Do you hear a crackling sound? A condition known as tinnitus can cause you to hear buzzing, crackling, whooshing, or other sounds in your ears. Here’s some info.
Do you hear phantom noises like thumping, buzzing, or ringing in your ears? If this is occurring with hearing aids, it may mean you need to come in and get an adjustment. But those noises are probably coming from inside your ears if you don’t have hearing aids.
This doesn’t mean you should panic. Even though we generally think of our ears with respect to what we see on the outside, there’s more than meets the eye – or in this case, the ear. Here are some of the more common sounds you might hear inside your ears, and what they might suggest is happening. Though most are harmless (and short-term), it’s a smart idea to see us if any of these noises are chronic, painful, or are otherwise diminishing your quality of life.
What’s causing the snap, crackle, and pop in I’m hearing?
It isn’t Rice Krispies, that’s for certain. You may hear crackling or popping when you have a pressure change, whether from going underwater, a change in altitude, or just yawning. These sounds 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.
It’s an automatic process, but occasionally, like if you are dealing with inflammation from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get clogged from the excess mucus in your system (remember, your ears, nose, and throat are all linked). There could be situations where a surgical procedure is called for in more severe cases where decongestant sprays, chicken noodle soup, or antibiotics don’t help. You should make 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?
Vibrations in the ear are sometimes a telltale sign of tinnitus. Technically, tinnitus is the medical name for when a person hears unusual sounds, like vibrations, in their ears that do not come from any external sources. The intensity level of the sound can range from really quiet to earsplitting and most people will refer to it as ringing in the ears.
Is the ringing and buzzing in my ear tinnitus?
There are also numerous reasons why you might hear these sounds if you wear hearing aids: your batteries might be getting low, you need a volume adjustment, or perhaps your hearing aids aren’t fitting right in your ear. But these sounds can also be produced by too much earwax.
Accumulated earwax is well known to create itchiness and to make it harder to hear, as well as the potential of an ear infection, but how can it produce sounds. Your eardrum can be restricted if wax is pressing against it and that can generate these sounds.
Ongoing buzzing or ringing is an indication that you are coping with tinnitus. Even ringing from excessive earwax counts as a form of tinnitus. Bear in mind that tinnitus isn’t itself a disorder or disease, rather, it’s a symptom of something else going on with your health. While it could be as basic as earwax buildup, tinnitus is also linked with conditions like anxiety and depression. Let us help you diagnose and get some relief for your tinnitus symptoms by helping you understand what the root health condition might be.
What are the peculiar rumblings in my ear?
This particular symptom is self-created. Sometimes, if you have a really big yawn, you can 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 do that. They reduce the volume on yawning, chewing, and even your own voice.
These sounds occur so often, and are so close to your ears, without these muscles your ears can be damaged. One of these muscles, called the tensor tympani can, in extremely rare situations, be purposely controlled to produce this rumbling. In other cases, a condition called tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS) will cause individuals to suffer from tensor tympani muscle spasms. Studies have revealed that TTTS occurs often in people who have tinnitus and those suffering from hyperacusis, which is a sensitivity to particular sound volumes and wavelengths.
What about a fluttering sound?
Have you ever felt a flutter in your arms or legs after a workout? Muscle spasms are the cause of those flutters exactly like the ones in your ears. Middle ear myoclonus, also called MEM tinnitus, is a condition that impacts the aforementioned tensor tympani muscle and the stapedius muscle in your middle ear. Since this is a muscle disorder, muscle relaxers and anticonvulsants are generally used as a first-round treatment to control the fluttering. If medications don’t help, inner ear surgery can have varying degrees of success.
I hear a pumping or pulsing in my ears
If you occasionally feel like you’re hearing your heartbeat thump inside your ears, you’re most likely right. Your ears are really close to some major veins and arteries and if you just worked out, have high blood pressure, or are very nervous you will most likely hear your own pulse.
Most kinds of tinnitus can’t be heard by other people but that’s not the situation with pulsatile tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus is easy for us to diagnose because we can listen in on your ears and hear the thumping and pulsing as well. While it’s totally normal to experience pulsatile tinnitus when your heart’s racing, it should not be something you need to live with every day.
If you do experience this thumping or pulsing daily, it’s probably a smart move to come in for a consultation. If it persists, pulsatile tinnitus might be an indication of high blood pressure or other health concerns. In some cases, 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 hard workout, your hearing should return to normal when your heart rate returns to normal.
Why does my ear keep clicking?
As mentioned above, the Eustachian tube helps keep the pressure equal in your ears. If you get a muscle spasm in the muscles that surround the Eustachian tube, like for instance in the roof of your mouth, it can trigger a repeated clicking noise. Clicking can also occur when you swallow for similar reasons. This is due to the opening and closing of the eustachian tubes. Some people report hearing a clicking sound when their head drains of mucus. In some rare cases, chronic clicking could be a sign of a fracture in one of the fragile bones in your ear.
Is ear popping a symptom of infection?
Sometimes, an ear infection causes the feeling that your ears are full and the inflammation can cause your ears to pop. Popping in your ear can be an indication of an acute infection. If you are dealing with any other symptoms, like ear pain, abrupt hearing loss, or fever, you need to schedule a consultation right away. Sometimes, after an infection, as your head clears of mucus, your ears will pop.
Can I stop this crackling in my ears?
Do you believe that the crackling sound in your ears is tinnitus? Set up a consultation with us to find out about treatments available to you.
References
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uf9680
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24289817/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23571302/