Snap, Crackle and Pop in my Head

[PCknowitall]

I'm a 26 year old male and it seems when I am hungry, I get a noise in my head that sounds like a crackling or sand falling in an hourglass. It only occurs when I know I need to eat. It happens for 3 to 4 seconds at a time, once every 10 seconds or so. I have no pain, but I do feel an uneasiness until I eat something.

My wife says she gets it too and she can hear when my head does it. Any ideas would be welcome. I have been reading the forums and can't find anything exactly like I have, but some similarities.

Thanks

[fos624]

I HAVE THIS . THEY CALL IT PALATAL MYOCLONUS. VERY RARE ILLNESS OR SYMPTOM. USUALLY CAUSED FROM A BRAIN TUMOR OR SPINAL CHORD INJURY,  OR SEVERE INFECTION...  I HAVE A STAPH INFECTION...

[Zach9901]

This is a CSF leak (Brain leak) and infecion that gets through the tear. Usually staph or psueudomaons. When the brain fluid (CSF) gets low you will get the popping and the rice crispies is air getting through into your skull... it is something called emphysema... which is "trapped air". You can get this in your neck, around your meninges, tissue of your lungs... anywhere. In the cases here... it is a brain leak so the "dural tissue" is what is torn around your skull. This seperates your skulll from your brain.
The CSF leak will compression of vertebraes of your neck, vision problems, severe head pressure, headaches, nausea. It is very poorly understood and almost impossible to get diagnosed as dural is not seen in MRI's or CT scans.
You can get this from an injruy or in a lot of cases sinus surgery... this can easily cuase dural tears and/or bone fractures anywhere around your skull. Does not have to be torn in the sinuses where the operation was... any impact of high powered tools in the sinus cavities can cause tears and bone fractures anywhere around the skull.  

[Fritzheimer]

me too.  Crackling like pop rocks are stuck to the roof of my mouth.  I am having huge issues with my neck and compressed discs so I am wondering if there could be a relationship between the two.  I'm always hungry so I know that it is unrelated ( :

[omgt]

i have the same thing but all the time now
and i can feel it or them
in my right ear canal to my nasal cavity
to the back of my throat
it hurts when its there and i try to swallow feels sharp/jagged
and then to my left ear
one day i got fed up with it while driving
when i felt it in the back of my throat I
hawked & hawked & hawked with all my might
while massaging both sides of my throat
then finally something came up
solid sharp & jagged, for the first time i saw what had been making the noise
about the size
of one of those blue metallic beetle things
and about the same color
i spit it out the window as i was exiting the freeway
it hit the ground and shattered
unfortunately i still have the same thing
trying to hawk it up as i type this  

[Boomer51]

Pop Rocks is a perfect description. I'm a 63 year old male in exceptional health, and shape, and just had my first experience while surfing the web laying on a couch. This happened 30 minutes after dinner when I was nibbling on several cookies, so hunger I can rule out in my case. If I had to guess I'd say it was sinus related. I have no known sinus conditions although occasionally I do experience a drip coming from my nose if I get up suddenly.

[summvick]

Hi Bkoski - I'm having the same problem and it started after becoming sick with a flu/cold. It sounds like 'pop-rocks' fizzing and it seems to be in roof of my mouth or back of my throat. The sound is more noticeable when I'm laying down.Problem is that it's interfering with my sleep. It's so annoying!

[lilgoodbadpugly1990]

i've been hearing and feeling weird things for like the past year and been hearing and feeling it more and more often the past few months at rehab and after rehab...there is a popping noise and i feel it realease but usually only out of the left part of my head.  Some of the things that other people said like sticky brain and crackling sound like knuckles in all of my skull joints.  Also hear a ticking sound in the center towards the back of my head when walking and i also feel and hear trickling sound coming down the back of my head.  The only thing I didn't see anyone else mention is something that i only experienced once or twice but it seemed to be associated with all these sounds was that about 6 months ago when it all started the first time it happened the popping out of the left side of my head and then i saw like a bunch of light things come shooting out of my head and i felt cold as well when the light came out.  also released something from my inner mouth like a light coming out the center of my throat and fly out fast and leave...bright sharp white cackling light....so like..idk...i'm Christian...could be spiritual maybe?  idk...also a long time ago was watching tv and a guy prayed immediatly and said "spirit of divination be gone in Jesus name" and then i felt like this thing in the back of my head twist and then realease and rip off of me head and then felt a lot better for a little while.  

