tubes.

This post was first published on March 12, 2014.

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Karthikeyan KC

Aeronautical engineer, dev, science fiction author, gamer, and an explorer. I am the creator of Geekswipe. I love writing about physics, aerospace, astronomy, and python. I created Swyde. Currently working on Arclind Mindspace.

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9 Responses

  1. Avatar patricial penelope petiers October 18, 2024

    An inquistive piece of information regarding life. Philosophy evolved. I (an Oxford graduate), personally agree with Richard (hot name btw) that this is eye-opening and inspiring. Will recommend to family, and my new love – the woman on the etsy advert that merely lies to the right of this wonderful forum. I must credit the author this exciting information, who is total hot starff.

    Reply
  2. Avatar Richard September 18, 2024

    That was an easy explanation of why I can’t hear when stretching! I just had to look it up. Funny when we have odd questions that the internet can answer!

    Reply
  3. Avatar Warren July 17, 2024

    So, I am guessing that the clicking noise i hear when yawning, is the estuchian tube opening and closing… I do it on purpose…

    Reply
  4. Avatar Morgan December 7, 2020

    So why do some people not get this?

    Reply
  5. Avatar Rachel August 29, 2020

    Love this. Short and to the point

    Reply
  6. Avatar Melissa September 28, 2018

    Appreciate the explanation, thank you!

    Reply
  7. Avatar jassqakie June 1, 2018

    I HATE THIS!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  8. Avatar Luke Melcash February 16, 2016

    Concise explanation. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Avatar Derek Metzger October 8, 2014

    Very good piece of information here.

    Reply

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