Popping ears

I’m checking in on the forum because I’ve been dealing with this one nagging issue for about a year and a half now.😠 It’s this constant popping sensation in my ears—I don't even know the clinical term for it—but basically, I can't equalize the pressure in my ears properly. Almost every time I swallow, I have to pinch my nose and try to force air through just to get things to feel like they're "settling" back into place.🙄 I actually went under the knife for a septoplasty because I was told that was the culprit; one side had an 80% deviation, and the other wasn't much better. While breathing feels easier now, the ear issue hasn't budged.🙏 The surgeon who operated on me assured me that everything would normalize after about nine months, claiming it takes time for "everything to fall into place" and that I’d see steady improvement day by day. Well, it’s been a full year since the surgery, and I honestly don't feel any significant change. The only relief I felt was during the summer months, but even then, it wasn't a complete fix. Since I suffer from dust allergies, my doctor suggested that might be contributing to the problem, so I’ve tried using Rinza, Letizen tablets, Flonase, and Aquaphor nasal sprays, but nothing has worked. If anyone here has dealt with something similar or has gone through this, I would really appreciate any advice or help you could offer. Feel free to send me a private message.👍

I deal with this too,
it isn’t constant, but it happens frequently enough.
Usually, it flares up whenever I catch a cold or during allergy season.
I get the feeling it’s caused by fluid buildup—basically mucus getting trapped in those channels. Since the nasal passages and ears are so interconnected, I find some relief if I blow my nose thoroughly and clear everything out. I also use Aquaphor to rinse things out, which helps.
Honestly, I think your doctor is on the right track; it’s likely an allergic reaction. If you manage the allergies, you might finally be able to quiet that popping sensation.
Along with your medication, I’d actually suggest taking some calcium supplements. Even without any other meds, they nearly cut my symptoms in half. As for the allergies, you should check out the thread 'Ragweed Allergies'. There’s a lot of discussion there about all sorts of different sensitivities; you might pick up something useful.

nimblebison81 said:Checking in here because I've been dealing with this one issue for about a year and a half now.😠 It’s this popping sensation in my ears—I don't even know how else to describe it—where I can't equalize the pressure. Almost every single time I swallow, I have to pinch my nose and blow just to get things to feel "right" again.🙄 I actually went under the knife for a septoplasty since they told me a deviated septum was the culprit—one side was blocked at like 80% and the other was pretty bad too. Breathing is easier now, sure, but the ear thing? Still there.🙏 My surgeon told me everything would normalize after about 9 months once things "settled in," promising I'd feel better day by day. Well, it's been a full year since the surgery and I'm not feeling much of an improvement. If anything, the summer months were slightly better, but nothing conclusive. Since I deal with dust allergies, he suggested that might be part of it, so I tried Rinza, Letizen tablets, Flonase, and Aquaphor nasal sprays... nothing worked. If anyone here has dealt with this or has any advice, please let me know—feel free to shoot me a DM.👍

Go see an audiologist.

Thanks, ironsurfer8 and Lawrence Wells! I actually went to see the audiologist for an audiogram right before my surgery. In those early stages when I first started noticing things, I honestly thought I just had water stuck in my ears from showering—that’s exactly how it feels. I can't find any correlation between how intense the popping is and things like temperature shifts, moving from open to enclosed spaces, or even air circulation. It doesn't seem tied to colds either, because even when my nose is perfectly clear, my ears go absolutely haywire; I end up hearing my own voice echoing like I'm trapped in a tunnel, it's wild! It really baffles me how the pressure won't equalize even when my nasal passages are wide open. When I'm exposed to higher levels of dust, say when I'm sweeping, I react with sneezing, watery eyes, and a runny nose. My doctor is totally stumped by the allergy aspect because he isn't sure how to help. I've been keeping my nose clear using sprays like I mentioned, but it feels like it has no intention of stopping this constant irritation and annoyance... but those of you dealing with this same issue know exactly what I mean.

I completely empathize with what you're going through, even if my own symptoms aren't quite as intense,
and I have a somewhat serious suggestion for you: try some hiking. 🙂
It’s happened to me a few times when I was driving out toward the coast—my ears just won't pop when I'm crossing through the mountains—but besides that, there's really nothing like getting out into the fresh air. 😁

I've got this constant popping in my ears... honestly thought it was from diving—or maybe I was just finally losing my mind 😁

nimblebison81 said:Thanks, ironsurfer8 and Lawrence Wells! I actually saw an audiologist right before my surgery to get an audiogram done. Honestly—at the very beginning when this all started—I genuinely thought I just had water stuck in my ears from showering. That’s exactly how it feels. I can't really link the intensity of the popping to anything specific—like temperature changes, being in open vs. closed spaces, or even air movement. And it's not even the colds, because even when my nose is perfectly clear, my ears go absolutely haywire—I sound like I'm talking through a damn tunnel! It honestly baffles me how the pressure won't equalize when my nose is wide open. Plus, whenever there's a lot of dust—say, when I'm vacuuming—I start sneezing, my eyes water, and my nose runs. My allergy doctor is totally stumped because he doesn't know how to help me either. I’ve been using nasal sprays to keep my airways clear, but it feels like they have no intention of stopping this irritation... if you've dealt with this, you know exactly what I mean.

