Why does our hearing lessen or change when yawning?
In: Biology
You have a tube called the Eustachian tube connecting your inner ear to your nasal cavity. It is usually closed, but things like yawning can cause it to open, which lets pressure equalize, but makes an audible change in how you perceive sound.
[One or two have asked before.](https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/search/?q=hearing%20yawning&restrict_sr=1&sort=new)
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
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