Earvangelism

Ear seeds are tiny seeds placed on specific points of the ear and used as a form of gentle acupressure. People use them for everything from stress and sleep to pain and migraines.But how could something placed on the ear influence the rest of the body? In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla explores the origins of ear seeds in auricular acupuncture, the idea of the ear as a “microsystem” of the body, and the fascinating nerve connections that link the ear to the brain and autonomic nervous system.Whether ear seeds work for everyone is still an open question, but they highlight this: that the ear is far more connected to the rest of the body than most people realise.

Many people living with chronic migraines try everything from medication to lifestyle changes in search of relief. One surprising option that has gained attention is the daith piercing, a cartilage piercing deep inside the ear that some claim dramatically reduces migraine frequency.In this episode of Earvangelism, I explore where this idea comes from, including its roots in auricular acupuncture and the ear’s connection to the vagus nerve, a key regulator of pain and autonomic function. I share real comments from people who swear by the piercing, alongside others who report no change.Is it a pressure point effect, vagus nerve stimulation, placebo, or something else entirely? While large clinical trials are still lacking, the biological plausibility and growing number of reports make this an intriguing topic worth exploring.If you’ve had a daith piercing for migraines, whether it helped or not, this episode invites you into the conversation.

We all know that loud noise can damage hearing. But what if noise isn’t the only workplace risk?In this episode of Earvangelism, I speak with Associate Professor Adrian Fuente about how organic solvents, i.e. common workplace chemicals, can affect not only the inner ear but also the brain’s auditory pathways. This results in people with “normal” hearing tests who still struggle to understand speech in noise.An eye-opening look at the hidden connection between the air we breathe and the way we hear.

During Tinnitus Awareness Week, I sat down with a patient who has lived with bilateral tinnitus for 17 years. In this excerpt from our conversation, she shares what tinnitus really sounds like — from high-pitched ringing to Morse-code rhythms — what triggers it, and what she wishes healthcare professionals had told her sooner.This episode sheds light on the lived experience of tinnitus and highlights the importance of early support, counselling, sound therapy, and informed choices.

Can a bass really trigger diarrhoea?In this episode of Earvangelism, I explore a patient’s startling experience of needing to rush to the loo every time a specific low-frequency bass played, and nowhere else. We unpack the “brown note,” the science of low-frequency sound, and the powerful connection between the ear, the vagus nerve, and the gut.Sound doesn’t just enter your ears but with your body too.

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the hardest conditions to treat, with most therapies offering only modest benefit. In this episode, I explore a fascinating new study published in Brain Communications that investigates whether ultrasound (sound beyond human hearing) can safely change brain activity in people with Alzheimer’s disease.I break down what focused ultrasound is, why it’s different from drug-based treatments, what the researchers found in humans, and why subtle changes in behaviour and brain dynamics may matter more than headline cognitive scores. This episode highlights sound as not just something we perceive but as a tool to actively shape the brain.

Can blocked ears really cause fainting?This episode explores a striking clinical case involving recurrent fainting, dizziness, and long-standing earwax impaction (blocked ears). While fainting is usually linked to the heart or brain, this episode sheds light on two lesser-known ear-related mechanisms that could play a role: vestibular disruption and auricular (vagal) syncope.We unpack how pressure changes in the ear can affect balance, how a branch of the vagus nerve runs through the ear canal, and why chronic stimulation of this pathway may trigger light-headedness or loss of consciousness in some individuals.

In this episode, Priscilla explores the auditory setup behind Meta AI glasses, unpacking how you can hear an AI voice clearly without anything being in your ears. Spoiler: it’s not bone conduction, but near-field, directional air-conducted sound aimed straight at the ear canal.Beyond the tech, this episode asks a bigger question:What happens when external voices begin to sound as close as our internal dialogue?We explore how Meta AI glasses blur the line between inner voice and external input, and what that means for attention, silence, and auditory load.A short, accessible look at hearing, technology, and what it means to live in an increasingly 'audibly integrated' world.

In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla explores echoic memory — the brief but brilliant auditory system that holds sound just long enough for meaning to emerge. Through everyday moments like multitasking conversations, hearing your name called, or processing fast speech, this episode reveals why listening isn’t as instantaneous as we think.Echoic memory sits quietly between sound and understanding, acting as a rolling auditory buffer that allows the brain to stitch syllables into words, separate speech from noise, and make sense of sound after it’s already stopped.

As a new year begins, we all resolve to be better: better partners, friends, colleagues. In this episode of Earvangelism, Priscilla explores one of the most overlooked yet valuable ways to do that: becoming a better listener.Drawing on 3 simple habits, this short episode looks at how listening well can start through eye contact, fewer interruptions, and ...becoming a trampoline. Small shifts can make a big difference to how people feel heard, valued, and understood.A gentle invitation to start 2026 by listening differently and offering more value to the people around you.

