Popping ears

It’s a pretty standard occurrence when you're dealing with a cold. You get a bit of congestion in the Eustace tube—that little channel connecting your middle ear to your throat. It'll pass...

Could be sinus issues. I dealt with something similar last year—nose would clog up, and my ears would feel stuffed too. Especially in the morning; I’d wake up and couldn't hear a thing. Honestly, if you aren't feeling better soon, just head back to your primary care doctor. Have them send you for some actual testing.

Ronald Sanchez14 said:Could be sinus issues. I dealt with something similar last year—nose would clog up, and my ears would feel stuffed too. Especially in the morning; I’d wake up and couldn't hear a thing. Honestly, if you aren't feeling better soon, just head back to your primary care doctor. Have them send you for some actual testing.

Same here..
It’s definitely that sinus-ear connection..

hmm, maybe... but as far as my hearing goes, everything seems totally fine. I don't really have any issues there.

Steven Stewart31 said:hmm, maybe... but as far as my hearing goes, everything seems totally fine. I don't really have any issues there.

I deal with chronic sinus issues myself.
That popping sensation in both ears after swallowing? I've been feeling that for the last 40 years.
My hearing is normal, and there's no pain involved.
Don't worry about it.

I’ve been dealing with this persistent popping sensation in my left ear whenever I encounter dull or muffled sounds lately. It’s been going on for a few weeks now, and frankly, I’ve started to spiral into a bit of a panic over it. It is genuinely unsettling, so I am reaching out to see if anyone here has any insight or experience that might offer some clarity. I’m really hoping this isn't anything major. Thanks 🙂

So, for about three weeks now, I’ve been dealing with this strange popping sensation in my right ear whenever I’m out for a walk. It seems to follow the rhythm of my steps almost perfectly. Interestingly enough, if I’m just lounging around the house, everything feels totally fine, but the moment I step outside and get moving, that clicking starts up again. It isn't happening every single second, but I’d say it kicks in during maybe 60% or 70% of my stride. When I'm sitting still, there's nothing at all. On a side note, for the last few years, I've actually been wearing earplugs every night because even the slightest bit of noise bothers me while I'm trying to sleep. Does anyone have any insight into what might be causing this?

Eric Ward4 said:So, for about three weeks now, I’ve been dealing with this strange popping sensation in my right ear whenever I’m out for a walk. It seems to follow the rhythm of my steps almost perfectly. Interestingly enough, if I’m just lounging around the house, everything feels totally fine, but the moment I step outside and get moving, that clicking starts up again. It isn't happening every single second, but I’d say it kicks in during maybe 60% or 70% of my stride. When I'm sitting still, there's nothing at all. On a side note, for the last few years, I've actually been wearing earplugs every night because even the slightest bit of noise bothers me while I'm trying to sleep. Does anyone have any insight into what might be causing this?

Are you feeling congested, or is it just the sound itself?
Could it be allergies?

Using cotton balls in your ears isn't really a great idea either.

Jesse Sanchez90 said:Are you feeling congested, or is it just the sound itself?
Could it be allergies?

Using cotton balls in your ears isn't really a great idea either.

Well, my hearing is actually perfectly fine, if I do say so myself. However, I did struggle with some pretty intense allergies a while back. It manifested as these red welts all over my body—it honestly felt like I had been walking through a patch of stinging nettles in the backyard. My doctors were completely stumped about the root cause, until I went in for a routine dental checkup and they suggested that my lower wisdom teeth might be the culprit behind the systemic inflammation. So, I went ahead and had both of them pulled. After the second one came out about six months ago, everything seemed totally fine, but then this strange popping sensation started up again. It happens while I'm just walking around. There was even a two-day stretch where it vanished entirely, making me think I was finally in the clear, only for it to resurface out of nowhere. I’ve tried rinsing the ear with water and even soaking it in a warm bath for a good while, hoping to soothe whatever is happening deep inside, but nothing seems to touch it. It feels like this tiny little clicking is happening just beneath the surface of the ear canal. I think I'll try to stop using cotton swabs altogether and see if that helps settle things down eventually.

