New Here, Noise-Induced Crackling in Ear

[Britton]

About 4 weeks ago while listening to my headphones, I noticed what I at first thought was the right speaker of my headphones shorting out or going bad. I then noticed that I was starting to hear this "crackling" everywhere. If I am in a totally quiet place, I don't hear it at all, but other things make me hear what I can only describe as a broken speaker or Rice Crispies crackling in milk. Music makes it crackle, the TV if it's above a low volume, some people's voice, and even weird things like a water faucet running, crinkling of potato chip bags and urinating in the toilet. I sometimes wonder if it is because of the headphones being too loud or because a lot of times I would hop right out of the shower and throw them on with wet ears.

I went to my doctor, she looked in my ear and said she could see fluid behind my ear drum. She put me on an antibiotic and after I was done with the antibiotic, it was no better. I went back to her and she looked in my ear again and said she couldn't see the fluid anymore, but that didn't mean it wasn't in the rest of my middle ear. She also said if fluid is in the middle ear, it could take months for it to go away. She was sure this was what was causing my crackling noise. She said to wait two weeks to see if it got better.

Well, it didn't. I took the Claritin she told me to, Nasonex, etc. I even read online that people that take a lot of vitamin D like I do every week have depleted magnesium in their body and this can cause ear crackling.

I think the crackling MIGHT be a bit better than it was at first. It seems like I can listen to the TV a bit louder and the running faucets don't seem to set it off quite as much. The crackling is still there, but it might be less loud than it was before. Either that, or I'm just used to it a bit. Anyway, she set me up with an ENT in a few weeks.

Wondering if anyone has this problem? I talked to my dad's doctor who his kind of a family friend and is more experienced than my doctor. He said mid doc was right, the fluid can take months to drain and he had a patient that it took 8 months to drain. I have NO hearing loss, I can hear out of that ear just fine.

Two weird things is that when I take a shower, it almost goes completely away. I don't know if it's from the warm steam or if my ears "get used to it".

Also, if it's kind of bad, if I open my mouth REAL wide it goes away completely for a split second.

 

[billie48]

Two weird things is that when I take a shower, it almost goes completely away. I don't know if it's from the warm steam or if my ears "get used to it

The shower is a high pitch sound. So if you tinnitus has similar high pitch sound, then it will cause a special effect called 'Residual Inhibition' (google it), causing T to appear much lower. This may be a temporary effect though.

 

[Britton]

That makes sense, but why does it go away when I open my mouth real wide?

 

[billie48]

Since I am not a doctor and I don't have the symptoms you have, I am not able to explain your situation. Perhaps you have TMJ issue? Not sure? Checking out this link to another thread talking about symptoms similar to yours:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...of-teeth-increases-tinnitus.8862/#post-102672

 

[2014winner]

Check out research on tinnitus and hearing loss conducted by University of Buffalo.

 

[Britton]

Well, two months into this and I'm still having issues. Two months ago is when I first noticed this and for 5 weeks it was horrible. Every little thing set it off. Went to the doc, twice. First time she said she saw fluid behind the eardrum, second time she said she couldn't see anything. She set me up with an ENT. For the next week and a half the crackling became less and less. I still heard it when I heard noise, but it was less loud. Saw the ENT, he looked down my throat, in my nose and both ears, said everything looked fine. That coupled with the fact I told him it was getting better made him say it should go away on its own and there was no need to go headlong into a bunch of scans and tests. He said to make another appointment in two months if it didn't totally go away. The next few days it got a bit better yet, and the last week and a half it's got none better. So, it's I'd say… 70% better than it was, but it's still there and now I'm worried it won't totally go away. And I'm still left wondering what it was. My doc said listening to loud music can cause "aural trauma" where the muscle behind the eardrum pulls a bit on the eardrum a bit, and he also said it could still be fluid in there and it can take a while to be absorbed into the body. All I know is it still drives me crazy. I haven't listened to music in 2 months and music is my life. Literally, since I'ma music journalist. The sound of running water is still my biggest enemy.

 

[AnnaD]

Hi Britton,

I found your comments regarding the crackling noise in your ear when I started having the same thing happen to me a few days ago. It is exactly as you described it — especially that the sound of running water seems to trigger it most of all.

