New Delhi:Yawning feels normal. Almost second nature. You do it without thinking, most of the time when you're tired or bored. It doesn't seem like anything special.
But a lot of people notice a small change right after. The sounds seem a little clearer. More sharp. It sounds like your ears just changed something on their own. Dr. Karan Rajan says that feeling is real and there is a clear reason for it.
How yawning affects the hearing system
Yawning directly affects how your ears process sound.
The Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the throat, is the main part of it. Most of the time, this tube is closed. But things change when you yawn.
"When you yawn, the strong stretch of your jaw opens the eustachian tube and equalizes the pressure between your middle ear and the air around you. This lets your eardrum move freely again, which is why sound sounds clearer after. He said, "Your ears just needed a pressure reset."
That reset of the pressure is important. The eardrum can vibrate better once the balance is restored. And that is what makes it easier for you to hear.
Yawning also makes two small muscles in the middle ear work.
"Yawning also makes two small muscles in your middle ear, the tensor tympani and stapedius, contract at the same time. These muscles tighten the bones that carry sound, which makes what you hear quieter for a short time. "But once they relax, your eardrums are in the perfect place to pick up sound again, and your hearing feels clearer," he said.
That ’s also why your ears pop on a flight. Same principle. Change in pressure. But yawning adds something else. It also increases blood flow to your brain, which can temporarily enhance the function of your auditory system.
Yawning as an acoustic defence mechanism
There is another side to this.
Yawning may also be a way for the body to protect itself from sound. The middle ear muscles that are involved here do more than just reset tension. They also help keep low-frequency sounds made by your own body from getting to the cochlea. Things like your voice or even moving your jaw.
"It's why babies younger than 4 to 6 months don't have this reflex yet." He said, "Their operating systems are still loaded."
He also said that yawning isn't the only thing that can set it off.
"Chewing and swallowing also open the same eustachian tube. If you are yawning over and over to clear your ears, or one ear pops but the other does not, that could be a sign of eustachian tube dysfunction from allergies, acid reflux or sinus problems,” he said. “An it’s worth seeing an ENT before it becomes a bigger problem.”