What causes tonic tensor tympani syndrome?
Tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS) has been described to cause TT spasms leading to tinnitus and hyperacusis. TTTS is believed to be an involuntary condition due to an overlying anxiety disorder, which causes a reduction in the threshold required to trigger the TT muscle reflex.
Why can I make a rumbling noise by tensing?
Some People Can Make a Roaring Sound in Their Ears Just by Tensing a Muscle. Those that can contract their tensor tympani – a small muscle located above the auditory tube – are privy to a special skill: the action produces a low, thunder-like rumbling in their ears.
What does the tensor tympani muscle do?
The tensor tympani is attached to the malleus; it is innervated by a branch of the Vth cranial nerve. The action of both muscles is to decrease sound transmission through the middle ear.
Can tensor tympani cause vertigo?
Symptoms consistent with TTTS can include: tinnitus; rhythmic aural sensations such as clicks and tympanic membrane flutter; alterations in ventilation of the middle ear cavity leading to a sense of aural blockage or fullness, a frequent aural “popping” sensation and mild vertigo;, minor alterations in middle ear …
Can everyone control tensor tympani?
“A part of the human population can voluntarily control the tensor tympani, a muscle within the ear,” the tweet describes. “Contracting this muscle produces vibration and sound. The sound is usually described as a rumbling sound.”
Why can I hear my eardrum vibrating?
Doctors call these muscles the “tensor tympani.” These muscles work to pull the malleus (a bone partially responsible for hearing) in the ear away from the eardrum. As a result, the eardrum isn’t able to vibrate as much as usual. This creates a dampening effect in the ear, which can create a rumbling sound.
Is tensor tympani common?
Conclusion: The importance of the tensor tympani muscle in middle-ear physiology remains unclear. It has been related to the attenuation of sounds produced during the mastication process. Voluntary control over the tensor tympani muscle is an extremely rare event.
What is the function of the tensor tympani and the Stapedius?
The tensor tympani and stapedius muscles are protective reflexes. They reduce the amount of sound that gets into the inner ear. They are somewhat similar to the blink reflex. Thus they can be triggered by loud noise, and when they “go off”, both ears can be involved.
Is tensor tympani smooth muscle?
Recently it has been discovered that there are smooth muscle arrays within the peripheral edge of the tympanic membrane, the annulus fibrosus, in all four of the mammalian (bats, rodents, insectivores, and humans) species studied (Henson, O. W., Jr.