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Natural Science Forum / Physics / Acoustics / May 2007Unusual in-ear vibration query
A colleague asked me yesterday if I could explain why, at certain frequencies, he got a sensation of resonance in his ear (in the region of the ear drum as he explained it). He has done a little self-testing and has found that middle C on his piano causes the effect. It is not painful and he does not lose his ability to hear. Being a professional, I of course told him to get a grip and stop making such a fuss. But seriously, has anyone ever come across this phenomenon? I have not, but then I don't claim to be an audiologist. The colleague in question is not, in my view, the type to suffer from hypochondria or other psych-somatic effects...but then again, you never know. Mike On May 15, 8:46 am, mikepotts3...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: > A colleague asked me yesterday if I could explain why, at certain > frequencies, he got a sensation of resonance in his ear (in the region [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Mike Sounds like (no pun intended) an otoacoustic emission. I.e., the inner ear is generating sound. Some OEs are random (or "spontaneous" - see link below); some are triggered (or "evoked" - ibid.). (I'm no audiologist either, but I did stay at a Hampton Inn recently... :-) You should be able to find pleny of information "out there" - audiology texts, the Net, etc. E.g.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otoacoustic_emission All the best, Savant > A colleague asked me yesterday if I could explain why, at certain > frequencies, he got a sensation of resonance in his ear (in the region > of the ear drum as he explained it). I have heard that at rare times. I sometimes think that the contact of the ossicles with the eardrum, the oval window, or the stapes anvil is not always so positive. Come to think of it, a slight static force is needed to maintain a linear transfer function. A zero contact force obliges the stapes bone action to "tap" on either the oval window or the eardrum when receiving a moderate level sound! One test is to apply a slight vacuum (hold nose and pull a negative pressure), to vary the static position of the eardrum. That should either make it better or worse, or attenuate sound a great deal. > He has done a little self-testing > and has found that middle C on his piano causes the effect. It is not > painful and he does not lose his ability to hear. It's just a frequency where the effect is particularly noticeable. Often, swallowing several time will pop the Eustachian tube valve and equalize or alter the entrapped middle ear air pressure. > The colleague in question is not, in my view, the type to suffer from > hypochondria or other psych-somatic effects... It's not a bad thing to be concerned about one's ear function. Also unnoticed slight colds will alter the elasticity of the Eustachian valve, making it harder to equalize middle ear air pressure. Angelo Campanella On 5/15/07 6:46 AM, in article 1179236765.245159.8820@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com, > A colleague asked me yesterday if I could explain why, at certain > frequencies, he got a sensation of resonance in his ear (in the region > of the ear drum as he explained it). He has done a little self-testing > and has found that middle C on his piano causes the effect. It is not > painful and he does not lose his ability to hear. What is "a sensation of resonance?" The Wikipedia article referred to in a reply to this post is also extremely ambiguous. This all reminds me of a marketing adage I heard many years ago: Don't sell the steak; sell the sizzle. Bill -- Fermez le Bush--about two years to go. > On 5/15/07 6:46 AM, in article > 1179236765.245159.8...@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > -- Fermez le Bush--about two years to go. He claims that not only can he feel a rapid tapping sensation but can also hear a clicking noise - he likened the noise to the little click- counters that door-staff or boat crews use to count people entering and leaving. Thanks for all the repsonses so far; my colleague is now re-assured that his 'condition' has a sound physiological basis and that he is not going mad - but you've spoilt my fun :) On May 15, 11:10 am, mikepotts3...@yahoo.co.uk wrote: > > On 5/15/07 6:46 AM, in article > > 1179236765.245159.8...@o5g2000hsb.googlegroups.com, [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > - Show quoted text - I've had that happen - tapping or clicking - when I'm stuffy; i.e., during a cold or a particularly bad hay fever attack. Can last for weeks before the onset of or after the dissipation of the stuffiness. Don't know about the middle-C trigger, save for what Ang alluded to. Most likely fluid in the middle ear. If swallowing or "popping" the ears doesn't relieve the, er, symptom (?), then he might look into earwax build-up even though it's less likely to be the cause... :-? > A colleague asked me yesterday if I could explain why, at certain > frequencies, he got a sensation of resonance in his ear Do you mean rattling? > Being a professional, I of course told him to get a grip and stop > making such a fuss. A professional what? > But seriously, has anyone ever come across this phenomenon? Any joint that has its movement capability exceeded will become loose. Loose joints in the mechanical transmission path will allow rattling. Fireworks or other noise sorces that promote a large excursion are probable evil-doers in this context. The "auslenkung" - german term - appears to be a protecive mechanism that keeps extreme noise de-coupled from the inner ear. > I have not, but then I don't claim to be an audiologist. Nor am I, I just happen to have first ear knowledge of this issue. I have encountered one ENT who said "Ah yes, I know this from my own experience, it is extremely annoying" and one who just thought that it was a variation over the general theme of tinnitus. Altering the pressure in the middle ear will alleviate the issue. Likely sound sources to provoke thep issue are in my experience concert grand at close range (less than some 30 feet) and/or choir. > Mike Kind regards Peter Larsen mikepotts3040@yahoo.co.uk schrieb: > A colleague asked me yesterday if I could explain why, at certain > frequencies, he got a sensation of resonance in his ear (in the region > of the ear drum as he explained it). He has done a little self-testing > and has found that middle C on his piano causes the effect. It is not > painful and he does not lose his ability to hear. In case you didn't consult your ear-nose-and-throat specialist, I'd recommend to do it now. It seems possible, that you've got a blocking of your auditory canal due to ear's wax (do you wear ear-plugs sometimes?). By that obliteration can be formed a small chamber which can be responsible for such resonance phenomenons. All the best Uli Wahl > mikepotts3040@yahoo.co.uk schrieb: > In case you didn't consult your ear-nose-and-throat specialist, > I'd recommend to do it now. It seems possible, that you've got > a blocking of your auditory canal due to ear's wax (do you wear > ear-plugs sometimes?). By that obliteration can be formed a > small chamber which can be responsible for such resonance > phenomenons. Interesting, thank you. > All the best > Uli Wahl Kind regards Peter Larsen |
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