Since the "solution" you found was to wait until the noises in your ear went away, I wonder if you have had any luck with that since your symptoms began about a year ago. Has the crackling noise stopped?

Hopefully you are still checking into this website. If so, your reply would be greatly appreciated!

 

[nerdvegas]

Hey, I have similar symptoms. I get crackling/clicking/buzzing in one ear. Often it comes in bursts of 5-10 seconds, every minute or two. It is definitely noise reactive. I'm going to get the stapedius cut in the hope that thats the problem. I've had this on and off for 7 years now and it is hell.

 

[Contrast]

This is a 2015 post I realize

I have NO hearing loss

The most common thing new tinnitus/hearing distortion sufferers learn is that tonal audiogram don't test the full range of human hearing. Audiologist and ENTs are so clueless when it comes to tinnitus, it has become a meme on this forum.

Recent research indicates that hearing test used at most audiology clinics and ENTs do not test the full range of human hearing, and miss a lot. Tonal audiogram test only check for hearing loss within the human voice range, learn more here about hidden hearing loss and how hearing in noisy environments and music perception is not tested on standard hearing test.

http://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378595516302507

 

[Francis212]

Ok, you might have what is called eustachian tube dysfunction. Do you have any allergies? If you don't know you should get any allergy test. Also look into purchasing the "EarDoc".

 

[Vz2019]

I have experienced the crackling and other sounds such as a light ringing, wooshing, buzzing, and sounds that i can only describe as "white noise" sporadically, occassionally, for some time now, it's become a part of life and is a bit annoying and usually the first thing i do is pray about it, then things like forcing a yawn, blowing my nose, use of q-tip, chewing gum, can help. i can usually tune it out but what sent me looking for info online that led me to this forum was two nights ago i went to bed completely exhausted, so happy to relax and completely ready to drift off and i did, only to awaken a short time later to a sound and sensation in my right ear that woke me up and scared me, which i can only describe as bubbling, boiling even and grinding. The sound-sensation could even be compared to something like a blender in my ear along with the bubbling and crackling. It was totally bizarre, i jumped out of bed immediately praying, forcing yawns and ran for a q-tip because i find those things help me, i also "speak to the issue" (this is biblical, taught by Jesus) and i tell it to stop, i tell myself to relax and not be afraid of it, and to let it stop, to believe it will stop and believe it has stopped, and it did. I would say the entire experience lasted about 10 minutes or less. I know this might sound hokey to some people but i prayed to God about it and asked him why it was happening, to make it stop, to forgive me in general for anything spiritual or emotional that i do wrong, to identify what i do wrong so i can change, and to help me be a better person, etc because there is a statement in the bible in Deuteronomy where God connects sickness to sin and says he is sovereign over all sickness, healing, and even death, in our life. Psalm 103 says God heals "all" our diseases, Jesus went town to town healing people and gave instructions on how to receive a miracle. "By faith!" He also taught true brotherly love and how to pray, so it all goes together, it's a respectful relationship with God and all people and nature. You may not agree and that's fine but this is what works for me. I keep in pretty constant contact with God daily and when these things and other health issues flare up suddenly i do these things and the issues go away quickly. I havent been to a doctor of any type in many years except for a mandatory job related physical required to get the job. I am 59 and generally feel great every day, i follow a really healthy clean diet, no sugar, no artifical sweetners, mostly vegan, mostly organic, occassional cheese, spring water only, no alcohol or smoking etc, very healthy and clean and rarely ever even have an ache pain or headache, rarel need a tylenol, maybe only after heavy yardwork for the first time of the season or the first big snow shoveling. No self righteous or holier than thou attitude, Jesus had a beef with those types, he was merciful to sinners, but called the religious out in their hypocrisy, so please dont mistake a relationship with God to religious behavior or bashing others for their life or their religion or their choice of partner, true relationship with God understands that HE is the only one qualified to judge anyone and he is merciful, and ready to help all of us with our spiritual and emotional
dis-eases as well as our physical which usually are all connected. No gossip no trash, just love and respect golden-rule type behavior...do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It works for me. Doctors push drugs, drugs can have many adverse side effects, God pushes love, respect, and the side effects are health and peace, better relationships, etc. i haven't found any info yet related to grinding or boiling i heard but it's gone and i hope to not have it happen again. I hope this reply helps.