ears pop/crackle when swallow but never had cold or ear infection

[marc4311]

im 28 and have had a problem with my ears popping and or crackling when i swallow or yawn.  Before this started i hadnt have any cold or flu or anything like that.........never a stuffy nose or sore throat or earache.

Ive went to my doc a few times and he says there was never any infection and hasnt been one (this was confirmed by another doc).  Anyone have any idea why this could be happening........ I know it can be somethine with the eustachin tubes but there is no sinus pain either!!!  ear damage maybe??

Thoughts?

[star queen]

Crackling and popping is usually from the e tubes.  This isn't an abnormal thing and occurs commonly with the pressure builds up behind the ear drum, or a change in atmospheric pressure like when coming off a hill in the car and your ears don't "pop", or if you go scuba diving or snorkeling.  It is not dangerous and rarely effects your ability to hear. It can also be as a result of allergies and can be rectified by allergy meds.  See an allergist to be sure.  good luck

[lisarufo]

I am no dr. but I get a crackling sound when i chew or sometimes swallow you might look into TMJ tempular mandibular joint it is the jaw moving and rubbing.

[hawk75]

I have the same problem when i swallow or yawn my ears pop everything is very loud and painful I have to plug my nose and take a deep breath to pop them back in place I have been to the ear dr. & everything is normal so he says so i figure if you yawn and it does it then maybe the dentist would know WRONG.     I have had the problem for at least 17 years. before it would do it about 5 times a day and of 2 years ago it does it every time.So I am with you and will keep searching. Please do the same for me.

[Moderator]

actually, mine have been doing the same. Woken up at night by a very sharp pain in my ears.. and now when i swallow they make a funny noise and if i move my jaw weirdly it also makes a noise lol. Also when i breath in very deeply through my nose they pop and i cant hear anything out that ear.. and i have to pop my ears again to make it normal.. but if i do it too much i have to breath in again and start all over again.. starting to pee me off now lol... im 15 now and it started at 12 or 11.. any help people?

pendy_4***@****

just add me and give me advice lol :D

[sbryant74]

well, think yourselves lucky guys. ive been suffering from this for 19 years  now. had various operations on my ears as a kid - gromits etc. Nowadays i suffer from glue ear, have to sleep on my back or on my right side but never on my left (or my ear gums up) . my left ear pops regularly when I yawn or swallow - probably 50 times a day if not more,. the sound goes all horrible. the only way to correct the sound is either sniff hard or hold my nose and then try to breathe in through my nose whilst still holding  it. it tends to be worse when im in high pressure situations such as job interviews, public speaking etc. ie. the worst possible time !! the last thing you wanna be doing is sniffing every minute - if not 2 or 3 times in a minute. i hate it and wish it would stop but it never will . the only respite i get is when i get a cold. then it stops. i can yawn and swallow and nothing happens. when the cold has gone, the popping starts again. Good luck to everybody - hope they get it fixed. if anyone finds the cure let me know at ***@****.

[Ash_G]

I've just been to the doctor complaining about my ears popping regularly (whether through swallowing or yawning) and a build up of cattarh in my throat as well as having to sniff every  3 minutes sometimes 3or 4 times to correct my ears. I was given a nose spray which was supposed to reduce swelling and told to chew gum for a month. Well here i am a month later and the problem seems only to have worsened. I will book another appointment with the doc tomorrow and see what he says. I have had this problem since i was about 5 and am now 21 and it taking control of my life. i find myself becoming really self conscious bout it when i talk to people and seem really rude because i sometimes yawn infront of new people. Also starting to talk to someone is hard because of the cattahr buildup and i need to clear my throat regularly and spit. I hope the doctor can be of more use tomorrow.

[James_S_007]

To add what star queen said above, my wife and I recently came back from a two-week vacation in Ecuador. We went to three different areas of the country, the Galapagos Islands (in which we often snorkeled - sea level), the Andes (in which we hiked volcanos - between 9,000 and 14,000 feet) and then back down to the coast on the mainland (in which we melted from the wet heat around us - 30 feet above sea level). When we arrived at the Andes from Galapagos, we both had altitude sickness but it went away in approx. 12 hours. It's now been about two and a half weeks since we returned, and we both have had crackling in our ears for a little over a week! This only happens when we swallow or yawn. We have never experienced this crackling as a chronic illness, and certainly never at the same time. We're going to give it another week or so, and see what happens. I think the abrupt changes in low and high pressure had to have had something to do with this.

[James_S_007]

It's been five months since I last posted my first comment. I have to say that after about 2 months (plus or minus a couple of weeks) the crackling in the ears was completely gone. I have gone to the beach and pool (both at very shallow dephs) a couple of times since the crackling went away, and it has not recurred. No problems whatsoever since then.