Ear Popping, Sticky and Painful After Talking Too Much

Hey y’all. I’m just wondering if anyone else has these same symptoms because my ENT says time and time again there’s nothing wrong with my ears that she can see.

So I developed ear fullness about a month ago, and since then I’ve been obsessively manually popping my ears. I don’t have to hold my nose or anything to do it, I don’t even have to move my jaw. I can just sort of do it on my own like any other muscle in my body. It started out as one single click in my left ear each time, and now sometimes it crackles and clicks a whole bunch when I push to pop the ear.

Then I noticed that my ears (mostly left ear) would pop on it’s own, particularly when I was laying down or bending over, or moving my head a certain way. If I manually popped my ear, sometimes it would click again right after, almost like it was resetting. Same thing after I swallow.

More recently, I’ve noticed that my left ear now starts to crackle if I’ve been laughing and talking with friends all night. Like, every time I start talking it crackles - I can hear it and feel it. It is not a good feeling, it kind of hurts and makes my ears feel raw.

It’s almost like my Eustachian tube feels sticky on the inside, and I can hear and feel it opening and closing and cracklings.

It’s worse than tinnitus because it’s actual pain, and my ENT insists there’s nothing physically wrong with me. I know there is, though, I can FEEL it. I don’t want this to take the fun out of my life.

Does anyone else have symptoms like this? If so, what did you do?

 

I kind of have some of these symptoms. They seems to be related to ETD but I’m not sure anymore. I know what you are talking about when you say popping your ears without plugging your nose. It’s a type of Valsalva and it’s done by contracting muscles. I can do a very mild version of this and get a small pop/crackle and relief in one ear. It comes and goes but I can’t correlate it to anything specific, maybe noise exposure?

 

Strange. I don’t have any hearing loss, but I do believe I have some type of very very mild hyperacusis or some moderate TTTS/myoclonus. Sometimes the crackling in my left ear happens at the same time as the TTTS in my right, but I can feel it deep in my Eustachian tube.

How long have you had symptoms like that? What do you do for them?

At this point I’m living under the philosophy that if I ignore it long enough it’ll go away, or at least I won’t notice it anymore lol.

 

I have no hearing loss either. I got tinnitus and some fullness back in January then the ETD symptoms came about a month or so later. It’s been about 5-6 months of these symptoms. I’m inclined to believe it’s ETD. I also have hyperacusis and the odd fluttering and low drone at morning and night. TTTS can in fact cause hyperacusis and maybe even these ETD symptoms.

 

I have TMJ and also some mild hyperacusis and experience all of these symptoms. I was told by the ENT that diagnosed me that it is very possible for TMJ to cause these sorts of things.

As far as ear fullness, intraoral massage might help. I only get it on my left side especially after driving my car and can usually get it to go away an hour or two after I gently massage the Pterygoid muscle in my mouth (it's that hard ridged muscle that is right behind your last molar). It might be worth giving that a shot, make sure to wash your hands before and after doing this though.

 

Thanks for the tip! I have TMJ as well. I’m actually getting Botox injections for it in a couple days. Hopefully that helps a bit. I’ve been finding that I have headaches at the vertex of my head as well, like pressure.

I’m just trying to take it day by day, some are better than others. Doesn’t make it less annoying though! LOL. It makes me feel better that others have the same symptoms as me. This forum has been a great place for me.

 

I have this. I believe I started a thread about it a while back. I'll find it and link it.

It seemed to start after I blasted myself with a soundbar in an audio/video store. I'm thinking it has something to do with tensor tympani as I can pop my ear just fine. I do wake up often feeling stuffed up. I use down pillows and duvet and I'm wondering if I have an allergy to down.

Edit: Here's the thread:

Ear Fullness Gradually Progressing as the Day Goes on / Certain Activities Make It Worse

 

Yup, I have total control over my Eustachian tubes and can crack/pop my ears at will. I do it multiple times a day, it's become a habit.

No idea what caused it, all I know is that it developed when my ear fullness and hyperacusis started to recede. It doesn't hurt me so I've just learned to live with it!

 

What's likely to cause my ear fullness? TMJ or neck symptoms?

 

Both can cause ear fullness.