Do you hear a crackling sound? A condition called tinnitus can cause you to hear buzzing, crackling, whooshing, or other sounds in your ears. Here’s some info.
Ever hear crackling, buzzing, or thumping noises that seem to come out of nowhere? If this is happening with hearing aids, it may mean you need to come in and get an adjustment. But if you don’t have hearing aids, those noises may just be coming from inside of your ear.
Don’t fret there’s no need to stress. Your ears have a lot more going on inside than what they appear to be on the outside. You may hear some of these prevalent tinnitus sounds and here are some signs of what they may be telling you about your hearing. Most of these sounds are temporary and innocuous but if you have tinnitus sounds that cause pain or are chronic you should schedule a consultation with us.
There’s a snap, crackle, and pop in my ears but what’s causing it
It’s not Rice Krispies, that’s for certain. When the pressure in your ears changes, whether from going underwater, altitude, or just yawning, you could hear crackling or popping sounds. The eustachian tube, which is a tiny tube in your ear, is the cause of these noises. When the pressure in these mucus lined passageways equalizes, the passages open up allowing air and mucus to circulate.
If you have an excess of mucus in these passages, often as a result of allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, they can get clogged and the ordinarily automatic process will become disrupted. In extreme cases where decongestant sprays, chicken soup, or antibiotics don’t provide relief, a blockage could call for surgery. You should make an appointment with us if you can’t get any relief from the nagging 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. Technically speaking, tinnitus is the medical term for when a person hears abnormal sounds, like vibrations, in their ears that don’t originate from any outside sources. Most people will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it occurs across the spectrum, from barely noticeable to debilitating.
Is tinnitus triggering this ringing in my ears?
There are also numerous reasons why you may hear these sounds if you wear hearing aids: your batteries may be running low, you need to adjust the volume, or maybe your hearing aids aren’t fitting properly in your ear. But these sounds can also be caused by too much earwax.
It makes sense that too much wax could make it tough to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how could earwax produce a sound? If it is pressing against your eardrum, it can actually restrict the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing.
Chronic buzzing or ringing is an indication that you are coping with tinnitus. Even buzzing from too much earwax counts as a kind of tinnitus. Bear in mind that tinnitus isn’t itself a disorder or disease, rather, it’s a symptom of something else happening with your health. Your tinnitus might be triggered by simple earwax accumulation but it can also be connected to more serious problems like depression and anxiety. Diagnosing and treating the root health issue can help alleviate tinnitus, so you should speak with us to find out more about ways to reduce your symptoms.
What’s causing rumbling in my ears?
This particular symptom is self-produced. Occasionally, if you have a really big yawn, you will hear a low rumble. Your body is trying to dampen sounds you make and the rumbling is your ears tensing little muscles in order to accomplish that. They turn down the volume on yawning, chewing, and even your own voice.
These sounds take place so often, and are so close to your ears, without these muscles your ears could be damaged. In very rare cases, some people can control one of these muscles, the tensor tympani, and generate that rumble on cue. In other circumstances, 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 wavelengths of sound, commonly experience TTTS.
What causes a fluttering noise in my ear?
After you exercise, have you ever felt a flutter in your arms and legs. Those flutters are normally caused by a muscle spasm, and it’s the same as 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. Usually, this condition is initially controlled using muscle relaxers and anticonvulsants, since it’s a muscle condition. Inner ear surgery to eliminate the condition is an alternative if the medications aren’t working, but results vary from procedure to procedure.
Why are my ears drumming, pumping, and pulsing so much?
You’re likely not off base if you think you can hear your own pulse or heartbeat in your ears. Your ears are very close to some major veins and arteries and if you just worked out, have high blood pressure, or are very nervous you will probably hear your own pulse.
Most kinds of tinnitus can’t be heard by others but that’s not the situation with pulsitile tinnitus. If you come in for a consultation, we can listen in on your ears and we will be able to hear the thumping of your pulsitile tinnitus. While it’s absolutely normal to experience pulsatile tinnitus when your heart’s racing, it shouldn’t be something you have to live with every day.
It’s a smart idea to come see us if you’re hearing this pulsing on a daily basis. If it persists, pulsitile tinnitus might be an indication of high blood pressure or other health conditions. Sometimes, pulsatile tinnitus is the result of 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 goes back to normal.
Why does my ear keep clicking?
As mentioned 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 near the eustachian tubes (like in the roof of your mouth). Clicking can also take place when you swallow for similar reasons. This is due to the opening and closing of the eustachian tubes. A clicking can sometimes be heard when mucus drains from the head. A clicking can, in rare instances point to a fracture of one of the small bones of the ears.
Does it mean I’m dealing with an infection if my ears are popping?
Sometimes, an ear infection creates the feeling that your ears are clogged and the inflammation can cause your ears to pop. If your ears are popping, it could be a sign of severe infection. You need to make an appointment with us right away if you have any other symptoms, like ear pain, sudden loss of hearing, or fever. Sometimes, your ears will pop in the days following an infection or cold as your head clears of mucus.
Can I stop this crackling in my ears?
Do you hear a crackling in your ear and suspect you have tinnitus? Make an appointment for a consultation with us to find out about treatments available to you.
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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/