Crackling in your ear? A condition called tinnitus can cause you to hear crackling, buzzing, whooshing, or other sounds in your ears. Here’s what you should know.
Do you hear phantom sounds like thumping, ringing, or buzzing in your ears? If you use hearing aids, it may mean that they need to be adjusted or aren’t correctly fitted. But those sounds are probably coming from inside your ears if you don’t use hearing aids.
This doesn’t mean you should panic. 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. You might hear some of these common tinnitus noises and here are some signs of what they may be telling you about your hearing. Though most are harmless (and short-term), it’s a good idea to see us if any of these noises are persistent, cause pain, or are otherwise diminishing your quality of life.
What’s the cause of the snap, crackle, and pop in I’m hearing?
We can tell you one thing, it isn’t the Rice Krispies. When the pressure inside of your ears changes, whether from altitude, going underwater, or just yawning, you may hear popping or crackling noises. These sounds are caused by a small part of your ear called the eustachian tube. The crackling occurs when these mucus-lined passageways open up, allowing air and fluid to circulate and equalize the pressure in your ears.
It’s an automatic process, but occasionally, like if you have inflammation from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get clogged from the overabundance of mucus in your system (keep in mind, your ears, nose, and throat are all linked). There may be situations where a surgical procedure is called for in more extreme cases where decongestants, chicken noodle soup, or antibiotics don’t do the trick. If you’re enduring persistent ear pain or pressure and haven’t been able to find any relief, you should schedule an appointment with us to get a diagnosis.
What does it mean when I hear vibrations in my ear?
Vibrations in the ear are sometimes a telling sign 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 manifests across the spectrum, from barely noticeable to debilitating.
Is tinnitus triggering this ringing in my ears?
Once again, if you have hearing aids, you might hear these types of sounds for a number of reasons: the hearing aids aren’t sitting properly within your ears, the volume is too high, or your batteries are getting low. But these noises can also be caused by an excessive amount of earwax.
It seems logical that excessive wax could make it difficult to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax make a sound? If it is pressing against your eardrum, it can actually hinder the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing.
Persistent buzzing or ringing is a sign that you are coping with tinnitus. Even buzzing from excessive earwax counts as a type of tinnitus. Keep in mind that tinnitus isn’t itself a disease or disorder, instead, it’s a symptom of something else happening with your health. While it could be as basic as wax accumulation, tinnitus is also related to conditions such as anxiety and depression. Diagnosing and treating the underlying health problem can help alleviate tinnitus, so you should contact us to learn more about ways to decrease your symptoms.
What’s causing my ears to rumble?
This next symptom is less prevalent than others, and if you’re hearing it, you’re the one causing the sound. Sometimes, if you have a really big yawn, you will hear a low rumble in your ears. Your body is trying to soften sounds you make and the rumbling is your ears contracting little muscles in order to accomplish that. They turn down the volume on yawning, chewing, and even your own voice.
Those sounds manifest so close to your ears and so frequently that the noise level would be damaging without these muscles. In extremely rare cases, some individuals can control one of these muscles, the tensor tympani, and produce that rumble on cue. In other cases, individuals suffer from tympani muscle spasms caused by tonic tensor tympani syndrome, or TTTS. Studies have shown that TTTS occurs often in individuals with tinnitus and those suffering from hyperacusis, which is a sensitivity to particular sound volumes and frequencies.
What about a fluttering sound?
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 the same as the fluttering you hear in your ears. MEM tinnitus, or middle ear myoclonus, affects the stapedius muscle and the tympani tensor muscles of the middle ear. Since this is a muscle condition, muscle relaxers and anticonvulsants are commonly used as a first-round treatment to bring the fluttering under control. If medications don’t help, inner ear surgery can have varying degrees of success.
Why are my ears drumming, thumping, and pulsing so much?
You’re likely not off base if you think you 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 anxious you will probably hear your own heartbeat.
Most types of tinnitus can’t be heard by others but that’s not the situation with pulsatile tinnitus. If you come in for a consultation, we can listen in on your ears and we will be able to hear the pumping of your pulsatile tinnitus. While it’s completely 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 every day. Like other forms of tinnitus, pulsatile tinnitus is a symptom of another condition rather than a disease, so it may indicate a health concern, such as high blood pressure, if it persists. It’s essential to tell us about your heart health history as pulsatile tinnitus can point to a heart condition. But if you just had a hard workout (or a good scare), you should stop hearing the pulsing or pumping as soon as your heart rate returns to normal.
Why does my ear keep clicking?
As stated above, the Eustachian tube helps keep equal pressure in your ears. Repeated clicking can often be heard when you have muscle spasms in the muscles near the eustachian tubes (like in the roof of your mouth). For the same reason, you might hear clicking when you swallow. What you’re hearing, is the Eustachian tube opening and closing. Some individuals report hearing a clicking sound when their head drains of mucus. In some rare situations, chronic clicking could be an indication of a fracture in one of the tiny bones in your ear.
Does it mean I’m dealing with an infection if my ears are popping?
Ear infections sometimes produce swelling which can make your ears pop. If your ears are popping, it could be a sign of acute infection. If you have any other symptoms, such as pain in the ear, abrupt hearing loss, or fever, you should schedule an appointment right away. Sometimes, your ears will pop after an infection or cold as your head drains of mucus.
How can I stop my ears from crackling?
Do you hear a crackling in your ear and think you may have tinnitus? Set up a consultation with us to find out about treatments available to you.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uf9680
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24289817/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23571302/