<p>A pressure pulse above 150 dB will burst the eardrums. I speculate that displacement of the membrane is far above normal range. I speculate that the initial displacement will get passed along to the inner ear to disrupt the hair cells and stimulate the auditory nerve, but the chain will break down when the eardrum ruptures.
How is this pressure pulse perceived by the owner of the eardrum?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-07T12:25:16.790Z
Maybe https://biology.stackexchange.com/ would be a better place to ask?
J.y B.y
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-10T05:51:23.463Z
Most likely, it will sound like having your eardrum burst by a punch. From experience: It sounds loud beyond loudness, followed by quietness. It is not that painful as one might speculate. *Presuming it is a sudden increase in dB. A slow increase in dB would be torturous.
sfast
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-11T11:26:36.807Z
@DrBunny Please let me know if you want to give this question a chance at biology SE. I can move it there. It may require placing less emphasis on what it "sounds like".
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-12T01:16:08.790Z
I'm interested in the subjective experience, what is perceived, not the biology.
DrBunny
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-12T01:17:40.833Z
@sfast Is it perceived as a single beat, with a frequency too low to be heard as sound?
DrBunny
<perception><sensation><hearing><sensory-perception>
What does it sound like, subjectively, when a shockwave bursts your eardrums?
DrBunny
# What does it sound like, subjectively, when a shockwave bursts your eardrums?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-10-06)

A pressure pulse above 150 dB will burst the eardrums. I speculate that displacement of the membrane is far above normal range. I speculate that the initial displacement will get passed along to the inner ear to disrupt the hair cells and stimulate the auditory nerve, but the chain will break down when the eardrum ruptures.
How is this pressure pulse perceived by the owner of the eardrum?

**Tags:** perception, sensation, hearing, sensory-perception

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Maybe https://biology.stackexchange.com/ would be a better place to ask?  
> **username_2**: Most likely, it will sound like having your eardrum burst by a punch. From experience: It sounds loud beyond loudness, followed by quietness. It is not that painful as one might speculate. *Presuming it is a sudden increase in dB. A slow increase in dB would be torturous.  
> **username_3**: @username_0 Please let me know if you want to give this question a chance at biology SE. I can move it there. It may require placing less emphasis on what it "sounds like".  
> **username_0**: I'm interested in the subjective experience, what is perceived, not the biology.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Is it perceived as a single beat, with a frequency too low to be heard as sound?  

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