Crackling in your ear? Crackling, Buzzing, “static” or whooshing sounds in your ear can all be signs of a condition called tinnitus. Here is what you should know.
Where is that crackling, buzzing, or ringing sound coming from? In the case of somebody who uses hearing aids, it may mean they need to be adjusted and fitted. For everyone else, tinnitus might be the answer.
Even though we usually think of our ears with regards to what we see on the outside, there’s more than meets the eye – or in this instance, the ear. Here’s what it may mean when some of these more prevalent noises are playing in your ears.
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 just yawned. A small part of your ear named the eustachian tube is the source of these noises. When these mucus lined passages open up to equalize the air pressure, fluid, and air circulate causing these noises to manifest.
It’s a natural process, but occasionally, like if you’re dealing with 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). Medical help, like surgery, is sometimes called for in extreme cases where nothing else has helped clear the blockage.
I’m Hearing Vibration in my Ears – What Does That Mean?
Sometimes tinnitus manifests as a vibration in the ears. Tinnitus is the medical term for a condition that causes people to hear noises that have no external cause, like vibrations, inside of the ear. Most people will refer to it as a ringing in the ears and it manifests across the spectrum, from barely there to debilitating.
Is There Anything I Can do?
Again, if you use hearing aids, you should check those first. There may be a number of reasons that you would hear these sounds: your batteries are running low, 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 use hearing aids and you’re hearing this kind of noise, it may also be caused by excess earwax.
Dull hearing, itchy ears, and ear infections can frequently be caused by excessive earwax but how could it be responsible for tinnitus sounds? If it’s touching your eardrum, it can actually inhibit the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing. Fortunately, dealing with earwax is frequently pretty simple.
If you’re hearing odd sounds, give us a call. If your hearing aids are not functioning properly we can help with that.