Ear Popping/Fullness, Jaw Crackling, and Tinnitus After a Night Out in a Disco

Hello, my name is Calvin, and have been struggling with ear popping/fullness, jaw crackling, and tinnitus in my left ear for 3 years now.

This happened after a night out in a disco, I suddenly heard a pop in my left ear and crackling for a second or two (just like the pop rocks sweets). My hearing was fine that evening, but when I woke up the next morning my ear was full and had continuously popping after I made any kind of jaw or neck movement. I did have tinnitus but didn't notice it actually until later on when I saw my ENT, who asked if I had it. After that, I started focussing on it and heard it louder. Speaking about the ENT, the treatment has been unsuccessful. I got a Fluticasone spray (which I also used before the problems) to help with my allergies which are bad, besides that, I have a narrow nose passage and my nose wall is crooked. The spray helped me clear my nose but didn't have any effect on my ears. After I let him make an incision in my left eardrum 'to relieve pressure, it made things worse, my ear started to feel even more full like I had water in my ears. Luckily things reverted back to what it was before the surgery once the eardrum healed. After that, he forwarded me to a jaw physician. He saw some tightness but not any big problems, I did about 6 sessions of jaw massage.

The ENT also did a hearing test which showed that both my ears were good for my age.

Fast forward 3 years later, I am still under treatment. I developed a tic to keep popping my ears as it does have some impact on the way I hear (hear more background sounds), although it has no impact on my tinnitus. At the beginning of the year, my good ear started to feel a bit full. I tried to pop it but no matter what I did, I couldn't pop it. Then one night in April I held my nose closed while pushing my ear (Valsalva) for a few seconds. Then out of nowhere my right ear started to feel even fuller and got loud hissing tinnitus in my right ear which is to this day louder than my left ear (which I barely can hear now).

I visited the ENT again and he still suspects I have a malfunctioning Eustachian tube. I asked him to place an ear tube in my left ear to try and see if it works. He was hesitant because of how things got worse after the incision of my ear drum. He was also now thinking I could have a Patulous Eustachian tube which could end up making it worse.

After placing the ear tube in my ear, things indeed got worse for the first week. Although, in the second week my ear started to feel pretty normal again. I do still have pressure in that ear but at least the ear popping in my ear reduced a lot. But it did cause pulsatile tinnitus (I can hear my heartbeat in my ear when I lie in bed).

Currently, I have had the ear tube for 1.5 months. My hearing in my left ear feels a bit weird, like I'm in a tunnel. Since I got ear pressure problems in both ears, I now realize the pressure is not the same every day/hour. At any one time my left ear feels worse and then my right ear feels worse. The least worse ear feels like it's 'normal'.


The ear popping is as bad as the tinnitus for me. Every movement of the jaw, face, and neck causes something to pop in my ear (now only the right ear). Sometimes it pops and causes a weirder type of tinnitus in my right ear, which sounds a bit robotic.

The next ENT appointment is on the 1st of August and I really don't know what to ask or if I should continue. The last thing I maybe should explore is if I have a 'perilymphatic lymph in my ears' which can be caused by pressure changes as this could have happened with the Valsalva.

Would really love some insight from you guys on what could be wrong. I do try to read less as it makes me feel anxious and depressed, but the ENT isn't helping me much either.

 

See a dentist that specializes in TMJ treatment.

 

Ye, will try, although I think the jaw physician would have seen something troubling I guess.

 

My apologies, somehow I missed the info on the jaw physician that you wrote.

 

I am now dealing with this. I look forward to moments where my left ear fills up, it’s the only thing that even remotely helps the fullness in my right ear. For me this sensation is worse than the tinnitus & pulsatile tinnitus combined.

I do have jaw issues, but have been doing exercises with no improvement. My gut tells me my jaw is not causing it.

 

There could be still be something wrong with your jaw function if you didn't rule it out. I don't have jaw pain even though I have crackling around my TMJ joint when I move my head/neck. My orthodontist has determined both my upper and lower jaw are too far back. Sadly I didn't get approval from insurance to get jaw surgery. Although if all fails I might try again. If your jaw function is disturbed, it can also cause TMJ.

For your case you have to rule out any allergies and sinus problems first, this what the ENT does at least.