Crackling in your ear? A condition called tinnitus can bring about many different sounds in your ears including whooshing, buzzing, ringing, and crackling. Here is what you should know.
Where is that crackling, buzzing, or ringing noise coming from? When it comes to someone who uses hearing aids, it might mean they fitting and adjustments. But if you don’t have hearing aids it could be tinnitus.
There’s much more to the ear than what you see on the outside. 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. It isn’t unusual to hear a crackling or popping sound when there’s a change in pressure in your ear. This can be because you had a change in altitude, went underwater, or just yawned. These noises are caused by a small part of your ear known as the eustachian tube. When these mucus lined passages open up to equalize the air pressure, fluid, and air move causing these sounds to manifest.
Occasionally, like when you have allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, an overabundance of mucus in your system can clog up the eustachian tubes and impede what is ordinarily an automatic process (remember, your ears, nose, and throat or all connected). In severe cases where decongestant sprays, chicken soup, or antibiotics don’t provide relief, a blockage could require medical intervention like surgery.
What Does it Mean When I Hear Vibrations in My Ear?
Sometimes tinnitus is experienced as a vibration in the ears. Technically speaking, tinnitus is the medical term for when somebody hears abnormal noises, like vibrations, in their ears that do not come from any outside sources. It’s typically characterized 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 types of sounds for several reasons: the hearing aids aren’t sitting correctly inside of your ears, the volume is too loud, your hair is rubbing 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 might also be due to excess earwax.
It makes sense that excessive wax could make it hard to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax cause a sound? The ringing or buzzing can be caused by earwax pushing against your eardrum and hindering its function. Fortunately, dealing with earwax is usually pretty simple.
If you’re hearing odd sounds, contact us. We can check your hearing aid to make certain it’s working properly.