Crackling in your ear? A disorder known as tinnitus can bring about many different noises in your ears including whooshing, buzzing, ringing, and crackling. Here is some relevant facts.
Where is that crackling, ringing, or buzzing sound coming from? In the case of somebody who uses hearing aids, it might mean they need to be adjusted and fitted. But if you don’t use hearing aids it could be tinnitus.
There’s much more to the ear than what you see on the outside. Here are some of the more common noises you might hear in your ears, and what they could indicate is going on.
What’s Causing The Snap, Crackle, And Pop in My Ear?
It’s not Rice Krispies that’s for sure. It isn’t uncommon to hear a popping or crackling sound when the pressure in your ear changes. This can be because you had a change in altitude, went underwater, or simply yawned. A tiny 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 neutralize the pressure in your ears.
Sometimes, 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 impede what is normally an automatic process (don’t forget, your ears, nose, and throat or all connected). Medical assistance, 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 telltale sign of tinnitus. Technically, tinnitus is the scientific term for when someone hears abnormal sounds, like vibrations, in their ears that don’t come from any external sources. Most people will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it manifests across the spectrum, from hardly there to debilitating.
Is There Anything I Can do?
Once again, if you use hearing aids, you should first check those. There might be several reasons that you would hear these noises: your batteries need to be recharged, the hearing aids aren’t properly seated in your ears, the volume is too loud, or your hair is brushing up against it. If you don’t use hearing aids, accumulated earwax might be the problem.
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. The good thing is, earwax problems are easily fixed.
If you’re hearing odd noises, call us. We can examine your hearing aid to make sure it’s functioning properly.