Are you hearing crackling in your ear? A condition called tinnitus can bring about numerous different sounds in your ears including buzzing, ringing, whooshing, and crackling. Here is what you should know.
Where is that crackling, ringing, or buzzing noise coming from? If you have hearing aids, it can mean that they need to be adjusted or aren’t fitted correctly. For everybody else, tinnitus might be the answer.
Although we typically think of our ears with regards to what we see on the outside, there’s more than meets the eye – or in this case, the ear. Here are some of the more prevalent noises you might hear in 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?
We can tell you one thing – it’s not Rice Krispies. When the pressure in your ears changes – whether from a change in altitude, going underwater, or simply yawning – you may hear crackling or popping noises. A small part of your ear called 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 sometimes, like if you have inflammation from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can actually get clogged up from an excess of mucus in your system (don’t forget, your ears, nose, and throat or all connected). In severe cases where decongestant sprays, chicken soup, or antibiotics don’t provide relief, a blockage may require medical intervention such as surgery.
What Does it Mean When I Hear Vibrations in My Ear?
Sometimes tinnitus manifests as a vibration in the ears. Technically speaking, tinnitus is the scientific term for when somebody hears abnormal sounds, like vibrations, in their ears that do not come from any outside 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?
If you use hearing aids, again, checking those is the first step. You might 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 brushing against them, or your batteries are running low. If you don’t have hearing aids, excessive earwax may be the problem.
It seems logical that excessive wax could make it difficult to hear and cause irritation or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax make a noise? The buzzing or ringing can be caused by earwax touching your eardrum and hindering its function. Luckily, dealing with earwax is frequently pretty simple.
Reach out to us if you have odd sounds in your ears. If your hearing aids aren’t working properly we can help with that.