I’ve been dealing with this constant popping sound for about eight months now, and honestly, it’s driving me up the wall whenever I swallow or just move my jaw around. I’ve tried everything under the sun—nasal rinses, inhaling steam, messing around with all sorts of sprays like Flonase or Aquaphor—but absolutely nothing touches it. Since I’m constantly battling chronic sinus issues and allergies, I’ve reached this bleak point where I’m convinced it’s just my new reality and I’ll never actually get rid of it. It is just incredibly irritating, if you can even call it that.

Hey everyone.
For a few years now, I've been dealing with this weird clicking sound in my ear. Basically, if the music gets too loud, my ear starts popping or clicking. The strange part is that it seems triggered by specific frequencies. I can blast music at high volumes and be totally fine, but the second a sharp, high pitch hits, that clicking starts up.
It’s only happening in one ear; the other one feels perfectly normal.

When I first noticed this, I went to see a doctor, but they just handed me off to a nurse who flushed out my ear and sent me on my way.

I could go back in, but I feel like they’ll just try to irrigate my ear again and call it a day. 🙂

Has anyone else dealt with something like this?
Also, does anyone know a private specialist in Chicago where I could get a proper exam? I don't want someone to just poke around with an otoscope; I need a more detailed look at what's actually going on.

Any idea what a visit like that might run me?

Thanks!!

Maybe it's tinnitus?

🙄Man, I’ve been dealing with this constant popping sound for like 20 years now. I actually went in for a checkup recently, and I guess the doctor just told me I should probably chew some gum more often to help even out the pressure. That was pretty much it, though. So yeah, it just keeps popping away, I suppose.

I use cotton swabs to clean my ears—yeah, I know, doctors say not to—but I’ve honestly never had an issue before. Then yesterday, my right ear started acting up with this dull ache. I'm also wondering about this clicking sensation I get in both ears whenever I move my jaw around... I've actually felt that forever. I spent all day yesterday and today just fidgeting with my jaw, moving it back and forth, and now I can feel how much I've overstrained the muscles. Basically, now when I move it, the clicking is way more noticeable in that right ear. It almost feels like when I hear that pop, the pressure or pain in my ear eases up for a split second... I don't even know how to describe it properly. That's why I keep doing it; I can't seem to stop, even though I know it's probably a bad idea. What exactly is that clicking sound...?

I’ve been dealing with this constant ringing in my ears for over ten years now... it just won't stop. It’s actually a relief when the TV is on or there's some background noise to drown it out, but when everything goes silent, it’s unbearable. I can't even fall asleep because of it.
On top of that, I keep feeling this cracking sensation in my left ear, and there's this nerve irritation running through my left eye and just underneath it... it feels like a sharp, jolting sensation, really uncomfortable. I'm honestly worried it might be some kind of permanent damage.😢(

It seems that whenever I am speaking, or perhaps just listening to someone else carry on a conversation, there is this constant, rhythmic popping sensation in one of my ears... My doctor insists that my ear canals are perfectly clear, yet this sensation remains an indescribable irritation 😢
While everything feels fine in total silence, the moment any sound occurs, the popping starts again, over and over...
I also find that my throat gets inflamed quite frequently, just a little bit, and I have some swollen lymph nodes in my neck along with what feels like a tiny, hard protrusion—almost like a small bone—just beneath that ear, though I cannot say for certain if there is any connection at all...

@James Fowler3
(just a heads up—that Eustace tube is basically just that tiny little channel connecting your throat to your middle ear, right around where your nasal passages are)

fadedmarlin402 said:That popping sensation usually happens because your Eustace tube is temporarily acting up due to a cold, seasonal allergies, or even pressure changes from diving. In most cases, it just clears up on its own. However, if you’ve been dealing with this nonstop for two years straight—meaning it persists even when you aren't sick or dealing with allergies—you really need to stop guessing and go see an ENT specialist. They'll likely order some actual diagnostics, such as tympanometry, an audiogram, or perhaps an MRI or CT scan, just to rule out any chronic issues with the Eustace tube or the middle ear.

