Crackling in your ear? Crackling, Buzzing, “static” or whooshing sounds in your ear can all be signs of a disorder known as tinnitus. Here is some important information.
Where is that crackling, buzzing, or ringing sound coming from? In the case of someone who has hearing aids, it may mean they need to be adjusted and fitted. For everybody 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 are a few of the more prevalent noises you might hear inside your ears, and what they may indicate is going on.
I’m Hearing a Snap, Crackle, And Pop in my Ears But What’s The Cause?
It’s not Rice Krispies that’s for sure. It’s not uncommon to hear a crackling or popping 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, permitting air and fluid to disperse and neutralize the pressure in your ears.
It’s a natural process, but occasionally, like if you have inflammation from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can actually 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 occasionally necessary in severe 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. Technically, tinnitus is the scientific term for when someone hears abnormal noises, such as vibrations, in their ears that don’t come from any outside sources. Most individuals will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it manifests across the spectrum, from hardly there to debilitating.
What Should I do About Sounds in my Ear
If you have hearing aids, once again, checking those is the first step. There may be numerous reasons that you would hear these noises: your batteries need to be recharged, the hearing aids aren’t correctly seated in your ears, the volume is too loud, or your hair is rubbing up against it. But if you don’t have hearing aids and you’re hearing this kind of noise, it could also be due to excess earwax.
Dull hearing, irritated ears, and ear infections can often be caused by too much earwax but how could it be responsible for tinnitus noises? The buzzing or ringing can be caused by earwax pushing against your eardrum and impeding its function. Fortunately, dealing with earwax is frequently pretty straightforward.
If you’re hearing odd noises, contact us. We can check your hearing aid to make certain it’s functioning correctly.