[lousean68]

I am 45 years old and have noticed this for years.  Only recently I made the association between this strange pop rocks/rice krispies sound and hunger, and now when I hear the sound it is in sync with my stomach growling.  The sound seems to emanate from my brain, but after reading the posts in this forum I have to agree that the source is within my sinuses.  I also agree with another poster that this is likely negative pressure from the stomach draining into the upper intestines, and the sound is probably the movement of fluid in the sinus as it gets sucked through due to this pressure change.  There is never any pain or discomfort involved.  I am also thinking this could be part of an evolutionary survival mechanism to ensure us humans get nourishment when we are hungry (mainly through the stomach growling which is certainly louder!), lest we die from starvation.  Like most of us, I always questioned whether the "sound" was really happening (or was it just in my imagination!) until one day I was lying in bed and wife asked me what the heck that cracking sound was...what a relief to know this was real!  I think it is funny that some have actually gotten MRI's done in response, my wife wanted me to see a neurologist because of it...but I just imagined any doctor thinking I was crazy.  Glad to see there is a community out there experiencing the same thing...I can go on with my life now! :) It is happening right now at 7am on a Saturday...and I know the cure...eggs & bacon :)

[sharecare]

I AM up in years but in mostly  great shape however ayear ago I have got tininitis in ear of which there is no cure except hearing aide but iam dealing right now without any aid.But lately I got crackling in upper neck especially looking down on this computer or maybe I am using the computer too much! Some of you said sinus and I say maybe! SO WHAT I AM GOING TO DO IS DRY UP MY SINUS WITH SOME MEDICATIONS and see if  that works  and then lay back and not use the computer so much and see if that works.I hope this helps good luck

[AwakeningSpirit]

i guess just post in response cuz it censors my email.

[AwakeningSpirit]

You are not alone. many in this posting are worried about sinus troubles, but i could tell immediately that u are experiencing the exact thing as I am. it seems as though what we are experiencing is so rare, and so difficult to comprehend for the understanding of others, that it gets lost in the translation of other symptoms of other disorders/problems (partly why it ***** sooo badly). What we are experiencing is like trickling sand-like sounds, trickling water-like sounds, squirting water-like sounds, static electricity-like sounds and comes with headaches as well.. am i right? they seem to arise when hunger strikes, and frankly keep me up at night, wakes me up in the morning, any other time i am laying down, but also when im at school, trying to study (seems to affect memory and brain function). for the past few years, to the present day Feb 2013, i have experienced these symptoms, thinking it had something to do with daily smoking of marijuana, and other drug use. now that im done with all of that, i realized its a more sever problem, and may even be damaging long term if not treated. my doctor is a family friend, but even he took my first few mentions of these symptoms as mal-nutrition symptoms (because of the correlation i had mentioned of the temporary relief of these symptoms to eating). Eating meat seemed to help for awhile, eating veges and fruit seemed to help, taking vitamins (especially Emergen-C), even just getting nutrition in general helped, but seem to fade more and more in there relief. as i have persisted to bug my doc about it, we finally got blood work done. he noticed very high levels of insulin...very high. what he believes it to be is an "insulin cyst" which is the result of some pancreas disease/disorder, and may be serious. insulin may be leaking into your abdomin and stomach. I learned in my general bio 1 class at university of colorado denver, and learned that insulin is important to digestion and use of proteins in the body. if we are experiencing this rare condition, no matter what the cause, it is impeding normal brain function, and is almost the exact opposite of diabetes. diabetics have too little insulin. we on the other hand, may have a major excess of insulin that will float around in your head (hence the feeling and sounds), which will cause the person to gain weight/lose weight rapidly, will cause unbearable hunger and head aches, and may ultimately require removal by surgery. also if eating protein foods help, its a good sign that you are matching up the insulin with the necessary proteins, a temporary fix, but you can never keep up. Please try a few things. eat MEAT, take vitamins, drink lots of water, and eat fruits and veges, and email me at bradley.***@**** if u notice temporary relief of these symptoms from these symptoms. if so, u should mention this all to a doctor, and request blood work and a CT scan of these areas, and dont let any doctor push u aside like ur crazy, cuz what ur experiencing is very real, just not common at all, and is painful, stupid, and shouldnt be stopping comfortable living. if ur doc wont, then request a specialist, or change doctors. good luck and i hope we can all figure this out.

