Weird Ear Popping Sound — Could the Cold Weather Have Inflamed the Eustachian Tube When I Was Out?

Hello all,

A while since I posted here, having recovered from a horrid bout of tinnitus last year.

The past 7 days, since going out on a cold/windy day which caused my ears to hurt I'm experiencing a pretty odd sensation. It's mainly in the mornings - and sometimes a couple of hours during the day. It's an odd popping sound in my left ear, that repeats itself every 15/30 seconds or so, then it randomly stops dead.

Sometimes it's worse than others and it's like having a bowl of rice crispies in my left ear, and other times it's barely audible. It isn't tinnitus - it's like my eustachian tube is clogged up or something. I can "feel" the sensation.

Has anyone else had this bizarre problem? I gotta say it's not nearly as annoying as tinnitus, but I'm interested to know what it is all the same. I imagine it's some form of eustachian tube dysfunction. The vaösalva maneuver seems to make it stop temporarily, as does swelling with nose pinched.

What do you all think - maybe some of the cold inflamed the eustachian tube when I was out?

Cheers.

 

Did you end up finding out?
I am having this now, I feel like it’s ETD problems.