Crackling in your ear? Buzzing, crackling, “static” or whooshing sounds in your ear can all be indications of a condition known as tinnitus. Here is what you should know.
Ever hear crackling, thumping, and buzzing noises that seem to come out of nowhere? When it comes to someone who has hearing aids, it may mean they need to be adjusted and fitted. For everyone else, tinnitus may 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 prevalent sounds are playing in your ears.
What’s Causing The Snap, Crackle, And Pop in My Ear?
We can tell you this – it’s not Rice Krispies. It isn’t uncommon to hear a crackling or popping sound when there’s a change in pressure in your ear. This can happen because you had a change in altitude, went underwater, or just yawned. A tiny part of your ear known as the eustachian tube is the source of these noises. When these mucus lined passages open up to neutralize the air pressure, fluid, and air circulate causing these sounds to manifest.
It’s a natural process, but sometimes, like if you have congestion from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get gummed up from an excess of mucus in your system (don’t forget, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). Medical help, like surgery, is sometimes called for in severe cases where nothing else has helped clear the blockage.
I’m Hearing Vibration in my Ears – What Does That Mean?
Sometimes tinnitus is experienced as a vibration in the ears. Tinnitus is the medical term for a disorder that causes people to hear sounds that have no outside cause, like vibrations, inside of the ear. Most individuals will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it manifests across the spectrum, from hardly there to debilitating.
Is There Anything That Can be Done?
If you use hearing aids, again, checking those is the first step. There might be a number of 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 are running low. If you don’t use hearing aids, excessive earwax might be the issue.
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 touching your eardrum and hindering its function. The good news is, earwax issues are easily fixed.
If you’re hearing unusual sounds, give us a call. If your hearing aids are not working correctly we can help with that.