[BKoski]

Thanks for all of the posts and information. I've been noticing this same problem over the last few years, but ONLY when I get a cold (and that is rare, maybe once a year). I'm male, 47 years old. Right now I've been fighting a cold and flu for the last 4 days. I'm seemingly now over the aches and shivers of the flu, but the cold is still both in my chest and sinuses. I'm drinking a lot of water, have continued to eat fairly regularly, have rested A LOT, slept as much as I can. But since the 3rd day of fighting this, I have a crackling at the base of my throat - it's like pop rocks in my head. And it only happens when I breathe. If I hold my breath, it stops. If I stand or sit up, it goes away sometimes. It can last 2 hours or more without letting up. I've tried chloraseptic, cough drops, cough syrup, water - none of those calm it down. It is bad enough that in the last 8 hours of trying to sleep, I only got about 2. Good luck to those of you with the more serious conditions, but for me this is only with a cold. Since I've been sitting here at the computer typing this, the crackling has gone away.

[PunkinA]

I feel the exact same way.... so nosey... I will soon be a paramedic.... I honestly believe that it is the chemical signally our brain to eat... I`m pretty sure that we are all healthy... I have no health issues but smoke.... I always called this my fast metabolism working because it happens often for me.... I forget to eat alot, always so busy non stop running around getting things done. I hope this helps, still curious.  Searching for answers still. ;)

[xpa12]

I am glad that you have mentioned the differences in what people are saying here. Quite a few descriptions are not what i have and there is no feeling of pressure when i get this strange noise in my head. I would describe this as like butterflies with metal wings in my head crossed with screaching brakes. Still happens most days multiple times unless i eat when i feel it about to come on.  I have recently (past 2 days) taken someSlim FX tablets to aid in weight loss and these are supposed to help repress your hunger. Whilst i am still as hungry as usual when i have these, i have not had this noise happen during the duration of these tablets being in effect. I have also not eaten for hours loger than usual whilst having these, despite actually feeling hungry because this noise is no longer there. I am not sure why these would combat this insane condition that no one knows about but it seems to work. Would still love to have someone diagnosed with this and know what the hell it is.
Pete

[FastFifty]

I just want to comment. It seems there are a few different things going on here that people are talking about. Some of you have cracking sounds coming from your head. I am wondering about the people who have the trickling sand sound. That's the only way I can describe it. The only way I can come close to duplicating the noise, is if I rub the back of my neck with one finger over my hair. Except that the noise I get is definately coming from inside the back of my neck, right at the base of my skull. When I'm hungry. It ALMOST like it is in conjunction with a stomache growl, but not always. But I only get it when I am hungry. Also, I used to get it all the time when I was growing up. I also was overweight as a child. Now, as an adult, I lost weight and didn't experience it for at least the last 6 years or more. Now I have put weight back on, and boom. Today, I just had that weird trickling sand sensation again for the first time in a long time. I remember that I did mention it to my doctor as a child, but coming from a child I was basically told it was my imagination.

