[Caleb (OP)]

I've been able to make a sound like steady thunder in both ears since I was a teenager. It seems to me that I exerting musculature near my inner ear.

When I do it I also hear occasionally crinkly sounds and I think that might be from my Eustachian tubes expanding and returning to normal. The longest I have done it for has been about 30 seconds at a time -- haven't really wanted to do it longer than that.

Does anyone know what the actual process is? Could it be a muscular discharge affecting my inner ear?

Thanks!

[evan_au]

There are three tiny bones in your middle ear which act as a "volume control" for your hearing.
Normally they will amplify soft sounds, improving sound transmission into your very sensitive inner ear.

However, when exposed to sudden loud noises, a protective reflex causes small muscles to disconnect the bones, turning down the volume. As you noticed, these muscles quickly get tired.

Most likely: You can exercise these muscles consciously - opening and closing these joints repeatedly might be causing the popping/thundering noise you hear?

Another possibility is that you may be hearing the flow of blood in your ear - this sounds like a regular "swooshing" noise that we normally ignore.

Note that our continuous high-noise environments often cause the small muscles in our ears to become tired, and expose our cochlea to excessive noise, causing damage and death to the delicate hair cells which sense sound. As well as general hearing loss with aging, this can cause the sounds of tinnitus as your brain tries to compensate for the loss of inputs. This is usually reported as high-frequency ringing.

Your ears are also able to create sounds, which improves sensitivity to very quiet sounds.

[RD]

I've been able to make a sound like steady thunder in both ears since I was a teenager. It seems to me that I exerting musculature near my inner ear.

When I do it I also hear occasionally crinkly sounds and I think that might be from my Eustachian tubes expanding and returning to normal.

similar thread ... http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=764.msg371597#msg371597

[Caleb (OP)]

Thank you for your link! That's it to a "t". I think I can deafen outside sounds somewhat with that maneuver but have never thought the sound was anything other than kind of a rolling thunder, although I can control the beat.

Thanks!