Treatment may focus ontemporomandibularjoint (TMJ) disorder,eustachiantube dysfunction, or other underlying diagnosis.
Talk to your healthcare provider about care, which also can involvephysical therapyor possibly surgery.
This can occur after an ear infection has cleared up and may last for months.
Maskot / Getty Images
GERD has been linked to several ear conditions.
If ear congestion persists, you may need to undergo one of these surgical procedures.
Earwax Buildup
Earwax is normal and helps to protect and lubricate the ear canal.
Sometimes,earwax can build upwithin the ear.
Treatment for Earwax Buildup
Clean ear wax from the outer ear with a soft cloth.
Do not insert anything into the ear canal.
It is common, affecting about 10% to 25% of adults.
The sound heard with tinnitus varies.
Ringing is common, but it can also sound like roaring, buzzing, crackling, or other sounds.
Symptoms of TMJ include jaw pain, headache, ear pain, and tinnitus.
Some people even experience hearing loss with TMJ disorders.
It involves abnormal movement of muscles.
These home remedies include:
Prevention also can include limiting exposure to loud noises and irritants like smoking.
Summary
Crackling noise in the ear is commonly triggered by ear congestion or earwax buildup.
It may also result from tinnitus, hyperacusis, or a ruptured eardrum.
Depending on the cause, you may be able to treat symptoms at home or with over-the-counter medication.
Sometimes surgery is needed.
Seattle Childrens Hospital.Ear - congestion.
Boys Town National Research Hospital.Ear fullness.
2024 Nov 28:S1015-9584(24)02619-8. doi:10.1016/j.asjsur.2024.11.017
Stanford Medicine.Eustachian tube dysfunction.
American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation.Earwax (cerumen impaction).
2017;156(1_suppl):S1-S29.
doi:10.1177/0194599816671491
University of California, Los Angeles/UCLA Health.6 things you oughta know about earwax removal.
2018;7(7):CD012171.
Published 2018 Jul 25. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012171.pub2
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.
Wu V, Cooke B, Eitutis S, Simpson MTW, Beyea JA.Approach to tinnitus management.Can Fam Physician.
2018;64(7):491-495.
Cebi AT.Presence of tinnitus and tinnitus-related hearing loss in temporomandibular disorders.Cranio.
2020:1-5. doi:10.1080/08869634.2020.1829290
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.AAOMS develops guidance for diagnosing, managing TMJ disorders and pain.
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.TMJ and Facial Pain.
2024 Jul 11;9(16):e178578.
American Tinnitus Association.TMJ Treatment.
2022;11(24):7317. doi:10.3390/jcm11247317
MedlinePlus.Ruptured eardrum.
Ni T, Han Z.Diagnosis and treatment of middle ear myoclonic tinnitus.Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
2024 Nov;38(11):1081-1084. doi: 10.13201/j.issn.2096-7993.2024.11.017
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Ice Packs vs.
Warm Compresses for Pain.
Garcia E, Flores RE, Doherty JK.Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome from an Ear Versus Dental-Related Standpoint.Otolaryngol Clin North Am.
2022;55(3):649-658. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2022.02.011
