Popping/Crackling Noises

Whenever I open my mouth my ears crackle. It also happens whenever I chew, swallow and move my head to the side. What is this?

 

You could have tmj problems, I started seeing a tmj specialist not long ago

 

Hi@rubyrosewars,


I have TMG and ETD and get that all the time. My ears will pop too due to pressure It might actually be your jaw making some of that noise too .

 

See your dentist to see if you have a Temperomandibular jaw joint or muscle problem....lots of love glynis

 

More likely Eustachian tube dysfunction.

 

I have this too! How do you get tested to see if you have ETD?

 

Good symptomatic description.

 

@rubyroseware It's almost for sure ETD (Eustachian tube dysfunction). Means that the tube in your ear is not opening properly. Can be caused by a number of things, but generally is caused by sinus issues or a cold. Can also be the trigger that causes tinnitus is some people. Rarely it is caused by acid reflux, if the acid goes up far enough to get into your throat/sinuses, but you'd very likely have other noticeable symptoms then. You'd feel a burning in your chest/throat, etc. I have mild ETD, and treat it with sinus rinses and a daily anti-histamine. You should visit an ENT and get a full workup.

 

@Hinnie8, there isn't really a test for ETD. Just go to an ENT (or your GP if you can get in there faster) and tell them your symptoms. Can often be cleared up with sinus rinses, anti-histamines, or steroids. Good luck.

 

It can also be anxiety... I had it also...but when my anxiety settled it went away and when my anxiery rises it comes back. You become more aware of somatic sounds of your body when your anxiety is high and your nervous system is on high alert.

 

I hear this loud sharp click noise when swallowing, almost like a gun shot!
Is that ETD?

 

@eric peterson so far I have been to 2 different ENT's, and have had 2 hearing tests, 2 tympanometry tests and a nasal endoscopy and both doctors have said all tests have been normal. The symptoms of eustachian tube disfunction sound exactly like the symptoms I am experiencing. Using a neti pot and steroid spray makes my tinnitus less intense/ makes my ears feel less blocked but doesn't make it go away completely.

I am just wondering how they were able to tell that you had ETD?

I am meant to be getting x-rays of my sinuses done in the near future...

 

@Hinnie8 , I was able to tell that I had ETD the way you are. I have the symptoms of it. I wonder why your ENTs didn't actually use that term. Either way, that sounds like what you have. And there are a few causes of it. Most likely it's allergy/sinus issues. I got a CT scan of my sinuses and saw that they were all very clogged, so I had sinus surgery to open my sinuses. That's sort of an option after you've tried neti-pot and steroid nasal spray for a while without any relief of symptoms. Looking into seeing if you need allergy shots might also be worth your time/money. My ETD is much better since the sinus surgery. My ET used to 'crackle' literally every time that I swallowed. All day. Probably 1000 times a day or more. Now since the surgery, (2.5 months ago) its maybe 100 times a day, and seems to be getting better. My sinus headaches are a lot better, too. The tinnitus never went away (I didn't think it would, but the surgeon thought there was a chance). But frankly, I'd rather just deal with the one thing (my T) rather than a whole bunch at the same time. And since I've been able to just deal with that, I've been handling that much better, too. Let me know if you need any other help.

Eric

 

@eric peterson I'm glad your ETD is getting better! I hope I find some answers myself after I have some scans done of my sinuses. Thank you for all your help you have been very informative