How To Get Rid Of Crackling Sound In Ear You Should Know

Ear crackling is the signal of a particular injury of the hearing organ. There are the cases causing people to suffer from hearing loss and may not even hear the sound around. Hence, what is the cause and how to get rid of crackling sound in ear, please find out in this article below.

What Causes Crackling Sound In The Ear?

Crackling sound in ear is a sensation of sound that is not due to external factors stimulating in the hearing system. People describe it as an audible sound, maybe a clicking sound, a crunching sound in ear.

Many people wonder like, “Why is my ear is popping?” Or “why I hear the crackling sound in my ear.” There are many different reasons for crackling in ear.

Let’s find out the most common causes of this situation.

Ear wax

The leading cause of ear crackling we need to know is ear wax. When the ear wax is dry, and it is on the eardrum, crackling noise in ear is due to the vibration of the eardrum.

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD)

• The other cause is Eustachian tube dysfunction. Eustachian tube – a small tube, which connects the ear between the back of the nose and the upper part of the throat (nasopharynx). Its mission is to facilitate the air circulation of the middle ear, which is a tool that allows the middle ear to breathe, and maintain the balance between the ear pressure and the external pressure.

• Whenever there is a pressure imbalance such as the altitude changes dramatically, the tube opens and pushes the pressure into the middle ear, that causes popping sound in ear. This symptom happens when taking an elevator, taking a plane, driving through the mountains or diving into the bottom of the pool.

• However, in some cases, Eustachian tube malfunctions when the mucus from the respiratory infection or the allergic reaction can block the tube, causing fluid accumulation in the middle ear, clogging the tube.

At that time, the pressure inside the ear becomes higher than usual that creates a crackling sound in ear to release the excessive pressure whenever you open your mouth and yawn. Cold allergies and cough are the leading causes of Eustachian tube dysfunction [1].

Drugs or medications

• Some drugs can damage the auditory nerve in the inner ear. From there, it can cause sudden hearing loss, tinnitus or uncomfortable sounds such as popping, crunching or crackling in ear.
• The research conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) found that regular use of pain medications (even the most popular pain relievers, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen) can also cause deafness. However, some pain relievers are useful to many people [2]. When you use the non-prescription drug in a short time, the hearing problems may occur but will only be temporary, including that uncomfortable sounds will also diminish over time.

• But with prescription drugs use for extended periods of time (high doses of ibuprofen), there seems to be a lot of potential for changes in hearing such as hearing loss, gradually becoming permanent deafness.

The pain medication is not the only type that can affect hearing. Other drugs that may cause deafness include antibiotics, diuretics. Aspirin only really has consequences when it is used too often or in too high doses.

TMJ disorder (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome disorder)

Crackling in ears can be a manifestation of TMJ disorder, which is a disorder in the temporomandibular joint.

How to get rid of crackling sound in ear

Once you understand the causes of the condition, you need to perform the best treatment right away. Although most cases of clicking sound in ear are not threatening to the life, if the phenomenon is more severe or accompanied by hearing loss and dizziness, you need to cure immediately. Let us refer to how to get rid of crackling sound in ear.

1. Get rid of ear wax

Our bodies will eliminate the ear wax themselves when they are too thick. The vibration process of the jawbone when chewing and talking is the body’s natural way to remove the earwax from the ear canal.

However, the natural method of the body (the jawbone movements) sometimes cannot remove the earwax. It is the condition of too much earwax that creates the crunching sound in ear. Hence, the preferred method for how to get rid of crackling sound in ear is to remove the earwax.

There are several ways that you can handle excessive ear waxing yourself.

Hydrogen peroxide:

• Mix the equal portions of hydrogen peroxide with water.
• Drop a few drops into your ear and shake your head so that hydrogen peroxide flows into the ear canal.

Glycerin:

• Glycerin is a natural product that helps to soften the ear wax and to remove dandruff quickly.
• You can buy glycerin at the pharmacies, then use four drops of glycerin in your ear.

