I Can Make My Ears Click Whenever I Want — My Tinnitus Is Now Unbearable

[Voy]

Hi,

I've been hearing a clicking sound in my ears, and I'm not sure if it's my eardrum or something else, but I can make it happen whenever I want. It feels like I'm stretching something inside my ears without any effort. When I do it, it sounds like cracking or popping bubbles. Additionally, the humming in my left ear has become very intense—I hear it all the time, and nothing seems to drown it out. High-pitched sounds, like a dog barking, now sound distorted and metallic, like an old, broken radio speaker.

When I clench my jaw, the creaking and tinnitus change and intensify. I had braces a few years ago and had teeth removed, so I wonder if that could be the reason. But I'm more concerned about the clicking sound that I can produce at will. I really hope this will pass. I've had tinnitus since 2016, and by 2019, I got used to it and stopped paying attention. However, since May of this year, it has been unbearable. I found a video on YouTube that perfectly matches what I'm experiencing. If I hold my phone to my ear, I can even record the sound.

I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder, and I'm struggling to cope with this.

 

[LukeYoung]

Hi,

I've been hearing a clicking sound in my ears, and I'm not sure if it's my eardrum or something else, but I can make it happen whenever I want. It feels like I'm stretching something inside my ears without any effort. When I do it, it sounds like cracking or popping bubbles. Additionally, the humming in my left ear has become very intense—I hear it all the time, and nothing seems to drown it out. High-pitched sounds, like a dog barking, now sound distorted and metallic, like an old, broken radio speaker.

When I clench my jaw, the creaking and tinnitus change and intensify. I had braces a few years ago and had teeth removed, so I wonder if that could be the reason. But I'm more concerned about the clicking sound that I can produce at will. I really hope this will pass. I've had tinnitus since 2016, and by 2019, I got used to it and stopped paying attention. However, since May of this year, it has been unbearable. I found a video on YouTube that perfectly matches what I'm experiencing. If I hold my phone to my ear, I can even record the sound.

I suffer from anxiety and panic disorder, and I'm struggling to cope with this.

I can make my ears click too. It's similar to doing the Valsalva maneuver without having to pinch my nose. When I first got tinnitus, I was doing it a lot to try to relieve the pressure feeling. Of course, it didn't help, but I developed the habit of making my ears click.

I realized I needed to stop because it was both annoying and unhelpful. Even now, eight years later, I sometimes catch myself doing it, but I have to remind myself to stop.

 

[kingsfan]

I've always been able to make my ears click, even before the tinnitus started. I think it's just from opening the Eustachian tubes.

I didn't realize the sound could be heard externally until I recorded it with my phone. It was kind of gross hearing it played back—I really hope other people can't hear me doing it!

I can also voluntarily flex my tensor tympani, and sometimes it makes a scratchy sound. I think it might be earwax, possibly impacted from wearing earplugs often, scraping against my eardrum.

 

[_Dutchy_]

It's called "clearing your ears."

By using specific muscles, you can open the Eustachian tube. This technique is commonly used by scuba divers to equalize the pressure in the inner ear with the surrounding ambient pressure. Chewing or swallowing can have the same effect, which is why chewing gum during flights can help relieve ear pressure.