Scared... Popping Noise in Ear After Loud Tinnitus

[Myriam]

Hi all.

This is my first time posting here.

For three days now I've been having this "popping" sound in my right ear everytime I yawn, burp or when I rumble my eardrums. (I don't know why or how I do it but I can make my eardrums rumble and it sounds like rolling thunder.)

It's never happened before. It sounds like... a bottle of wine being opened?

The night before the noise started happening, I had a very loud T in the same ear and since I couldn't get any sleep. I went to bed with earphones (earbuds), listening to some white noise and binaural beats, trying to ignore the T.

I get very loud Ts like that every 2 or 3 months, it usually lasts between 4 and 8 hours, not always in the same ear. I've also had permanent ringing in both ears for almost three years now (started after taking some Claritin D, never stopped) but it's not very loud so I got used to it. Been to an ENT once, he had no idea what was the cause. I also have moderate hypothyroidism but it's under control.

The "popping" sound started a couple hours after I woke up and the T was gone.

If I press a finger on my tragus and try to make the sound happen, it's not working. Same if I "snort" (but then the second I swallow my saliva, it's back). If I get water in my ear, the sound is somewhat muffled for a little while.

It's not painful, although the inside of my ear feels a little more sensitive than usual, maybe... Can't say that I feel a fullness either. No draining, no swelling (not that I can feel at least). It's just that it's been bothering me for a couple days now and part of me is scared that it won't go away like my permanent ringing.

I don't know if I should go to the doc just for that. Especially since none of the docs I've met have been helpful for my ears so far. Not sure if it's just ear wax buildup or infection or a pressure problem... no idea.

Anyone had this happen to them? Any idea how to make it go away?

Thanks in advance!

 

[AnxiousJon]

New symptoms produce a fear reaction as a survival instinct. Once your subconscious realizes these symptoms which do not hurt(awesome), they will not be noticed anymore. Your current conscious mind needs to understand this so it can start letting go of fear; projecting the same terror-experience into the future is a mistake in judgement. I'm sure you fear insanity more than death with regard to this; you won't succumb to that.
How long have these episodes of severe tinnitus been going on? What has your mental health been like during this time? Mental health problems put you at high risk for strange nerve activity and nerve damage.
Also:I get the rumbling when I yawn, and I can get a little bit of it if I raise my eyebrows all the way.

 

[Myriam]

Thank you for your reply.

You are absolutely right, projecting into the future is a bad idea and while I'm aware of that, I can't really help it for now because I'm not used to this new noise and I don't understand it, y'know? Now knowing what triggers the noises and trying to figure it out - for me, that's the worst part, I think,

Every time I had a loud T, at least for the first couple times, I had severe anxiety and had to take sleeping pills / tranquilizers. Now when the loud Ts happen, I just put on headphones with white noise and wait it out. It still annoys me to no end but at least I can get some sleep. Since it only happens in the evening / at night, most of the time it's all gone in the morning.

The loud Ts have been happening for at least two years I'd say. I've been through mild depression twice during that time (but did not need any mediation, it was mostly because my thyroid was acting up and exhaustion from work). Other than that, while I am a somewhat nervous person, I haven't had panick attacks in a long while. Most of my anxiety is gone since I've started treatment for my thyroid, which is good.

Coincidentally, the constant ringing (around 2/10) and loud Ts (6-8/10) started around the same time I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, which is why I thought I might as well mention it.

In any case, no matter what the trigger is, I've learned to live with it. Not always easy but you sort of get used to it...

As for the popping in my ear, well, I just hope it'll go away. While I'm not dealing with a severe case of permanent T, learning to cope with it during the last 2-3 years has already been difficult enough and I don't want to go through that again.

Anyway, thanks for listening, I appreciate it.

 

[Atlantis]

I can understand that is scary what if the loud tinnitus one of these times never goes away

 

[Myriam]

Yeah well, it crosses my mind everytime it happens, that's for sure... I try to calm down and remind myself that it has never lasted more than a night. I consider myself lucky everytime it goes away. I feel so sorry for people who are dealing with permanent loud Ts, I almost feel dumb for complaining about such a minor issue...

 

[AnxiousJon]

We all have our own little world in our minds. When it gets shaken up, it causes us distress. For you it's significant; however seeing people thrive under maladies that are far worse is good. It helps us get perspective.

 

[Ecip]

I had something similar for the first little while when I got T. Yawning, especially swallowing, would make my ear(s) pop and crackle. It did go away though. It's normal for there to be little bit of crackling as you swallow or yawn, pretty much anything that causes the eustachian tubes to open, as pressure equalized from your middle ear.