Vinegar and wine:

• Wine is capable of killing 85% aerobic bacteria, which can be perfectly cleaned and disinfected, while white vinegar, which has strong antibiotic and antibacterial properties, is therefore useful in treating bacterial infections.
• Thus, the combination of these two components works to treat ear infections, dissolve ear wax, and keep the ear canal dry without causing any pain.
• You mix the equal portions of vinegar and wine in a small bowl.
• Dip a soft cloth into the mixture and drop a few drops into both your ears.
• This treatment should be taken twice a day to prevent ear crackling [3].

Fish oil:

According to the experts, you should drink a capsule of fish oil daily. In addition to providing many health benefits, fish oil also stabilizes the condition of the ear wax at normal levels [4].

Use ear drops:

• You can also use ear drops containing antibiotics and anti-inflammatory to remove ear wax by dropping a few drops into the ear as directed.
• Then, lightly rub the ear canal and dry your ears with a clean cloth.
• However, when using this method, it is important to remember not to purchase any ear drops that are available at drug stores, as they can cause irritation and discomfort to the ear. You should only use the ear drops prescribed by your doctor.

Use olive oil:

• Add a few drops of warmed olive oil to each ear, about 15 minutes, and then tilt your ears for oil to flow out.
• Then use a clean cloth to clean the ear.
• To increase the effectiveness, apply this method three times a day and continuously for 2-3 days to relieve clicking sound in ear quickly. In the absence of olive oil, you can use baby oils or inorganic oils.

Use tea tree oil/garlic oil:

Tea tree oil contains excellent healing properties (especially strong natural compositions called terpenoids) that have the antibacterial effects against infections causing various pathogens in the respiratory system.

The scientists have found that allicin in garlic oil is a naturally occurring antibiotic compound, which can eradicate parasites or kill off the fungus, have antiviral effect and even replace antibiotics. Another benefit of allicin is that it prevents the growth of bacteria.

How to do:

• Use a syringe to flow a few drops of tea tree oil/garlic oil in each ear and let it sit for a few minutes.
• The oil will wash away the wax that has been softened from tea tree oil/garlic oil.
• Finally, you use a clean gauze to dry your ears and thoroughly clean the wax [5].

Warm water:

• Hold the head vertically and hold the outside of the ear.
• Tilt the head and gently pull up to straighten out the ear canal.
• Use the syringe to pump the warm water into the inner ear with very slight pressure not to break the eardrum.
• Wait for 10 minutes, then turn your head following the other direction until the water flows out.
• Repeat the actions several times

Note:

• Using the cotton swabs to clean the ears can also leave a lot of damage as they can pierce the eardrum.
• There is no fixed time for the frequency of ear waxing, as the ear wax should not regularly be removed and should only be taken when necessary and when it becomes very irritated and prone to it unless the condition of popping sound in ear will be more severe.
• Remember not to use sharp to get ear wax because it is very hazardous. Do not share this device with anyone because while getting the earwax, and the fragile ear skin can be damaged and allow bacteria to enter inside causing inflammation. If you are not confident with your ability, ask a doctor or specialist for this job
• If you have done all the above methods and still do not clean the ear canal, you should go to the ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor, and they will use the device to remove the earwax with the medical vacuum.

2. Using physical way: The Valsalva Maneuver

To prevent your ears from suffering from crackling noise in ear or feeling painful, you need to lose the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of your ear. You do this by extending the jaw because this action opens the auditory tube in the ear, allowing the pressure in the ear to equilibrate to the external pressure.

Your jaw can only extend an inch or more, and you can open the airway. If so, try the Valsalva maneuver – it is the convenient physical method to how to get rid of crackling sound in ear that is used by some scuba divers to balance the pressure in the ear.

The Valsalva Maneuver is done by forcibly exhaling to fight against a closed airway. The variations of the maneuver can be used to clear the ears and sinuses and help equalize the pressure when the pressure changes such as in diving or aviation.

How to do:

• Take a deep breath, then shut your mouth, use your index finger and thumb finger to pinch the nostrils closed.
• Then breathe air out of your nose to adjust and control the air pressure inside and outside of the nose.

