Crackling in ear.... - Hearing Disorders Message Board

zxc_zxc · 04-17-2004, 10:36 AM

Well I went to the doc...actually for my skin, and asked him to look in my ears regarding them making crackling noices. He looked in side and said he couldn't see any wax and that it must be mucus or some build up lower down inside the ear. I forget what the part of the ear was called (anyone?).

Basically when I swallow or try and push air through my ears using jaw....not plugging nose or anything, my ear crackles like air is being blocked by something. Sometimes the left ear feels blocked and both crackle or the right feels blocked and both still crackle....or both feel very blocked and crackle. Feeling seems to change throughout the day.

He advised me to take a decongestant of some sort. I picked up some Sudafed Extra Strength trying that for a few days. Didn't help.

So I went and picked up OTEX which you drop five drops in ear that suposidly breaks up and disperses (don't know where)the wax build up inside ears, to prevent the need for syringing. Tried this for a fews days.... Bit better but still got problem.

My overall hearing doesn't appear to be to affected.

Any suggestions?? Thoughts??

Many thanks.....

cookie monster · 04-20-2004, 08:14 AM

Hi there,

i read ur post & i've a suggestion.

Go see a ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist if u can, since the GP is unable to do so & u need to reassure urself. i'm not saying bad about ur GP, though. pls don't get offended.

u've a question; if A can't give a solution, mebbie u should use B.

jgdejesu · 06-05-2004, 12:16 PM

ZXZ
I have got the same problem and I`m going to ENT this month.The Family doc has perscibed decongestants,ear drops,and all of them making it worse! I get so upset over this.The sounds I get through my right ear is almost a vibriting sound,and the sounds are much LOUDER than normal.The dr said it sounds to him like HYPERACUSIS.
It`s just an extra loud sound in the ear.Can`t wait to hear what the ENT says.I have to have a hearing test.I`m not looking forward to that.I wear an ear plug in my ear when I can.It does help with the frustration.A normal conversation with someone can really aggitate me because the words hurt my ears so much.Just to let you know your not alone.It only effects 5 in 100,000 people.

elogan135 · 02-11-2008, 06:58 PM

I've had this very same problem for a couple of years now. It turns out it was related to my chronic sinusitis. In October of 2005 I stopped smoking and that's when I realized this problem started. I thought I had a brain tumor the first time I got a severe case of sinusitis, you see I have always been very healthy. The think I started doing differently was popping several allergy pills and nasal decongestants. Anyhow I got a horrible case of sinusitis where my ears were crackling so loud that I couldn't sleep. I guess my eustachian tube had been clogged up. Well I then developed these sharp stabbing headaches associated with the sinus infection and that was it. My anxiety started and I began researching the net because I never had this. I walked over the the ER and they did a CT scan and found that I had severe swelling in my ethmoid, and maxillary sinuses. I then went to an ENT and was perscribed Avelox. Well to make a long story short, I began getting these infections ever month after that. I was convinced I was growing a tumor or something. I couldn't have an MRI because I have metal in my mouth from a prior surgery. I was on Nasonex, Flonase and Avelox ever other month. I started to find that these infections became worst around my period. Anyhow, I then found out I had a Nasal Polyp and I was perscribed Predisone which instantly shrunk the polyp. And I felt much clear for the first time. However one ENT wanted to do surgery and another said I didn't need it. I was tested for Tinnitus and my test came back positive. I did a series of 3 Predisone steriod treatments this past year and still the crackling ears continued. I developed insomnia as a result. It was horrible. Oh a side note, I tested negative for all allergies. Well, I recently moved from Jersey City, NJ to Arlington, VA to work in D.C. and I had yet another horrible bout with sinusitis this past week. This time I did some research on fungal sinusitis and I kid you not. I took a yeast infection medication (monostat) put it on a q-tip and stuck it up my nose. It instantly started to work on openning my nose but the crackling still existed. Anyhow, just yesterday I was talking to a friend who gave me the greatest advice. They said they had the same problem and what worked for them was that they simply threw out all of their medication (in the trash) and stopped cold turkey and took a herbal medicine "fenugreek" and it cleared it up. Well I took some yesterday myself and I kid you not, today is the second day I've been on this stuff and my ears have completely stopped crackling for once and for all..... I SAY STOP THE MADNESS WITH THE PRESCRIPTION MEDS AND GO GET HERBAL MEDS. TAKE FENUGREEK FOR THIS PROBLEM. OUR BODYS ARE MADE TO NATURALLY HEAL THEMSELVES. FENUGREEK WILL CLEAR YOUR SINUSES. THESE DOCTORS ARE PRACTING MEDICINE, YOUR BODY IS A GUINEA PIG FOR THEIR MEDS. DON'T JEAPORDIZE YOUR HEALTH ANY LONGER.

elogan135 · 02-29-2008, 02:05 PM

I'm back....I just went to a new ENT down here in Virginia. He appeared to be much better then the last two I went to in New York. Anyhow, he put me back on Predisone, Antibiotics, and nasal spray. However, he suggested a possible diagnosis that I've never even thought of. You see I took him all two years of medical records and he said in one CT scan that it indicated there was a Cyst. I was so upset because my previous doctor had never said anything about this. Anyhow he asked me about my history and I told him everything. He then asked if I had any dental work. I only have one amalgm filling in my mouth and I thought back to the beginning of all my problems. I remember my filling was loose a couple of years back so I made and emergency appointment to the dentist. This was precisely around the time I started noticing all the crackling and was experiencing the Nausea. Anyhow, he drilled my filling and repacked it and that was it. Well my new ENT thinks there might be a correlation there. He informed me there are times when under the tooth it can become so infected that it works its way up into the maxillary sinus, and sometimes a cyst can form. I am experiencing all of my trouble just above that tooth but there is no pain in the tooth and just the other day I was chewing a piece of gum and some of my filling came out into my gum. He suggested that the crackling may not be my ears but may be my maxillary sinus. So I'm going to continue with this treatment and get another CT scan. The only problem with the CT scan is that it comes out distorted when there are fillings. Anyhow, I hope he's right because I've had it with this crackling noise.