Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEar CongestionEarwax BuildupTinnitusHyperacusisRuptured EardrumLess Common CausesWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Ear Congestion
Earwax Buildup
Tinnitus
Hyperacusis
Ruptured Eardrum
Less Common Causes
When to See a Provider
A crackling noise in the ear can have a number of causes. Commonly, it is due to earwax or congestion resulting fromeustachiantube dysfunction.
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Popping and crackling noises in the ear are common symptoms ofear congestion, particularly from fluid trapped in the middle ear. This can occur after anear infectionhas cleared up and may last for months.
Ear congestion is usually related to the inability of the eustachian tube (a small tube in the ear) to drain properly.
Causes of ear congestion include:
Treatment for Ear Congestion
Ear congestion is usually not serious and can often be treated at home with measures or over-the-counter remedies such as:
Symptoms usually clear up within a couple of days with treatment. If ear congestion persists, you may need to under go one of these surgical procedures.
Eustachian Tube MassageHolistic medical providers may recommend using eustachian tube massage as anatural way to help ear congestiondrain.To do this, place your fingers on the area behind and below your ear lobe. Press down and gently massage the area, rubbing your fingers downward.
Eustachian Tube Massage
Holistic medical providers may recommend using eustachian tube massage as anatural way to help ear congestiondrain.To do this, place your fingers on the area behind and below your ear lobe. Press down and gently massage the area, rubbing your fingers downward.
Earwax is normal and helps to protect and lubricate the ear canal. Usually, earwax clears on its own, moving to theopening of the earthrough the help of chewing and jaw motion, where it falls out or can be wiped away.
Sometimes,earwax can build upwithin the ear. This can cause symptoms such as:
Treatment for Earwax Buildup
Clean ear wax from the outer ear with a soft cloth. Do not insert anything into the ear canal.
Another option is to use an irrigation or ear syringing kit to flush the ear with water or a saline solution.Home irrigation should be avoided if you have:
Tinnitusoccurs when a person can hear a sound that others cannot hear, and that doesn’t have an external source. It is common, affecting about 10% to 25% of adults.
The sound heard with tinnitus varies. Ringing is common, but it can also sound like roaring, buzzing, crackling, or other sounds.
The exact cause of tinnitus isn’t known, but it may be related to:
Treating Tinnitus
Symptoms of tinnitus may last for months or even years.
Strategies to manage the symptoms and permanently stop the ringing include:
People withhyperacusishave a reduced tolerance for sound and find ordinary noises uncomfortable, loud, or painful.Hyperacusis can cause voices (including your own) to sound distorted or loud, cause a popping sensation in the ear, worsen tinnitus, and other discomforts related to sound.
Hyperacusis is associated with a number of disorders and may be seen in the following cases:
Treatment for Hyperacusis
Other treatments for hyperacusis include:
You may hear a crackling sound if you’ve suffered aruptured or perforated eardrum. This is when a hole opens in the thin piece of tissue that separates the outer ear from the middle ear.
Damage to the eardrum can be the result of pressure building up behind the eardrum from anear infection, flying, or scuba diving.
A ruptured eardrum can cause symptoms such as:
Treatments for a Ruptured Eardrum
A ruptured eardrum can heal on its own. While it is healing:
If the eardrum does not heal on its own, or the perforation is large, it may need to be surgically repaired using procedures such as:
Less Common Causes of Crackling in Ear
In rare cases, blockage of the eustachian tube can be an indication of a more serious problem, such as:
A rare form of tinnitus calledmiddle earmyoclonuscan cause a crackling sound or other noises. It involves abnormal movement of muscles.
Some less common risk factors for tinnitus include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider About Crackling in Your Ear
If you are unsure what’s causing the crackling in your ear, it’s a good idea to see a healthcare provider. Depending on your symptoms, you may choose to see one of the following types of providers:
The healthcare provider can do a physical examination, including looking in your ear with anotoscopeto check for earwax, fluid,infection, damage to the eardrum, and other possible causes for your symptoms.
They will also take a medical history to see if there could be an underlying reason for the crackling, including a medical condition or certain medications.
If there is also hearing loss,audiology testingmay also be performed to determine the extent of the hearing loss.
If you are experiencing tinnitus, your healthcare provider may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat doctor or an audiologist. Tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), or ultrasound may be ordered if necessary.
Always contact your healthcare provider if you experience the following:You are experiencing pain.A foreign object is stuck in the ear.Ear congestion lasts longer than 48 hours.You feel dizzy.You have a fever or feel generally unwell.You have hearing loss.You are still experiencing symptoms longer than two months after treatment for a ruptured eardrum.You are hearing ringing in your ear.
Always contact your healthcare provider if you experience the following:
Summary
Depending on the cause, you may be able to treat symptoms at home or with over-the-counter medication. Behavioral therapy, avoiding certain noises, and working to desensitize yourself to noise can help with other possible causes. Sometimes surgery is needed.
If you aren’t sure why you hear a crackling noise or it isn’t going away, talk to a healthcare provider.
