Crackling in your ear? Buzzing, crackling, “static” or whooshing noises in your ear can all be indications of a condition known as tinnitus. Here is some essential facts.
Where is that crackling, ringing, or buzzing noise 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.
There’s much more to the ear than what you see on the outside. Here’s what it may mean when some of these more prevalent sounds are playing in your ears.
I’m Hearing a Snap, Crackle, And Pop in my Ears But What’s The Cause?
We can tell you this – it’s not Rice Krispies. It’s not 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 just yawned. These noises are caused by a tiny part of your ear known as the eustachian tube. When these mucus lined passages open up to neutralize the air pressure, fluid, and air move causing these sounds to occur.
It’s a natural process, but sometimes, like if you have congestion 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, that there’s a connection between your ears, throat, and nose). Medical assistance, like surgery, is occasionally called for in severe 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. Technically speaking, tinnitus is the medical term for when somebody hears abnormal sounds, such as vibrations, in their ears that do not 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.
What Should I do About Noises in my Ear
If you have hearing aids, again, checking those is the first step. You may hear these kinds of sounds for several reasons: the hearing aids aren’t sitting properly inside of your ears, the volume is too high, your hair is rubbing against them, or your batteries are running low. But if you don’t use hearing aids and you’re hearing this type of sound, it might also be because of excess earwax.
It seems logical that excessive wax could make it hard to hear and cause itchiness or even inner ear infections, but how can earwax cause a sound? If it is touching your eardrum, it can actually hinder the eardrum’s ability to function, which is what causes the buzzing or ringing. Fortunately, managing earwax is frequently pretty simple.
If you’re hearing unusual noises, contact us. If your hearing aids aren’t working correctly we can help with that.