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fubo t1_j2blj5t wrote

Reply to comment by mtntrail in Eli5: Why when you yawn your hearing goes down? by Big_carrot_69

> tensor tympani

Relevant Wikipedia: tensor tympani muscle

> The tensor tympani is a muscle within the middle ear, located in the bony canal above the bony part of the auditory tube, and connects to the malleus bone. Its role is to dampen loud sounds, such as those produced from chewing, shouting, or thunder. Because its reaction time is not fast enough, the muscle cannot protect against hearing damage caused by sudden loud sounds, like explosions or gunshots.

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Silentone89 t1_j2f4xby wrote

Wait, it can actually be used to help prevent hearing damage from loud noises.

For example, I could flex the muscle to get near a generator to shut it off without putting in ear plugs and lessen my risk of damaging my eardrum?

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