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kim TH, Jang HJ, Park SH, Nam SI.Objective tinnitus concomitant with eye blinking: a case report.J Audiol Otol. 2015;19(2):101-103. doi:10.7874/jao.2015.19.2.101Llewellyn A, Norman G, Harden M, et al.Interventions for adult Eustachian tube dysfunction: a systematic review. Background. NIHR Journals Library; 2014.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Ear - congestion.Boys Town National Research Hospital.Ear fullness.Stanford Medicine.Eustachian tube dysfunction.Florida Naturopathic Medicine Association.Eustachian Tube Massage for Congestion.American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Earwax (cerumen impaction).Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): Earwax (cerumen impaction).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. doi:10.1177/0194599816671491Aaron K, Cooper TE, Warner L, Burton MJ.Ear drops for the removal of ear wax.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;7(7):CD012171. Published 2018 Jul 25. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012171.pub2The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.Wu V, Cooke B, Eitutis S, Simpson MTW, Beyea JA.Approach to tinnitus management.Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(7):491-495.Sacchetto L, Apa E, Ciorba A, et al.Psychological profile and social behaviors of patients with hyperacusis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(24):7317. doi:10.3390/jcm11247317American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Hyperacusis.MedlinePlus.Ruptured eardrum.Mount Sinai.Ruptured eardrum.Ellenstein A, Yusuf N, Hallett M.Middle ear myoclonus: two informative cases and a systematic discussion of myogenic tinnitus. tremor and other hyperkinetic movements. 2013;3(0):03. doi:10.7916/D8RX9BS1
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kim TH, Jang HJ, Park SH, Nam SI.Objective tinnitus concomitant with eye blinking: a case report.J Audiol Otol. 2015;19(2):101-103. doi:10.7874/jao.2015.19.2.101Llewellyn A, Norman G, Harden M, et al.Interventions for adult Eustachian tube dysfunction: a systematic review. Background. NIHR Journals Library; 2014.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Ear - congestion.Boys Town National Research Hospital.Ear fullness.Stanford Medicine.Eustachian tube dysfunction.Florida Naturopathic Medicine Association.Eustachian Tube Massage for Congestion.American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Earwax (cerumen impaction).Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): Earwax (cerumen impaction).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. doi:10.1177/0194599816671491Aaron K, Cooper TE, Warner L, Burton MJ.Ear drops for the removal of ear wax.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;7(7):CD012171. Published 2018 Jul 25. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012171.pub2The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.Wu V, Cooke B, Eitutis S, Simpson MTW, Beyea JA.Approach to tinnitus management.Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(7):491-495.Sacchetto L, Apa E, Ciorba A, et al.Psychological profile and social behaviors of patients with hyperacusis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(24):7317. doi:10.3390/jcm11247317American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Hyperacusis.MedlinePlus.Ruptured eardrum.Mount Sinai.Ruptured eardrum.Ellenstein A, Yusuf N, Hallett M.Middle ear myoclonus: two informative cases and a systematic discussion of myogenic tinnitus. tremor and other hyperkinetic movements. 2013;3(0):03. doi:10.7916/D8RX9BS1
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kim TH, Jang HJ, Park SH, Nam SI.Objective tinnitus concomitant with eye blinking: a case report.J Audiol Otol. 2015;19(2):101-103. doi:10.7874/jao.2015.19.2.101Llewellyn A, Norman G, Harden M, et al.Interventions for adult Eustachian tube dysfunction: a systematic review. Background. NIHR Journals Library; 2014.Seattle Children’s Hospital.Ear - congestion.Boys Town National Research Hospital.Ear fullness.Stanford Medicine.Eustachian tube dysfunction.Florida Naturopathic Medicine Association.Eustachian Tube Massage for Congestion.American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Earwax (cerumen impaction).Schwartz SR, Magit AE, Rosenfeld RM, et al.Clinical practice guideline (update): Earwax (cerumen impaction).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29. doi:10.1177/0194599816671491Aaron K, Cooper TE, Warner L, Burton MJ.Ear drops for the removal of ear wax.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;7(7):CD012171. Published 2018 Jul 25. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012171.pub2The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.Wu V, Cooke B, Eitutis S, Simpson MTW, Beyea JA.Approach to tinnitus management.Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(7):491-495.Sacchetto L, Apa E, Ciorba A, et al.Psychological profile and social behaviors of patients with hyperacusis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(24):7317. doi:10.3390/jcm11247317American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Hyperacusis.MedlinePlus.Ruptured eardrum.Mount Sinai.Ruptured eardrum.Ellenstein A, Yusuf N, Hallett M.Middle ear myoclonus: two informative cases and a systematic discussion of myogenic tinnitus. tremor and other hyperkinetic movements. 2013;3(0):03. doi:10.7916/D8RX9BS1
Kim TH, Jang HJ, Park SH, Nam SI.Objective tinnitus concomitant with eye blinking: a case report.J Audiol Otol. 2015;19(2):101-103. doi:10.7874/jao.2015.19.2.101
Llewellyn A, Norman G, Harden M, et al.Interventions for adult Eustachian tube dysfunction: a systematic review. Background. NIHR Journals Library; 2014.
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Aaron K, Cooper TE, Warner L, Burton MJ.Ear drops for the removal of ear wax.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;7(7):CD012171. Published 2018 Jul 25. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012171.pub2
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.
Wu V, Cooke B, Eitutis S, Simpson MTW, Beyea JA.Approach to tinnitus management.Can Fam Physician. 2018;64(7):491-495.
Sacchetto L, Apa E, Ciorba A, et al.Psychological profile and social behaviors of patients with hyperacusis.J Clin Med. 2022;11(24):7317. doi:10.3390/jcm11247317
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Hyperacusis.
MedlinePlus.Ruptured eardrum.
Mount Sinai.Ruptured eardrum.
Ellenstein A, Yusuf N, Hallett M.Middle ear myoclonus: two informative cases and a systematic discussion of myogenic tinnitus. tremor and other hyperkinetic movements. 2013;3(0):03. doi:10.7916/D8RX9BS1
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