# Ringing/popping in ears



## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

For a long time now, I've had this strange problem with my ears crackling and popping due to loud noises. If there is a really loud, constant noise, my ears start to crackle and pop. It isn't painful, but it feels extremely uncomfortable to the point that I either have to plug my ears, or I start to wince. An example would be having the radio on in the car. It might be at a volume that everyone else likes, but to me, it makes my ears crackle.

Also, if there is absolutely no noise around me, my ears have a faint ringing in them. It is very annoying, and it would probably drive me nuts. I don't think I have any hearing loss, but I guess it's possible that I do.

I think it probably comes from listening to music too loudly when I was younger, but I don't know. I was talking about this to someone and they said the ringing thing is normal, and everyone has it. That seemed strange to me. The crackling is extremely annoying and I've never heard of anyone else that had this problem.

I probably should have asked a doctor about this, but it has never came to mind during my infrequent doctor's visits.

Does anyone know anything about this? I'm worried that I'm going to go deaf, or something.


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## leppardess (Nov 8, 2003)

I think what you're describing is tinnitus...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinnitus

I suffer from that and have to have some sort of background noise going almost constantly 

I don't know about the crackling noise... I get that sometimes too when sounds are too loud. I know that I'm not losing my hearing because I've had my hearing tested several times in the past 10 years and they assured me that I'm in no danger of that.


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## Lonelyguy (Nov 8, 2003)

I damaged my hearing from my work environment so I have almost constant tinnitus. In a completely silent room its very noticeable, it sounds like a hissing or ringing sound and it can be loud enough to drown out other faint sounds in the room. Background noises usually drown it out and I don't notice it when I'm watching TV or doing something outside. I have to be very careful to protect what I have left. Any loud noise exposure can make my ears ring for days or weeks after, so I need to wear hearing protection whenever I'm doing something noisy. Even sounds that never bothered me before can cause very noticeable ringing now, so I need to be very cautious about my environment.


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## mserychic (Oct 2, 2004)

Huh I have that. Didn't know there was a name. Constant ringing in my ears. If I don't have a tv or radio on it can give me a headache. Been there ever since I can remember. Sometime when I get into a paranoid/psycho state it gets so loud and scratchy I can barely stand it. Really weird.


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## Zephyr (Nov 8, 2003)

You should definitely go to a doctor because you might have hearing damage. In fact, I think audiologists in the coming years are going to be really busy, what with the rise of ipods and everything. People just put those buds in their ears and crank it up and don't think about the consequences. Down the road when they have hearing loss and a constant ringing in their ears they'll wish they hadn't done that.

I have tinnitus as well, but it's mostly in my right hear. It's sort of a constant, mid-level tone. I've had my hearing thoroughly tested three different times in my life and apparently it's fine. No one knows why I have the ringing. It's just another thing on the pile, another stressor in my life. Yay...


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## Morningrise (Aug 7, 2006)

I've had ringing and cracking/popping in my ears now for about a month now, which started after I had a bad cold. Although I only notice this stuff when its quiet, not when its loud. Its really annoying every time I swallow b/c the popping noise is so loud. I went to the doctor and he thought it may be coming from my sinuses, although the medication he prescribed didnt help (actually, it made me feel worse). 

So I know how you feel. :sigh


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## Gerard (Feb 3, 2004)

i sometimes hear it when im playing piano


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## ghostgurl (Sep 20, 2004)

That ringing sound you hear is actually the sound of a neuron dying. I get that from time to time.


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## Chrysalii (Jun 24, 2006)

*Re: re: Ringing/popping in ears*



Zephyr said:


> You should definitely go to a doctor because you might have hearing damage. In fact, I think audiologists in the coming years are going to be really busy, what with the rise of ipods and everything. People just put those buds in their ears and crank it up and don't think about the consequences. Down the road when they have hearing loss and a constant ringing in their ears they'll wish they hadn't done that.


Never thought I would say this...
HOORAY for SA, making me keep the noise down so no one would know what I was listening to...but aren't there other dangers.
Anyway
Mine went away, I had it a lot when I was younger, but not so much now.


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## Love2Shop (Sep 7, 2006)

Do you have high blood pressure??? Ringing in the ears is a sign of high blood pressure, my dad has this.


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## Zephyr (Nov 8, 2003)

*Re: re: Ringing/popping in ears*



Chrysalii said:


> Zephyr said:
> 
> 
> > You should definitely go to a doctor because you might have hearing damage. In fact, I think audiologists in the coming years are going to be really busy, what with the rise of ipods and everything. People just put those buds in their ears and crank it up and don't think about the consequences. Down the road when they have hearing loss and a constant ringing in their ears they'll wish they hadn't done that.
> ...


You're lucky yours went away. Tinnitus often stays indefinitely. Mine's pretty much the same, maybe even a little worse than it used to be. On the bright side, there is a lot of encouraging research going on that might lead to treatments for hearing loss, tinnitus, and hearing preservation in the coming years.


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## Anxiety75 (Feb 10, 2004)

I have that too. When it's quiet there is a strange type of ringing in my ears and sometimes just voices or radio give me sort of a static sound to one of my ears if it's loud enough.


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## D.B. Cooper (Jul 21, 2006)

Ringing in ears is sometimes called tinnitus and can signify elevated blood pressure or bad changes in glucose (ie diabetic type stuff). Popping just means your inner ear pressure is changing.


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