Do you hear a crackling sound? 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 out of nowhere? If you use hearing aids, it may mean that they need adjustment or aren’t correctly fitted. But if you don’t use hearing aids, those noises might just be coming from inside of your ear.
This doesn’t mean you need to panic. Your ears have a lot more happening inside than what they appear to be externally. You might hear some of these common tinnitus sounds and here are some signs of what they might be telling you about your hearing. Though the majority are harmless (and temporary), it’s a good plan to see us if any of these noises are persistent, cause pain, or are otherwise impeding your quality of life.
What’s causing the snap, crackle, and pop in I’m hearing?
We can tell you one thing, it isn’t the Rice Krispies. You could hear popping or crackling when you have a pressure change, whether from going underwater, a change in altitude, or just yawning. 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.
It’s an automatic process, but occasionally, like if you are dealing with inflammation caused by allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get clogged from the overabundance of mucus in your system (remember, your ears, nose, and throat are all connected). There could be situations where a surgical procedure is required in more extreme cases where decongestant sprays, chicken noodle soup, or antibiotics don’t do the trick. If you’re experiencing persistent ear pain or pressure and haven’t been able to find any relief, you should schedule an appointment with us to get diagnosed.
What does it mean when I hear vibrations in my ear?
Vibrations in the ear are sometimes a telling sign of tinnitus. Technically, tinnitus is the medical term for when somebody hears unusual sounds, like vibrations, in their ears that don’t originate from any external sources. Most individuals will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it manifests across the spectrum, from barely there to unbearable.
Is tinnitus causing this ringing in my ears?
Once again, if you wear hearing aids, you may hear these kinds of sounds for numerous reasons: the hearing aids aren’t sitting properly within your ears, the volume is too high, or your batteries are getting low. But if you don’t have hearing aids and you’re hearing this type of sound, it could also be due to accumulated earwax.
It seems logical that excessive wax could make it difficult to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how could earwax produce a sound? If it’s pressing against your eardrum, it can actually inhibit the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing.
Ongoing buzzing or ringing is a sign that you are coping with tinnitus. Even buzzing from excessive earwax counts as a type of tinnitus. Tinnitus itself is usually a symptom of something else going on with your health and isn’t itself a disease or disorder. Your tinnitus could be caused by simple earwax accumulation but it can also be linked to more serious problems like anxiety and depression. Let us help you diagnose and find some relief for your tinnitus symptoms by helping you understand what the root health condition may be.
What’s causing rumbling in my ears?
This particular symptom is self-created. Sometimes, you will hear a low rumble when you yawn. That rumble is the sound of little muscles inside of your ears contracting in order to soften sounds you make. 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 level of noise would be harmful without these muscles. One of these muscles, called the tensor tympani can, in very unusual situations, be intentionally controlled to generate this rumbling. In other circumstances, people suffer from tympani muscle spasms caused by tonic tensor tympani syndrome, or TTTS. Studies have revealed that TTTS happens frequently in people who have tinnitus and those dealing with hyperacusis, which is a sensitivity to specific sound volumes and frequencies.
What about a fluttering noise?
After you workout, have you ever felt a flutter in your legs and arms. Muscle spasms are the cause of those flutters just like the ones in your ears. Middle ear myoclonus, also called MEM tinnitus, is a condition that affects the aforementioned tensor tympani muscle and the stapedius muscle in your middle ear. Usually, this condition is initially managed using muscle relaxers and anticonvulsants, since it’s a muscle condition. Inner ear surgery to correct the condition is an alternative if the medications don’t work, but results vary from procedure to procedure.
I hear a pumping or pulsing in my ears
You’re probably 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 did a hard workout, 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 isn’t 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 thumping of your pulsatile tinnitus. If your heart is racing, it’s not unusual to hear your own pulse, but if you’re hearing this thumping at other times that isn’t normal.
It’s a smart idea to come see us if you’re hearing this pulsing on a daily basis. If it continues, pulsatile tinnitus could 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 hard workout, your hearing should return to normal when your heart rate returns to normal.
What’s this clicking sound?
The pressure in your ears is balanced, as previously discussed, by the eustachian tubes. If you have a muscle spasm in the muscles that are close to the Eustachian tube, like for instance in the roof of your mouth, it can cause a repeated clicking sound. For the same reason, you might hear clicking when you swallow. This is a result of the opening and closing of the eustachian tubes. A clicking can sometimes be heard when mucus empties from the head. In some rare situations, chronic clicking could be an indication of a fracture in one of the fragile bones in your ear.
Is ear popping a symptom of infection?
Ear infections sometimes generate swelling which can cause your ears to pop. Popping in your ear can be a sign of an acute infection. If you have any other symptoms, such as ear pain, abrupt hearing loss, or fever, you need to schedule a consultation immediately. Sometimes, your ears will pop after an infection or cold as your head clears of mucus.
How do I stop my ears from crackling?
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.
References
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uf9680
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24289817/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23571302/