I really appreciate you taking the time... This whole ordeal actually kicked off a few months back, and while there are moments where it seems to subside—usually just for a few hours at most—it inevitably crawls right back... I’ve always dealt with allergies, of course, but nothing quite like this has ever happened before. As far as getting actual testing done goes, my ENT specialist is being incredibly dismissive; they won't even perform further diagnostics and seem perfectly content to just ignore this constant crackling sensation. Perhaps they suspect it might be tinnitus, but based on everything I’ve read regarding that condition, I don't think that's what I'm dealing with, especially since the issue is isolated to just one ear and remains silent when I'm in a quiet environment. (Though, I suppose there is the minor detail that whenever I lie down and press that ear against my pillow, I catch these faint metallic sounds... but that isn't nearly as bothersome as this persistent clicking that I can't simply tune out).
Is there anything at all I can do to address this situation?

James Fowler3 said:I really appreciate you taking the time... This whole ordeal actually kicked off a few months back, and while there are moments where it seems to subside—usually just for a few hours at most—it inevitably crawls right back... I’ve always dealt with allergies, of course, but nothing quite like this has ever happened before. As far as getting actual testing done goes, my ENT specialist is being incredibly dismissive; they won't even perform further diagnostics and seem perfectly content to just ignore this constant crackling sensation. Perhaps they suspect it might be tinnitus, but based on everything I’ve read regarding that condition, I don't think that's what I'm dealing with, especially since the issue is isolated to just one ear and remains silent when I'm in a quiet environment. (Though, I suppose there is the minor detail that whenever I lie down and press that ear against my pillow, I catch these faint metallic sounds... but that isn't nearly as bothersome as this persistent clicking that I can't simply tune out).
Is there anything at all I can do to address this situation?

I’m dealing with something pretty similar... honestly, the answer is probably no. Doctors don't really have a clue (and believe me, I've seen a few good ones out here) 🤷

The only thing you can really do is just protect your ears from loud noises—like, all the time, no exceptions!—and just hope it doesn't get any worse down the road.

I guess my own issues started after one concert that was way too loud. As for what’s actually damaged—whether it's a nerve, the cells in the ear, or the tiny muscles near the eardrum... who knows? There isn't really a way to diagnose that with the tech we have today. Constant tinnitus (the kind that isn't pulsing) might be a sign of sound trauma, but then again, it could be caused by a bunch of other things too.

I’d suggest getting an audiometry and tympanometry test just to be safe, though your audiogram will probably come back totally fine.

On another note... I also feel that hard little bone right under that ear, and I have some even nastier issues with my jaw joint—so maybe it’s related to that. How is your jaw feeling lately? (It's super close to the ear area)

northerncyclist2 said:I’m dealing with something pretty similar... honestly, the answer is probably no. Doctors don't really have a clue (and believe me, I've seen a few good ones out here) 🤷

The only thing you can really do is just protect your ears from loud noises—like, all the time, no exceptions!—and just hope it doesn't get any worse down the road.

I guess my own issues started after one concert that was way too loud. As for what’s actually damaged—whether it's a nerve, the cells in the ear, or the tiny muscles near the eardrum... who knows? There isn't really a way to diagnose that with the tech we have today. Constant tinnitus (the kind that isn't pulsing) might be a sign of sound trauma, but then again, it could be caused by a bunch of other things too.

I’d suggest getting an audiometry and tympanometry test just to be safe, though your audiogram will probably come back totally fine.

On another note... I also feel that hard little bone right under that ear, and I have some even nastier issues with my jaw joint—so maybe it’s related to that. How is your jaw feeling lately? (It's super close to the ear area)

I wouldn't necessarily attribute it to the jaw, as it doesn't seem to fluctuate with jaw movement. 🤷
Regarding the tinnitus, I wouldn't call it that either, because it only occurs in response to sound; it isn't constant, but it happens frequently while I am speaking or listening to others, especially during louder noises... it feels almost as if foam has entered that ear...
I even went as far as having an ultrasound of my cervical lymph nodes since I was told that might be a factor, but everything came back fine. My cervical spine shows some minor changes—it isn't perfectly straight—but I doubt that's the culprit since the issue is isolated to just one ear. The occasional ringing is manageable enough, but this popping sensation is genuinely irritating. Oh, and I have noticed that after a long walk or significant physical activity, the sensation subsides, only to return shortly thereafter.😕
And no, I wasn't exposed to any sudden, deafening noise before this began; it just seemed to manifest out of nowhere.