Crackling in your ear? A disorder known as tinnitus can produce numerous different noises in your ears including whooshing, buzzing, ringing, and crackling. Here is what you need to know.
Ever hear crackling, buzzing, or thumping noises that seem to come out of nowhere? In the case of someone who uses hearing aids, it may mean they fitting and adjustments. But if you don’t use hearing aids it could be tinnitus.
Even though we typically think of our ears with regards 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 prevalent sounds you might hear inside your ears, and what they could reveal is happening.
I’m Hearing a Snap, Crackle, And Pop in my Ears But What’s The Cause?
We can tell you one thing – it’s not Rice Krispies. When the pressure in your ears changes – whether from a change in altitude, going underwater, or simply yawning – you may hear crackling or popping sounds. A small part of your ear called the eustachian tube is the source of these noises. When these mucus lined passages open up to equalize the air pressure, fluid, and air circulate causing these noises to occur.
It’s an automatic process, but sometimes, like if you have congestion from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get clogged up from an excess of mucus in your system (don’t forget, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). In severe cases where decongestant sprays, chicken soup, or antibiotics don’t provide relief, a blockage might call for medical treatment such as surgery.
What Does it Mean When I Hear Vibrations in My Ear?
Vibrations in the ear are often a telling sign of tinnitus. Tinnitus is the technical name for a condition that causes people to hear sounds that have no outside cause, like vibrations, inside of the ear. Most people will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it manifests across the spectrum, from barely there to debilitating.
Is There Anything I Can do?
Again, if you have hearing aids, you should first check those. There might be several reasons that you would hear these sounds: your batteries need to be recharged, the hearing aids aren’t properly positioned in your ears, the volume is too loud, or your hair is brushing up against it. But if you don’t use hearing aids and you’re hearing this type of noise, it might also be the result of accumulated earwax.
Dull hearing, itchy ears, and ear infections can often be caused by too much earwax but how could it be responsible for tinnitus sounds? The ringing or buzzing can be caused by earwax touching your eardrum and hindering its function. The good thing is, earwax issues are easily fixed.
If you’re hearing odd sounds, call us. We can examine your hearing aid to make certain it’s working correctly.