Popping My Ears

[Rachel Murray]

Hello, I have high frequency tinnitus in my left ear and low frequency tinnitus in my right ear - because of my low frequency tinnitus and the feeling of ear clogged, I have gained the habit of forcing my ears to pop all the time.

Sometimes I think I shouldn't do this, maybe it affects the ears / hearing even more - any opinions about this?

 

[RicoS]

I do the same.... But more like a test so I know my ears are not blocked. I don't force it though I just try to yawn and try to feel if they are still ok? With this hot weather in the Netherlands at the moment I'm also more aware when my ears are feeling full. Today it's a lower tempature and I pay less attention to it.
It didn't make my T worse by the way

 

[Ike]

My ears are also clogged quite heavily and I yawn and open my jaws to a cracking sound regularly.Not sure if I'am doing any further harm in any way....

 

[Rachel Murray]

@RicoS thank you, that's it, it is to control if the ear is clogged or not. The weather doesn't affect both my high pitch and low pitch tinnitus, or maybe I have never paid attention to it before. It's raining like crazy now!

 

[Rachel Murray]

@Ike , exactly, Ike, I also never know if I should be doing it - but it helps the feeling of "something inside the ear".

 

[RicoS]

I didn't mean the weather *laugh* I ment popping my ears didn't effect my T. And yes it rains but tomorrow it will be 28 Celcius again... ;-)

 

[russiancarl]

How are you forcing your ears to pop?

I can force mine to pop by swallowing or manipulating my jaw in certain ways... not sure that's a good thing or indicative of ETD but hey it relieves the pressure when it's there.

If you are doing the Valsalva maneuver I'd caution against it. I just read a post by another member here who did it for years safely but one ill advised time it hurt his ear and caused hyperaucusis and a worsening of the T. I've heard that the Valsalva is not the best option to use and there are other safer ways of popping your ears also named after people but they escape me at the moment.

Sorry I'm not that much help but hopefully someone can chime in with the name of the other maneuvers.

 

[RicoS]

I do not the Valsalva ... I try to yawn and than they pop

 

[Rachel Murray]

@russiancarl I pop mine by manipulating my jaw - no effort at all. I don't need to force them so I hope it's okay.

 

[Rachel Murray]

Update: I have asked my ENT if it is okay to pop the ears by manipulating the jaws - he said no problem!

 

[iAzra]

I pop mine but not sure how, I just think of it and I do it, no special jar movement or anything.. strange I know

 

[Neil991]

Even I can suddenly pop my ears without any effort (not sure how I do it)....sometimes by moving inner jaw muscles, sometimes by yawning and sometimes by just swallowing.

This sudden ability to pop my ears only came after I developed T.

*I think our T is quite different from normal sufferers who normally get it due to Noise trauma and hearing loss.

Also, I believe our condition has something to do with the Jaw and surely is curable with the right steps.

 

[Kris]

This is me to a T(ea)! I am constantly swallowing in such a way to pop my ears, that my throat, neck, shoulders etc are so tight and sore.

It all started with some ETD a few years ago, and the over- awareness of my ears has created some OCD habits, even though my blocked ear problem seems to have cleared almost a year ago.

 

[Kaelon]

Ear popping appears to be a very common phenomenon with those of us suffering from inflammation, especially as it's expressed with the Eustachian Tubes. I have come to understand the ear popping as basically the equalization of pressure in the middle ear -- and it can occur either trans-tympanically, or through the Eustachian tube openings (the latter is more common). When I move my lower jaw to the left or the right, the opposite corresponding ear (the right or left ear, respectively) benefits from a quieter Tinnitus -- and when I pop my ears by yawning, I am able to get a momentary relief that never really seems to last. Never quite silence, but close.