Are you hearing crackling in your ear? A condition called tinnitus can bring about numerous different noises in your ears including whooshing, buzzing, ringing, and crackling. Here is some important information.
Where is that crackling, buzzing, or ringing sound coming from? In the case of somebody who has hearing aids, it may mean they need to be adjusted and fitted. But if you don’t have hearing aids it might be tinnitus.
There’s much more to the ear than what you see on the outside. Here are some of the more prevalent noises you might hear in your ears, and what they could indicate is happening.
I’m Hearing a Snap, Crackle, And Pop in my Ears But What’s The Cause?
It’s not Rice Krispies that’s for certain. It isn’t unusual to hear a popping or crackling sound when there’s a change in pressure in your ear. This can be because you had a change in altitude, went underwater, or simply 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 neutralize the air pressure, fluid, and air circulate causing these sounds to occur.
It’s an automatic process, but in some cases, like if you have inflammation from allergies, a cold, or an ear infection, your eustachian tubes can literally get gummed up from the overabundance of mucus in your system (don’t forget, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). Medical help, like surgery, is sometimes called for 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 sometimes a telling sign of tinnitus. Tinnitus is the medical name for a condition that causes people to hear sounds that have no external cause, like vibrations, inside of the ear. It’s generally characterized as a ringing in the ears and can, in some cases, be minimal, and in others, debilitating.
Is There Anything I Can do?
Once again, if you use hearing aids, you should first check those. You might hear these kinds of sounds for several reasons: 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 type of sound, it might also be caused by accumulated earwax.
It makes sense that too much wax could make it hard to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax create a sound? If it is pushing against your eardrum, it can actually inhibit the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing. The good news is, earwax issues are easily fixed.
If you’re hearing unusual noises, contact us. We can examine your hearing aid to make certain it’s working properly.