Squishy neck and head crackles

Question

When I turn my head side to side it squishes and crackles. I have no pain, ocassional tenderness.  My left side is predominately affected by the crackles.. which are very fine noises, like little bubbles in the tub popping.  I thought maybe it was happening when I was around dust mites, but now I dont know if it is an allergic reaction or if I just talked myself into thinking so.   It doesnt happen when I am not moving. It started in Feb 05, after dental work, on the left side, 3 back teeth fillings replaced with crowns and a wisdom tooth removed.  I feel like I have a head of water.... went to ENT... he said Eustacian tube, muscles are making the noise,  Dentist said maybe TMJ,  Chiropractor says.... arthritis,,  Nothing changes in my head, the crackling and squishing continues everyday.... its frustrating.   I am on estrogen after a BSOH  in 1999.  No other drugs.  I have left side postnasal drainage.  I have ocassional teeth pain.   The dentists have tapped on my teeth and said that they are not infected.    I get ringing in my ears ocassionally too. Ocassionally, they ache, but not for any length of time. I have ocassional swelling feelings in my face.. where my glasses become very uncomfortable.  Some days my contacs are fine other days I have very dry eyes. If I push on my face hard and drag my fingers down it I can make the crackling sound sometimes.  I feel so fortunate not to have chronic pain but the chronic noise lowers my stress level.. and I really want to fix the problem. Thank you

plower1 · Answer

I have a lot of what all you are saying. The headaches, head squishy sound, crackling,  hydraulic like tension when turning or tilting my head. I settles down when not moving but really drives me nuts especially when exercising my neck. Feels like thick fluid squishing back and forth causing a resistance opposing the motion.  I also get this singing in my head, not my ears, I describe it as power wires covered with ice on a real cold morning. This comes on stronger the more I fight back against the resistance to neck motion. If I stop the intensity level drops and will eventually stop. I am glad others have similar issues and its not all in my head.  I tell my physical therapist this and I don't think she believes me.  I have had three surgeries. Started with a bad injury resulting in a rotary cuff surgery. Then a ACDF surgery which failed resulting in a posterior cervical surgery to fix. Its been almost 7 months now and now that I am able to move my neck once again I am really noticing this more. I take Gabapentin and it makes a big difference. It helps relieve the resistance. Still have the squishing and cracking but you can more easily overcome it. This is terrible and I hope it goes away eventually.  You can't explain this to a normal person. They just don't get what this is like.

Metallicbeing · Answer

A related discussion, crackling noises in veins on head was started.

mountainsplitter · Answer

this has been going on for about 2 months now, im getting crackling in my neck and sometimes pops rather loud when moving it around but i continually feel like i need to try and pop it, i have to constantly pop my ears(and now my jaw is starting to hurt from popping my ear even though it never seems to pop all the way), the left alot more than the right, and there is on and off pressure in my head that is sometime like a head pain in my temple area. eye doctor says im fine, regular doctor tried steroid shot, and flonase, then put me on allegra and singulair while also telling me to take advil and mucinex. nothing working, my head feels tired and exhausted. wife wants me to go back but im tired of shotgun mechanics applied to the medical field. and yet i still have to pay(that is another forum lol)
any help would be great. (never been allergic to anything either by the way) i did stop smoking bout 8 months ago.) could it be stress.

WGS13 · Answer

I have the same thing... Pressure on my brain, crakle noises when I move my head/neck from left to right... pretty much destroys my focus. I feel like my head is heavy and it brings this headache that I cannot describe. I am glad to see that I am not the only one with this. I had an MRI done last yr and nothing showed. I have another one scheduled for this week- maybe I need to see a chiropracter???

stan1956 · Answer

Make that 2.5 yrs ago.

stan1956 · Answer

I have exactly the same symptoms which squishy, popping and tight neck and they started about the same time I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroditis 22.5 yrs ago.  The thyroditis seems to cause me to clench my teeth, especially at nighty.  I have been seeing a chiropractor.  That has not helped much.  Ibuproen helps the most but I can't take much of it as it upsets my stomach.  Had a CT and MRI and nothing visible.  It would be great to find a solution to this.

Meme1313 · Answer

Wow I have the same thing.  I was just searching what it could be.  Almost three years ago I had a motorcycle accident and my head hit the concrete road really hard.  Had a huge goose egg on my for head for days.  I contributed the noises it to the accident.  But now it sounds like most of you have not had an injury to the head and could be almost anything.  HUMMM. Well I'll keep searching and asking around.  I thought at first it was kinda normal.  I thouhgt everyone heard those noises.  Guess not everyone.  ....and not normal.

brina1130 · Answer

OMG , I told my husband about this, of course with his sense of humor he made fun and laughed...BUT seriously I havnt told anyone else..maybe because I thought people would think I am really crazy...and trust me, my family and friends think I already am crazy (in a good way) Well I guess I will talk to my physician soon about this, same thing, crackling noises when moving my head from side to side or from front to back...always having headaches, living off of Ibuprofen. No telling where or what caused this, its been happening for a while! I could not tell you exactly when it started...could have been after the dentist! hum...Thanks for everyones comments

Nat8 · Answer

Hi, I have the same symptoms almost exactly and have hade a variety of tests with no  resolution yet. I am also having a lot of pressure in my head and jaw with dizziness. If you find out any new info that could be helpful It would be great. Thank you.

snapcracklepop · Answer

I have the same exact symptoms as you but all of mine occur on the ridght side.  I have a ton of fluid in my right also.  Really thick.  My Doctor put me on Ciprodex ear drops after I had a tube placed in my ear 4 months ago.  I read the side effects to this medicine and it stated that it causes ear congestion and pain.  So after 4 months I decided I am going to try and not put the drops in as recommended and see if my fluid in my ear goes away.  I have jaw pain occassionally and the muscle below my ear hurts.  I have had these syptoms for almost a year.  I have been to a chiropractor who noticed my head is shifted more to the right than in the center.  I have had a couple of adjustments to see if this helps my ear drain.  I explained the crackling noise in my neck to him and he said I hear it more pronounced because of the fluid in my ear.  I can't take it anymore.  I had septoplasty and sinus surgery last October and have had this problem since then but nobody can tell me why.  I am being told it is a wait and see situation.  If anyone else out there can help us, I think you will make us extremely happy.