Whooshing sound in ears

[mjia]

I've always wondered what exactly cause the whooshing sound that I hear when I cover my ears with my hands. Is this sound produced by the aerodynamics of the air btw my hands and ears? Perhaps it is related to your pulse causing disturbances. Or is it all in my head.

Actually, does everyone experience this same noise, or am I just some freak of nature.

 

[Locut0s]

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question556.htm

This should be in Off-Topic.

 

[zetter]

Same reason as how you can hear the ocean when holding a sea shell to your ear.

See here for details.


Edit: Beat me by a couple of seconds Locut0s.

 

[Rams2001]

You are probably hearing the blood flow through your either your carotid artery or your internal juular vein. I do know this......

If a PICC (peripherally inserted catheter) is inserted in the vein on your arm and advanced to the distal portion of your Superior Vena Cava as it should be, you will hear nothing when the nurse flushes your PICC line with Saline. BUT, if that PICC line turns North at the wrong moment while it is being advanced, it will go up into your IJ (internal jugular) and you will hear a "whooosh" when the nurse flushes your PICC line.

A bit off topic, but hey...... this was one I could answer! 😀

 

[ChuaChua]

so...the sound when a seashell is used is due to the air and seashell; the sound when the hand is used is due to the blood?

I've heard both arguments and I just want to confirm because I am not really sure myself.
seashell - air in seashell.
hand - blood in he arm.

??

Cheers.

 

[mordantmonkey]

if you cup your hand then it is ambient noise being amplified... if you cover your ear and press with your hand then that low rumbling is from muscular vibrations in your arm. when i lay my head on my desk at work i hear my CPU fan vibrations through the desk. sometimes you can hear your bloodflow like when you lay your head on a pillow but that would be a rythmic wooshing and not a constant noise.