Crackling in your ear? A condition known as tinnitus can produce many different noises in your ears including whooshing, buzzing, ringing, and crackling. Here is some important information.
Where is that crackling, ringing, or buzzing noise coming from? When it comes to somebody who has hearing aids, it might mean they fitting and adjustments. But if you don’t use hearing aids it may be tinnitus.
There’s much more to the ear than what you see on the outside. Here are a few of the more prevalent sounds you may hear in your ears, and what they may indicate is going on.
What’s Causing The Snap, Crackle, And Pop in My Ear?
We can tell you this – it’s not Rice Krispies. It’s not uncommon to hear a crackling or popping sound when the pressure in your ear changes. This can be because you had a change in altitude, went underwater, or just yawned. A small part of your ear known as the eustachian tube is the source of these noises. The crackling is caused by mucus-lined passageways opening up, allowing air and fluid to circulate and equalize the pressure in your ears.
Sometimes, such as when you have allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, an excess of mucus in your system can gum up the eustachian tubes and impede what is usually an automatic process (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 may call for medical intervention such as surgery.
I’m Hearing Vibration in my Ears – What Does That Mean?
Sometimes tinnitus manifests as a vibration in the ears. Tinnitus is the technical term for a condition that causes people to hear noises that have no external cause, like vibrations, inside of the ear. It’s commonly described as a ringing in the ears and can, in some cases, be mild, and in others, debilitating.
What Should I do About Noises in my Ear
Again, if you have hearing aids, you should first check those. There may be numerous reasons that you would hear these sounds: the hearing aids aren’t sitting correctly inside of your ears, the volume is too loud, your hair is brushing against them, or your batteries need to be charged. But if you don’t have hearing aids and you’re hearing this type of noise, it could also be the result of accumulated earwax.
It makes sense that excessive wax could make it difficult to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax make a noise? If it’s pushing against your eardrum, it can actually hinder the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing. Fortunately, earwax problems are easily fixed.
If you’re hearing odd sounds, contact us. We can examine your hearing aid to make sure it’s working correctly.