My nose used to be perfectly clear—never any isolated issues there. But man, I ended up back in surgery for my ears because my hearing was shot and I was dealing with constant middle ear infections. Now—knock on wood—everything is great! All thanks to my amazing specialist🙂

ironsurfer8 said:I totally feel for you with that issue, even if mine isn't quite as intense,
and I have a semi-serious suggestion: start hiking. 🙂
It’s happened to me a few times when driving out toward the coast—my ears just pop while crossing those mountain passes—and besides, getting some fresh air is always good for you. 😁

Look, I'm well aware that pressure equalizes when you deal with altitude changes, but I have absolutely zero intention of taking up hiking... as if I needed any more injuries to manage right now.😎 As for the whole "fresh air" thing, I'm outdoors all the time; I love walking along the beach, so that box is already checked.

rustyhawk3 said:I’ve got this constant popping in my ears... I honestly thought it was just from scuba diving... or maybe I was finally losing my mind😁

Look, I haven't officially lost my mind yet, but if this keeps up, I'm definitely on the right track.😠

Lawrence Wells said:My nose was actually fine for the most part—I never dealt with isolated issues there. But damn, I ended up needing ear surgery because my hearing was shot and I was dealing with constant middle ear infections. Now, knock on wood, everything is perfect. I owe it all to my incredible doctor.🙂

I’ve been thinking the exact same thing—that the issue might actually be rooted in my ears, yet every ENT I see just circles back to my nose and insists that's where the crisis lies. I think I need to schedule a follow-up with a different specialist to get a second opinion.👎Or what, should I go visit some bioenergetic healer instead?🙂

I figured I’d shake things up here since the thread has gone a bit quiet😢. Honestly, if anyone out there is reading this and has any thoughts at all, please don't hold back. I find myself checking back on this post every so often because I still haven't managed to get this issue sorted out, so... truly, any perspective or advice you can offer would be appreciated.

Forget those bioenergy healers—those guys are total frauds! Just go get your ENT checked out properly and you'll be good to go.😉

Hey everyone, I could really use some advice here. So, about a month ago, I caught a pretty nasty virus, and ever since then, my ear has been totally clogged up. It finally cleared out after a couple of weeks, but now, every time I swallow, I hear this annoying popping sound in that ear. I went to see my doctor, and she basically told me to just use some nasal spray to clear things out, but honestly? It hasn’t done anything yet. Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with this constant irritation? She did give me a referral to see an ENT specialist, but since they don't think it's an emergency, the appointment isn't until May. 🙄

I’m losing my mind here... it’s the exact same thing...

For three years now,,, whenever I swallow, there's this popping sensation, and then my nose gets stuffed up and I have to blow it (it feels like air is being forced into my ears) what the hell is actually going on????

That’s exactly how it should be—honestly, you're lucky it works that way 😉 By doing that, you're basically equalizing the pressure in your middle ear with the atmospheric pressure.

William Vaughn54 said:I’m losing my mind here... it’s the exact same thing...

For three years now,,, whenever I swallow, there's this popping sensation, and then my nose gets stuffed up and I have to blow it (it feels like air is being forced into my ears) what the hell is actually going on????

Could you maybe watch your language? It wouldn't hurt to be a bit more civil...

Apologies for the language... but I'm losing my mind here. Does anyone have an actual explanation?🤷🤷🤷🤷

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.

Hey there! I just stumbled upon this thread, and honestly, it’s such a relief to see... 🙂 I’m dealing with the exact same thing! Every time I swallow, I get that annoying popping sensation in my ears, and nothing seems to touch it. My doctor suggested chewing gum to open up my jaw or trying to force a massive yawn, but even that hasn't done a thing for me. 👎 Some days it's a little more intense than others, but it truly never goes away. Not once. 😢 It’s been going on for about five years now. In the beginning, it was incredibly distracting, especially when I’d try to go to sleep—everything would be quiet, and then suddenly, *pop pop pop* in my ears! For a while, the popping was pretty faint, so I eventually got used to it and it went on for ages... but man, it still gets under my skin so much!!!!! I really don't know what else to try either!? 😠 I don't have any allergies or anything like that. I deal with some sinus issues here and there, but nothing too crazy.

Hey everyone.
So, for about a week now, I’ve been dealing with this weird popping and crackling sensation in my right ear. It doesn't really hurt, and there's no drainage or anything like that—nothing unusual besides the noise. Plus, my right nostril feels a little stuffed up too. I went to see my primary care doctor, and he figured it was just some buildup of earwax, so he flushed out my ear and called it a day.
The thing is, I can still feel that popping, though now it mostly happens when I swallow, and it feels like there's this weird pressure building up inside.
Has anyone else gone through something like this??