As the year comes to a close, this short episode of Earvangelism is a moment of reflection — not on what you achieved, but on what quietly supported you all year long.Your ears helped you learn, filtering and forming new auditory pathways. They protected your attention by tuning out what didn’t matter. And they kept you connected, to the sounds and people that matter most to you.Here's to savouring the sounds that shaped us in the past year, and our ears that made that possible!

In this Earvangelism episode, we dive into one of the most fascinating intersections in auditory science: how the sounds we hear — especially spoken words — trigger powerful hormonal responses in the brain and body.We break down how hearing is not just a mechanical process but a deeply emotional and neurochemical experience, influencing everything from bonding and calm to motivation, stress and behaviour. From dopamine to oxytocin, cortisol to endorphins, this episode gives a mini highlight of each of these and how the meaning you make of what you hear affects them.Finally, we wrap up with a powerful message:Every sound you produce is shaping someone’s neurochemistry. So what experience do you want your words to create?

In this personal episode of Earvangelism, I sit down with my mum to talk through her sudden sensorineural hearing loss in 2018 — an event that reshaped her understanding of her ears, and her balance.She shares the confusion of those early hours, the surprisingly critical role of her vestibular system, and the emotional impact of losing hearing without warning. We also explore why she couldn’t receive the standard corticosteroid injection due to dangerously high pressure behind her eye — a risk many patients and clinicians aren’t aware of.This episode blends lived experience with clinical insight, offering a powerful look at what sudden hearing loss feels like from the inside, and what we can all learn from her journey.Tune in!

Why do whispers, soft tapping, and rustling pages trigger warm, tingling waves in some people but leave others completely unaffected? In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore the deeply personal and surprisingly emotional world of ASMR.We break down what ASMR is, how the auditory system processes these intimate sounds, and why the brain sometimes interprets them as calming, safe, and pleasantly immersive. Along the way, we look at attention, memory, binaural recording, and how ASMR sits at the intersection of sound, emotion, and human connection.This episode is an invitation to understand how sound shapes not just what we hear, but what we feel.

Why does the world sometimes feel like it has no middle volume? This episode of Earvangelism unravels the science of auditory recruitment, where damaged hair cells in the ear distort how we experience sound.We’ll talk about how this phenomenon blurs the line between silence and noise, how it affects communication and comfort, and why understanding it reveals so much about the delicate relationship between the ear, the brain, and perception itself.

They both make things louder, so what’s the big deal? Quite a lot, actually. In this episode, we look at the growing world of over-the-counter hearing amplifiers — how they compare to prescription hearing aids, when they might help, and when they might do more harm than good.From custom fitting to feedback control and brain adaptation, we’ll dive into the science of why “louder” doesn’t always mean “clearer.” If you’ve ever wondered whether those online amplifiers are worth it, this one’s for you.

Have you ever cringed at the sound of your own voice on a recording? You’re not alone — and there’s real science behind that discomfort. In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore why your voice sounds so different when played back, and what it reveals about how your hearing actually works.From the physics of bone conduction to the quirks of recording technology, we’ll unpack how microphones, skull vibrations, and brain expectations all shape the voice you think you have. And we’ll ask a deeper question: why does hearing ourselves from the outside feel so strangely personal?

What if you could hear your eyes move? Or your own heartbeat echoing in your skull?In this episode of Earvangelism, we explore Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS) — a rare and fascinating condition where a tiny hole in the inner ear blurs the line between sound, balance, and self-perception.We’ll unpack the anatomy, the surreal symptoms, the challenges of diagnosis, and how surgical repair can help patients reclaim their sense of silence.Join us as we dive into the “third window” of the inner ear — and discover what happens when hearing turns inward.

In a world full of sound, our brains are expert editors — deciding what’s worth hearing and what’s not. This episode of Earvangelism dives into the phenomenon of selective hearing: the fascinating intersection between perception and attention.We’ll explore the neuroscience behind why some sounds capture our attention while others fade into the background. From survival instincts to modern distractions, and from romantic frustration to neural efficiency, selective hearing reveals how finely tuned — and biased — our auditory systems really are. By the end, you might rethink what it truly means to “listen.”

What if everyday sounds like chewing, tapping, or breathing made your skin crawl or sent your stress levels through the roof? In this episode of Earvangelism, we dive into misophonia — a condition where ordinary sounds trigger intense emotional and physical reactions. We’ll explore what science knows so far, why it happens, and how people cope with it. Whether you’re an audiologist, a healthcare professional, or someone who struggles with sound triggers, this episode will help you understand misophonia’s impact on the brain, behaviour, and daily life.