I Can Make My Ear Crackle

[SignalExec]

I have mild tinnitus in my left ear that started after acoustic trauma.

Recently, I have noticed that I can make my left ear crackle. By this I mean, I can produce a crackling sound I hear in my left ear. I can not do this on the right side. Unfortunately, I do not know for sure how I do it. I suppose I must be activating a muscle somewhere in my head, neck or throat. It could also be some muscle in my middle ear since I do have voluntary control of my tensor tympani muscle.

The ability to produce this crackle seems to be correlated with my tinnitus loudness. If my tinnitus is loud, I can do it. If the tinnitus is virtually gone, I can not. The loudness of the crackle also seems to correlate with the loudness of the tinnitus.

I supposed that the sound I hear (the crackle) must be the eustachian tube opening. However, I am starting to think the sound originates from the middle ear. Maybe the tensor tympani muscle?

I never hear the crackle unless I try to produce it.

Can anybody relate? Could this be related to the tinnitus?

 

[RonnieCarzatto]

I can do the same thing. No idea though...

 

[SignalExec]

In the meantime I asked a doctor about it. He said it's probably a eustachian tube 'thingy'. That's plausible but the link with my tinnitus keeps bothering me.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Can anybody relate?

I hear a cracking sound whenever I swallow saliva. Is that how you produce your cracking sound? I asked two people, and both of them hear cracking when they swallow. I will ask more people.

Recently, I noticed that right after I wake up in the early morning, my ears Don't crackle when I swallow.

 

[GregCA]

I hear a cracking sound whenever I swallow saliva. Is that how you produce your cracking sound? I asked two people, and both of them hear cracking when they swallow. I will ask more people.

I think it's very common (if not completely normal) to hear crackling when swallowing. I'm pretty sure I had it my whole life, even though I never really paid attention to it.

 

[Lasse S]

I don't know if it is normal or not. All i know is that I did not hear the noise the first 30 years of my life, but since a bad cold January this year I hear a crackling noise in my ears every time I swallow or when I flex a muscle in the throat.

 

[Bill Bauer]

since a bad cold January this year I hear a crackling noise in my ears every time I swallow or when I flex a muscle in the throat

It might still eventually go away (in a year or two)...

 

[Lasse S]

It might still eventually go away (in a year or two)...

I hope so, time will tell

 

[PaulFi]

I hear a cracking sound whenever I swallow saliva. Is that how you produce your cracking sound? I asked two people, and both of them hear cracking when they swallow. I will ask more people.

Recently, I noticed that right after I wake up in the early morning, my ears Don't crackle when I swallow.

Hey Bill I have, and have noticed the exact same upon waking. Body position I'm thinking?
Any change in yours?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Hey Bill I have, and have noticed the exact same upon waking. Body position I'm thinking?
Any change in yours?

I can still hear the cracking. I wish I paid attention to this back when I didn't have T. There is a chance that it was the same way back then.

 

[PaulFi]

I can still hear the cracking. I wish I paid attention to this back when I didn't have T. There is a chance that it was the same way back then.

Sometimes I don't notice it as much when I am not concentrating on it. Obvious I know, but gives me some habituation hope. I'm not sure is it Eustachian tube making the noises or could it be the brain hearing the three tiny bones in the ear hitting off each other. I also hear a sandy sound when I swallow or turn my head (somatic tinnitus I guess) and heartbeat in my ears when I lay on pillow at night, electrciele inihead, headaches, temples extremely togti. These have all come on since a relapse I had last November after 8 years of habituation to my first T.
Have you ever considered semi circular canal dehiscence? I hear a lot of internal sounds

 

[Bill Bauer]

I also hear a sandy sound when I swallow

It is possible that this is the case for most people.

Have you ever considered semi circular canal dehiscence?

I will have to look into what it is.

 

[PaulFi]

When did you first get T bill and how so do you mind me asking?

 

[Ed209]

I have mild tinnitus in my left ear that started after acoustic trauma.

Recently, I have noticed that I can make my left ear crackle. By this I mean, I can produce a crackling sound I hear in my left ear. I can not do this on the right side. Unfortunately, I do not know for sure how I do it. I suppose I must be activating a muscle somewhere in my head, neck or throat. It could also be some muscle in my middle ear since I do have voluntary control of my tensor tympani muscle.

The ability to produce this crackle seems to be correlated with my tinnitus loudness. If my tinnitus is loud, I can do it. If the tinnitus is virtually gone, I can not. The loudness of the crackle also seems to correlate with the loudness of the tinnitus.