The compressed air in the inside enters the eardrum and circulate the airways in the ear to cure ear crackling [6].

You note that this is “forcibly” method so you need to do this very carefully and gently unless your eardrums can be damaged.

3. Steam

Inhaling steam is the simplest and safest way to get rid of crackling sound in ear due to a cold or flu. The steam can help eliminate the clogged ears, as it will loosen up the ear wax causing clogging.

How to do:

• Pour a moderate amount of water into a regular cooking pot, cover with a lid until the water boils. The steam will emerge from the valve of the pot after boiling water.
• You can put some essential oils such as lavender essential oil or tea tree oil in the pot to relax the nasal passages, creating a sense of well-being.
• Place the pot on a moderately high table or chair, with your shoulders and back covering the pot with a towel so that your face catches the steam directly.
• Keep the distance from the pot to avoid overheating.
• Inhale slowly for 10 – 15 minutes.
• You do continuously 2 – 3 times a day until the crackling in ears diminish.
• Or, you can put some herbal mixture in a clean bowl and pour hot water, but it does not boil the mixture.
• Cover your head in your bowl with a towel when the water vapor rises and feel the ingredients and aroma of herbal mixture.

4. Building up a healthy lifestyle and good for your ears

According to the scientific studies, food also plays a decisive role in assessing your recovery when suffering from prolonged uncomfortable sounds in the ear. Not all foods help you to improve the condition, but they can cause different reactions on the part of the body.

So, if you want to solve the problem “how to get rid of crackling sound in ear,” you should build up a healthy lifestyle and good for your ears.

Food groups are not good for people with persistent ear crackling include:

The foods that raise cholesterol in the blood:

The scientists believe that a combination of high cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels can make the condition of popping sound in ear worse.

Especially those foods derived from animals contain a lot of cholesterol, the patients should limit the intake of these foods.

Instead of that, they should eat more protein foods such as soy, dark green vegetables, flour, beans, cocoa so on.

Add fat from the sugar-rich food contains candy, cookies and pies, milk, chocolate [7].

The foods increase blood sugar:

The increase in blood sugar levels will increase the amount of insulin in the bloodstream, which in turn will lead to more severe sounds in ear. It is important to have a diet with the right amount of insulin, to reduce the absorption of carbohydrates and sweets that keep blood sugar levels at a constant level.

The food contains caffeine:

The beverages such as alcohol, beer, coffee contain high levels of caffeine, which can increase blood stimulation, causing crunching sound in ear to persist.

In addition to, the dairy-rich foods, salty foods, salicylate-containing foods such as tomatoes, peaches, and almonds so on should also be limited [8].

When you encounter with the twists in everyday life that lead to depression, stress causes the nerves in the head and ears to be severely affected. The patient’s psychological pressure will cause the ear to appear puffy, make the annoying sounds and limit the hearing ability.

People who are stressed have a higher risk of ear crackling, on the other hand, this phenomenon also makes stress worse than ever.

So, you should:

• Get enough sleep can help improve your health and help you feel less stressed.
• Practice light sports such as walking, yoga.
• Exercise: Make sure to exercise at least 2.5 hours a week. That seems to be a lot but figured out, just a quick 10-minute walk, three times a day for five days a week has 150 minutes of activity with moderate intensity and efficiency.
• Writing diaries can also reduce stress. When you are feeling tired, exhausted, recording your emotions can help you take control of everything and analyze the situation better [9].

Here are some ways you can do yourself at home to how to get rid of crackling sound in ear. You can combine these measures with drugs prescribed by your doctor or some specialized methods to help you reduce or eliminate popping sound in ear. However, these medications require the different prescriptions as well as being closely monitored by the doctor, because each case requires different medications as well as different methods.

To get the best long-term treatment results, you should go to the hospital in case the condition often lasts. Crackling in ear is not only specialized in ENT (ear, nose, and throat), but it can also be associated with many other diseases, especially kidney disease, so getting medical attention as soon as the disease develops to treat timely.

Leave us a comment and LIKE, SHARE this useful article!