Are you hearing crackling in your ear? Buzzing, crackling, “static” or whooshing noises in your ear can all be indications of a condition called tinnitus. Here is what you should know.
Do you ever hear crackling, thumping, and buzzing sounds that seem to come from nowhere? If you have hearing aids, it can mean that they need to be adjusted or aren’t fitted correctly. For everyone else, tinnitus may be the answer.
Even though we mostly think of our ears in terms of what we see on the outside, there’s more than meets the eye – or in this case, the ear. Here’s what it may mean when some of these more common 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 unusual to hear a crackling or popping sound when the pressure in your ear changes. This can happen because you had an altitude change, went underwater, or just yawned. These noises are caused by a tiny part of your ear called the eustachian tube. When these mucus lined passages open up to neutralize the air pressure, fluid, and air circulate causing these noises to manifest.
Occasionally, 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 normally an automatic process (don’t forget, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). Medical help, like surgery, is sometimes necessary in extreme cases where nothing else has helped clear the blockage.
I’m Hearing Vibration in my Ears – What Does That Mean?
Vibrations in the ear are often a telling sign of tinnitus. Tinnitus is the medical term for a condition 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 barely there to debilitating.
What Should I do About Noises in my Ear
If you have hearing aids, again, checking those is the first step. There may be numerous reasons that you would hear these noises: 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. If you don’t use hearing aids, excessive earwax might be the problem.
Dull hearing, irritated ears, and ear infections can often be caused by too much earwax but how could it be responsible for tinnitus sounds? The buzzing or ringing can be caused by earwax pushing against your eardrum and hindering its function. Luckily, dealing with earwax is usually pretty simple.
If you’re hearing odd sounds, contact us. We can examine your hearing aid to make certain it’s functioning correctly.