I supposed that the sound I hear (the crackle) must be the eustachian tube opening. However, I am starting to think the sound originates from the middle ear. Maybe the tensor tympani muscle?

I never hear the crackle unless I try to produce it.

Can anybody relate? Could this be related to the tinnitus?

This is normal. You are flexing your tensor tympani muscle which opens your Eustachian tubes producing the crackle sound. Your other ear could be blocked or it may be that you are only flexing the one side.

I can open my Eustachian tubes in this way at will and I can also flex and hold them open.

 

[PaulFi]

How can you do this?

 

[MandyT]

I can do this with both ears and it's very loud. It happens every single time I swallow and when moving my jaw as well. I wish I knew exactly what it was . My husband can hear it when he puts his ear to mine. Anyone have any thoughts on what is causing it? I never experienced it until I was exposed to loud noise. It started about a week or two after the high pitched ringing began six months ago.

 

[MandyT]

I hope so, time will tell

Really? Do you think this can just go away? I hope every night I wake up and there's no more crackling sounds.

 

[Lasse S]

Really? Do you think this can just go away? I hope every night I wake up and there's no more crackling sounds.

No, sorry, I don't think it will go away on its own, but I still hope it will.
I have asked an ENT doctor about it and he said that it is completely normal to hear crackling when you swallow. I then just don't understand why I did not hear it the first 30 years of my life before I got a really bad cold a little over a year ago.

 

[MandyT]

No, sorry, I don't think it will go away on its own, but I still hope it will.
I have asked an ENT doctor about it and he said that it is completely normal to hear crackling when you swallow. I then just don't understand why I did not hear it the first 30 years of my life before I got a really bad cold a little over a year ago.

I can relate. I never heard these noises until six months ago.

 

[Fally]

Mine majorly crackle like its like someone is scrunching a chip packet in my ear. Ive noticed its actually been getting worse. So not sure what the deal is. I know I never use to have it. I think an ENT said to me once its ETD but also apparently tinnitus can make your ears do it as well. I dont know how correct that is but it drives me nuts, especially since its been worsening.

 

[MandyT]

It might still eventually go away (in a year or two)...

I know this is an old comment. What makes you think it can go away within a year or two? I'm very hopeful for my own crackling to go away but haven't had any improvement in about 9 months.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I know this is an old comment. What makes you think it can go away within a year or two? I'm very hopeful for my own crackling to go away but haven't had any improvement in about 9 months.

I had had something similar and it went away within 12 months. I've read multiple posts by others who reported it going away. Having said this, you would normally expect to see Some fading/improvement by the 9 month mark. It doesn't just turn off overnight - it gradually improves over many months. Hopefully you can still experience gradual improvement sometimes soon, and be over this by the time you are 2 years in...

 

[Djstarkiss]

I had had something similar and it went away within 12 months. I've read multiple posts by others who reported it going away. Having said this, you would normally expect to see Some fading/improvement by the 9 month mark. It doesn't just turn off overnight - it gradually improves over many months. Hopefully you can still experience gradual improvement sometimes soon, and be over this by the time you are 2 years in...

I also have the crackle. I've had the crackle when I swallow saliva for YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, even before I had the tinnitus and everytime I went to an ENT I was told it was normal?

But I definitely remember not having it or it wouldn't have bothered me so much...

Well eventually I got tinnitus and I'm hella sure they are somehow connected.

 

[MandyT]

I had had something similar and it went away within 12 months. I've read multiple posts by others who reported it going away. Having said this, you would normally expect to see Some fading/improvement by the 9 month mark. It doesn't just turn off overnight - it gradually improves over many months. Hopefully you can still experience gradual improvement sometimes soon, and be over this by the time you are 2 years in...

Thank you for the positivity! I appreciate your time and response.

 

[Contrast]

Loud noise can damage so much in middle ear. If this happened after noise trauma then noise trauma is the culprit.

Perhaps noise damages the eustachian tube and tiny bones, hope this gets researched one day.

 

[Daniel Lion]

Loud noise can damage so much in middle ear. If this happened after noise trauma then noise trauma is the culprit.

Perhaps noise damages the eustachian tube and tiny bones, hope this gets researched one day.

I believe this is what happened to me with my big trauma...
It will always be compromised but perhaps with future therapies some of the severe symptoms can be relieved.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I've had the crackle when I swallow saliva

I first noticed That type of crackle when I got T and read about it on this forum. Nowadays this crackle is still there, but is somehow softer than I remember it being.