I Can Make My Eardrum Click by Placing a Finger in My Ear

[Bill Bauer]

I began hearing a soft "click" sound in my formerly Good ear (that hasn't been subjected to an acoustic trauma). Sometimes I would hear it when I would chew food. Today I discovered that I can reproduce this sound at will by placing a finger into my ear and pushing it in and out. It looks like something is wrong with my eardrum - it can't handle the changes in pressure and changes shape resulting in clicking.

This definitely has nothing to do with TTTS, as it is not reacting to sound.

What could this be? Is this serious?!

 

[GregCA]

What could this be? Is this serious?!

What do you expect to happen? A functioning ear translates air pressure waves that hit the ear drum into sound you hear. You are creating a pressure stimulus artificially with your finger: wouldn't you expect to hear something abrupt (like a click)? It may not be a good idea to do this BTW (I don't know how much pressure you've been applying).

It's not uncommon to hear clicking when you swallow either: ear drums change shape and a little pop/click can be heard.

 

[Bill Bauer]

(I don't know how much pressure you've been applying).

I am applying very little pressure. Just moving my finger gently and slowly by a couple of millimeters. I have never had it happen before, and it is still not happening in my bad/T ear...

 

[Tinker Bell]

Perhaps your good ear has more wax or less wax than the other, and that is why you only hear the sound in one ear. Do you wear earplugs equally in both ears or predominantly in one ear?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Perhaps your good ear has more wax or less wax than the other, and that is why you only hear the sound in one ear. Do you wear earplugs equally in both ears or predominantly in one ear?

I have been wearing an earplug predominantly in the ear that had been subjected to an acoustic trauma (the click-free ear).

I guess it makes sense for me to have a doctor look into my ear.

 

[Bill Bauer]

I don't really care about the clicking sound. It is sounds pretty good compared to the sound of T. I am just worried that it is a symptom of a new condition...

 

[Sam Bridge]

I don't really care about the clicking sound. It is sounds pretty good compared to the sound of T. I am just worried that it is a symptom of a new condition...

Yep it's called being a hypochondriac!

 

[.bill]

Yer only supposed to put your elbow in yer ear

 

[Bill Bauer]

Yep it's called being a hypochondriac!

My eardrum begins making a relatively loud noise every time it changes shape (something it had never done before - and I would know that being the hypochondriac that I agree I am), and the smart thing to do is to just ignore it?

 

[Sam Bridge]

My eardrum begins making a relatively loud noise every time it changes shape (something it had never done before - and I would know that being the hypochondriac that I agree I am), and the smart thing to do is to just ignore it?

Could be a pressure issue maybe? But to get that tested they need to blow air into your air which i imagine you wouldn't agree to?

 

[Bill Bauer]

Could be a pressure issue maybe?

My uneducated guess (based on how it feels and sounds) is that it could be some kind of a hardening of my eardrum.

But to get that tested they need to blow air into your air which i imagine you wouldn't agree to?

What I have been afraid of is coming true. The fact that I have T is changing what medical tests, procedures, and treatments I can have access to...

 

[Sam Bridge]

My uneducated guess (based on how it feels and sounds) is that it could be some kind of a hardening of my eardrum.


What I have been afraid of is coming true. The fact that I have T is changing what medical tests, procedures, and treatments I can have access to...

Or is it because your a hypochondriac? I had the pressure test twice no problem

 

[Bill Bauer]

Or is it because your a hypochondriac? I had the pressure test twice no problem

I am just trying to learn from the mistakes made by others
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/beware-of-the-tympanometry-test.23097/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/is-tympanometry-safe.18558/
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/warning-acoustic-reflex-test.25645/

Tomorrow is a one-year anniversary of my acoustic trauma. My T began 11 days later, in the evening on February 2. It so happened that earlier on February 2, I had a hearing test done (back then I had an ear fullness feeling). I am not going to go as far as to say that it is possible that my T was caused by the hearing test. But it is certainly a hell of a coincidence!...

 

[brownbear]

What do you expect to happen? A functioning ear translates air pressure waves that hit the ear drum into sound you hear. You are creating a pressure stimulus artificially with your finger: wouldn't you expect to hear something abrupt (like a click)? It may not be a good idea to do this BTW (I don't know how much pressure you've been applying).

It's not uncommon to hear clicking when you swallow either: ear drums change shape and a little pop/click can be heard.

Careful @GregCA, you sound like one of those heartless ENT surgeons!

 

[GregCA]

Careful @GregCA, you sound like one of those heartless ENT surgeons!

Perhaps I will get the same cash for "services rendered"?

 

[brownbear]

Absolutely, you deserve it

 

[PaulBe]

My left ear crackles like bubblewrap when I push on it on a loud day, but my right, unaffected ear? nothing no matter how hard I push. I have no idea what this means but I expect its something eustachian.

 

[Bill Bauer]

My left ear crackles like bubblewrap when I push on it on a loud day, but my right, unaffected ear? nothing no matter how hard I push. I have no idea what this means but I expect its something eustachian.

Weird. In my case, the cracking is in the ear that used to not have T in it...

 

[HeavyMantra]

Weird. In my case, the cracking is in the ear that used to not have T in it...

What happened with this? Experiencing something similar and I'm afraid it might be an ear infection

 

[Hondaman]

I began hearing a soft "click" sound in my formerly Good ear (that hasn't been subjected to an acoustic trauma). Sometimes I would hear it when I would chew food. Today I discovered that I can reproduce this sound at will by placing a finger into my ear and pushing it in and out. It looks like something is wrong with my eardrum - it can't handle the changes in pressure and changes shape resulting in clicking.

This definitely has nothing to do with TTTS, as it is not reacting to sound.

What could this be? Is this serious?!

Hello, did this problem ever clear up? Thanks.

 

[Bill Bauer]

Hello, did this problem ever clear up? Thanks

It did!

 

[Hondaman]

Hi that's great! Mine started a week ago . I can reproduce the same effect by pushing my finger in my ear canal. But mine sounds like the eardrum popping . All my sinuses are clear! How long did it take to clear up? Many thanks

 

[Tweedleman]

If I rub my outer left ear my eardrum will twitch. In my case it seems to be TTTS related to the sound in close proximity.

 

[Bill Bauer]

All my sinuses are clear! How long did it take to clear up?

Sorry, I don't remember. The past three years are all a blur... It must have taken a couple of months...

 

[Flamingo1]

When I rub my nose, my evil sister Serena appears.

 

[Hondaman]

Thank you all