Crackling in your ear? A condition known as tinnitus can produce many different noises in your ears including buzzing, ringing, whooshing, and crackling. Here is some relevant information.
Do you ever hear crackling, buzzing, or thumping noises that seem to come from nowhere? In the case of someone who has hearing aids, it might mean they need to be adjusted and fitted. For everyone else, tinnitus might be the answer.
Even though we typically think of our ears in terms of what we see on the outside, there’s more than meets the eye – or in this instance, the ear. Here’s what it could mean when some of these more common noises are playing in your ears.
I’m Hearing a Snap, Crackle, And Pop in my Ears But What’s The Cause?
We can tell you one thing – it’s not Rice Krispies. When the pressure in your ears changes – whether from an altitude change, going underwater, or just yawning – you may hear crackling or popping noises. A tiny part of your ear named the eustachian tube is the source of these noises. When these mucus lined passages open up to neutralize the air pressure, fluid, and air move causing these sounds to manifest.
It’s a natural process, but in some cases, like if you have inflammation from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get gummed up from the overabundance of mucus in your system (don’t forget, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). Medical help, like surgery, is occasionally necessary in extreme cases where nothing else has helped clear the blockage.
What Does it Mean When I Hear Vibrations in My Ear?
Vibrations in the ear are often a telling indication of tinnitus. Tinnitus is the technical term for a disorder that causes people to hear sounds that have no external cause, such as vibrations, inside of the ear. It’s generally characterized as a ringing in the ears and can, in some instances, be mild, and in others, debilitating.
Is There Anything I Can do?
If you use hearing aids, once again, checking those is the first step. There might be numerous reasons that you would hear these noises: the hearing aids aren’t sitting correctly inside of your ears, the volume is too high, your hair is rubbing 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 because of excess earwax.
Dull hearing, irritated ears, and ear infections can often be caused by excessive earwax but how could it be responsible for tinnitus noises? The buzzing or ringing can be caused by earwax pushing against your eardrum and hindering its function. Fortunately, managing earwax is usually pretty straightforward.
If you’re hearing unusual sounds, contact us. We can check your hearing aid to make certain it’s functioning properly.