Are you hearing crackling in your ear? A condition called tinnitus can bring about many different sounds in your ears including buzzing, ringing, whooshing, and crackling. Here is some important information.
Where is that crackling, buzzing, or ringing sound coming from? If you use hearing aids, it can mean that they need to be adjusted or aren’t properly fitted. For everybody else, tinnitus might be the answer.
There’s a lot more to the ear than what you see on the outside. Here’s what it could mean when some of these more common sounds are playing in your ears.
What’s The Cause of The Snap, Crackle, And Pop in My Ear?
We can tell you this – it’s not Rice Krispies. It’s not unusual to hear a popping or crackling sound when the pressure in your ear changes. This can happen because you had a change in altitude, went underwater, or simply yawned. These noises are caused by a small part of your ear known as the eustachian tube. The crackling is caused by mucus-lined passageways opening up, allowing air and fluid to move and neutralize the pressure in your ears.
Sometimes, such as when you’re dealing with allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, an overabundance of mucus in your system can gum up the eustachian tubes and interfere with what is ordinarily an automatic process (don’t forget, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). In extreme cases where decongestant sprays, chicken soup, or antibiotics don’t provide relief, a blockage could call for medical treatment like surgery.
I’m Hearing Vibration in my Ears – What Does That Mean?
Vibrations in the ear are sometimes a telltale sign of tinnitus. Technically, tinnitus is the medical term for when someone hears abnormal noises, like vibrations, in their ears that don’t come from any outside sources. It’s generally described as a ringing in the ears and can, in some cases, be minimal, and in others, debilitating.
What Should I do About Sounds in my Ear
If you use hearing aids, again, checking those is the first task. 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, your hair is brushing against them, or your batteries are running low. But if you don’t have hearing aids and you’re hearing this type of noise, it could also be the result of excess earwax.
It seems logical that excessive wax could make it hard to hear and cause irritation or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax make a sound? The buzzing or ringing can be caused by earwax touching your eardrum and hindering its function. Fortunately, dealing with earwax is frequently pretty straightforward.
Reach out to us if you have odd noises in your ears. We can check your hearing aid to make certain it’s functioning correctly.
