The human body is sometimes capable of amazing things. For example, the liver of some people, under certain conditions, can produce alcohol on its own, and in rather large quantities. Also, some people are able to move the muscles inside their ears and independently create low, somewhat reminiscent of thunder, sounds. However, very few people have this unusual skill, and some are very surprised to learn that someone is capable of it. But what exactly causes tinnitus and can ordinary people hear it? Of course they can.
An unusual skill of some people was reported by ScienceAlert, citing Italian scientific Twitter account Massimo. The muscles that some people can control are called tensor tympani and are designed to control the eardrums. When these muscles contract, a person hears rumbling sounds and this is far from news to scientists, because this phenomenon was at least described in the book "Elements of Physiology" by physiologist Johannes Müller. But for ordinary people, this ability of the human body can be very surprising.
How does human hearing work?
In fact, human hearing works quite simply. When a sound is made, waves are generated that make the eardrums inside our ears vibrate. These sound waves are then transmitted to the inner ear through several ossicles known as the malleus, incus, and stapes. And already from the inner ear, sound signals enter the brain and the person understands what exactly he heard.
A small muscle called tensor tympani is needed so that the eardrum stops vibrating at some moments. For example, this is necessary when there is a loud noise coming from the outside - by ceasing to vibrate, the eardrum protects the inner ear from damage. Also, the muscle sometimes compresses the eardrum while the person is talking or chewing food. If special muscles did not block the vibration of the eardrums, a person could simply become deaf from their own sounds.
Because the eardrums are very fragile, it is not recommended to clean the ears with cotton swabs.
It turns out that people who know how to control this muscle can not only create a rumble in their ears on their own, but also protect themselves from loud noise. However, not all people are capable of this, and if they suddenly have such a gift, they often begin to worry and go to the hospital. For example, in 2013, a 27-year-old man came to his doctor with a complaint of extraneous tinnitus. It turns out that he has nothing to worry about and is simply one of the few people who are able to control the muscles inside his ear.
Promotional video:
Many people may be wondering how the noise made by the muscles of the eardrums can be heard. This is quite easy to do - you just need to yawn deeply. You will probably hear a hum in your ears, and you may have heard it before. Basically, this is the very noise that some people can make on their own.
Ramis Ganiev