[FastFifty]

I just want to comment. It seems there are a few different things going on here that people are talking about. Some of you have cracking sounds coming from your head. I am wondering about the people who have the trickling sand sound. That's the only way I can describe it. The only way I can come close to duplicating the noise, is if I rub the back of my neck with one finger over my hair. Except that the noise I get is definately coming from inside the back of my neck, right at the base of my skull. When I'm hungry. It ALMOST like it is in conjunction with a stomache growl, but not always. But I only get it when I am hungry. Also, I used to get it all the time when I was growing up. I also was overweight as a child. Now, as an adult, I lost weight and didn't experience it for at least the last 6 years or more. Now I have put weight back on, and boom. Today, I just had that weird trickling sand sensation again for the first time in a long time. I remember that I did mention it to my doctor as a child, but coming from a child I was basically told it was my imagination.

[Marilyn669]

Hello every-one: i have a snapping sound in the back of my mouth and down my throat it seems.I have been diagnosed with RLS= Restless Limb Synd.
and i am being watched for lupus as i have all the signs except the butterfly rash.I also have a condition called Mechanical neck synd.Could they all be related ????Thank You Marilyn Bell

[Caesarillion]

I'm getting the pop rocks big time tonight with a headache. Maybe it's diet change from the new year or something. I took some aspirin. It feels like sticky brain and cracking knuckles in all my skull joints. Makes me want to shake my head a lot to normalize stresses or something. Whew. Hope it goes away soon. Hard to sleep when I feel like this. Thanks and good to know I'm not alone. Paul V in Southern California age 62 and counting.

[istandrel]

I have the same type of thing when I walk and when I stretch my muscles.  Anyone have any clue what this might be?

[mmcgeagh]

From what I've gathered with mine is my nausea is worst when i feel/hear the crackling. It can most likely just be a natural response of your body to make yourself feel somewhat sick to push you to eat. Though it is fairly useless in today's society, it may have come into use when food was not as plentiful for people and having a sick feeling would push them to get food. As to why the neurotransmitters are making so much noise i do not know, but my assumption is just a large amount trying to get into the cerebellum to make you feel hungry.

[mmcgeagh]

neurotransmitters running up your spinal column into your cerebellum.

[Nicki1977NJ]

I think that's post-nasal drip. That crackling in your throat.  My ENT says I have some inflamation due to allergies and the post nasal drip that comes with it.  So, she put me on a sprat.  I get the whole "pop rocks" feeling in my throat, and when I squirt my prescription nose spray (allergies) it happens less.

[HeadCrks]

I almost forgot... found this on the web... article written by therapist: http://sportscenteraustin.blogs.com/the_view/2003/06/is_the_pop_in_y.html

[HeadCrks]

Both your posts are are onto something.  I agree too that popping and cracking sounds may be related to sinus issues.  I have no headaches or have not noticed anything when eating.  I don't have the sand grit sound either.  I do have an extreme crack of the head sound that anyone can hear and they even are amazed of how noisy it is.  I can crack my  head... and notice I don't say neck... because I feel the crack by the anterolateral fontanelle or by the or the coronal or sagital suture of the cranium... by looking at an infants skull... or I can describe it like if the ridges of the parietal or frontal bones in the skull where colliding or the temporal or sphenoid bones... any of these mostly on the sphenoid were it meats the frontal or parietal (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bones-in-the-human-body.html).

One thing is for sure when in pops and cracks like fireworks I feel relief and my sinus near the right nostril feels pressure release and relaxation and I can breath better.  I can speculate this is weather and stress related as it happens more during stressful times of my life and in the sinus cavity I feel my superior nasal concha (turbinate) retreat or move leading to better breathing.... but then it returns and the cycle repeats.  It might be a pinched nerved that causes tension or sinus inflammation... as advised by a chiropractor.  Hope this helps anyone.

[madwand]

I have this weird issue too. My Theory is a sinus issue. When your stomach growls it is a movement of food or air down to the intestines. This causes a negative pressure in your stomach and esophagus. Since your esophagus is connected to your sinus it is creating a sucking pressure in your sinus and eustachian tubes moving the mucus around and creating the crackle, pop, fizz whatever sound. I developed this after sinus surgery to repair a deviated septum and relieve sinus pressure. It sounds harmless but I always wonder if there is some clog in my sinus that has not been completely relieved.  I should get another MRI.