Crackling in your ear? Buzzing, crackling, “static”, or whooshing noises in your ear can all be symptoms of a condition known as tinnitus. Here’s some info.
Ever hear crackling, buzzing, or thumping sounds that seem to come from nowhere? If this is happening with hearing aids, it might mean you need to come in and get an adjustment. But those sounds are probably coming from inside your ears if you don’t have hearing aids.
Don’t worry there’s no need to stress. Even though we mostly think of our ears with respect to what we see on the outside, there’s more than meets the eye – or in this instance, the ear. Here are a few of the more common noises you might hear inside your ears, and what they may suggest is going on. The majority of these sounds are short-term and innocuous but if you have tinnitus noises that are painful or are chronic you should get a consultation with us.
There’s a snap, crackle, and pop in my ears but what’s causing it
It isn’t Rice Krispies, that’s for sure. You might hear popping or crackling when you have a pressure change, whether from a change in altitude, going under water, or just yawning. These noises are caused by a tiny part of your ear called the eustachian tube. When the pressure in these mucus lined passageways equalizes, the passages open up allowing air and mucus to circulate.
If you have too much mucus in these passages, frequently as a result of a cold, allergies, or an ear infection, they can become clogged and the ordinarily automatic process will get interrupted. There might be situations where a surgery is required in more extreme cases where decongestant sprays, chicken noodle soup, or antibiotics don’t help. You should schedule an appointment with us if you can’t find any relief from the constant ear pain and pressure.
What does it mean when I hear vibrations in my ear?
In some cases, vibrations in the ear are an obvious symptom of tinnitus. The word tinnitus refers to a condition where sounds are heard in the ears but those noises don’t originate in the outside world. Most individuals will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it occurs across the spectrum, from barely noticeable to debilitating.
Is the ringing and buzzing in my ear tinnitus?
Again, if you wear hearing aids, you may hear these kinds of sounds for a number of reasons: the hearing aids aren’t sitting correctly within your ears, the volume is too loud, or your batteries are getting low. But if you don’t use hearing aids and you’re hearing this type of noise, it could also be the result of excess earwax.
Excess earwax is well known to create itchiness and to make it more challenging to hear, as well as the potential of an ear infection, but how can it create sounds. Your eardrum can be restricted if wax is pressing against it and that can produce these sounds.
Chronic buzzing or ringing is a sign that you are dealing with tinnitus. Even buzzing from too much earwax counts as a type of tinnitus. Keep in mind that tinnitus isn’t itself a disorder or disease, alternatively, it’s a symptom of something else happening with your health. Your tinnitus may be caused by simple earwax accumulation but it can also be associated with more serious problems like anxiety and depression. Diagnosing and treating the root health issue can help relieve tinnitus, so you should consult with us to find out more about ways to minimize your symptoms.
What are the weird rumblings i’m hearing?
This specific symptom is self-produced. Sometimes, you will hear a low rumble when you yawn. That rumble is the sound of little muscles inside your ears tensing in order to dampen sounds you make. They turn down the volume on yawning, chewing, and even your own voice.
Those sounds manifest so near to your ears and so often that the level of noise would be harmful without these muscles. One of these muscles, known as the tensor tympani can, in extremely rare cases, be intentionally controlled to generate this rumbling. In other cases, people suffer from tympani muscle spasms caused by tonic tensor tympani syndrome, or TTTS. People suffering from tinnitus or hyperacusis, which is a sensitivity to specific frequencies of sound, commonly experience TTTS.
What causes a fluttering sound in my ear?
Have you ever felt a flutter in your arms or legs after a workout? Those flutters are typically the result of a muscle spasm, and it’s no different from the fluttering you hear in your ears. MEM tinnitus, or middle ear myoclonus, impacts the stapedius muscle and the tympani tensor muscles of the middle ear. Since this is a muscle condition, muscle relaxers and anticonvulsants are typically used as an initial treatment to bring the fluttering under control. Inner ear surgery to eliminate the condition is an alternative if the medications aren’t working, but results vary from procedure to procedure.
I hear a thumping or pulsing in my ears
You’re likely not off base if you think you can hear your own pulse or heartbeat inside your ears. Your ears are really close to some major veins and arteries and if you just did a hard workout, have high blood pressure, or are very anxious you will most likely hear your own heartbeat.
Most types of tinnitus can’t be heard by other people but that isn’t the situation with pulsitile tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus is easy for us to diagnose since we can listen in on your ears and hear the pumping and pulsing as well. While it’s absolutely normal to experience pulsatile tinnitus when your heart’s pounding, it should not be something you have to live with every day.
It’s a good idea to come in for a consultation if you’re hearing this pulsing every day. If it persists, pulsatile tinnitus might be an indication of high blood pressure or other health concerns. Sometimes, pulsatile tinnitus is related back to a heart condition, so it’s important to talk about your heart with us. But after a good scare or workout, your hearing should go back to normal when your heart rate returns to normal.
What’s this clicking sound?
As noted above, the Eustachian tube helps keep equal pressure in your ears. Repeated clicking can frequently be heard when you get muscle spasms in the muscles close to the eustachian tubes (like in the roof of your mouth). For a similar reason, you may hear clicking when you swallow. What you’re hearing, is the Eustachian tube opening and closing. A clicking can occasionally be heard when mucus empties from the head. A clicking can, in rare instances indicate a fracture of one of the small bones of the ears.
Is ear popping an indication of infection?
Ear infections sometimes generate swelling which can make your ears pop. Popping in your ear can be a symptom of an acute infection. If you are dealing with any other symptoms, like pain in the ear, abrupt hearing loss, or fever, you should schedule a consultation right away. Sometimes, your ears will pop in the days following an infection or cold as your head drains of mucus.
How do I stop my ears from crackling?
Do you hear a crackling in your ear and think you may have tinnitus? Come in and consult with us and we can help you determine what treatments are best for your situation.
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References
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uf9680
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24289817/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23571302/