India, May 27 -- Sitting in silence is not for everyone, and it has less to do with being an extrovert or introvert than one might think. In an urban setting, we rarely find a spot that is truly silent, other than perhaps a library or an exam centre.

But even if we could get to a place where we can hear our own heartbeat, it would not be very comfortable for most of us. The brain usually focuses on any external sound that can be heard at the moment, such as the ticking of the clock, which feels surprisingly loud.

Taking to Instagram on May 26, Dr Kunal Sood, a Maryland-based physician in Anesthesiology and Interventional Pain Medicine, explained the phenomenon, and shared when it can become a cause of concern.

The noise from our surrou...