• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

popping ears??!!

leaves

Senior Member
Messages
1,193
I have this symptom since a day or 2. my ear 'pops' and is a nasty and annoying feeling. It's driving me nuts. Anyone has this too? / any idea what this is?
 

creekfeet

Sockfeet
Messages
553
Location
Eastern High Sierra
I live in a mountainous area and when I go out there's always some change in altitude, down to one town or up to the other, but my ears seem to pop way more than they used to, and way more than is reasonable given the amount of altitude change. What I wonder is if the low circulating blood volume means that minor altitude changes make more of a difference, perhaps. Don't know, though. Just know I'm all the time yawning. Also it seems to be accompanied by more of that stuffy weird feeling in my head.

And this is happening when you're not changing altitude?
 

MEKoan

Senior Member
Messages
2,630
Changing barometric pressure - weather systems - can cause your ears to "pop".

Mine do.
 

leaves

Senior Member
Messages
1,193
Eh well I am not changing altitude (besides the usual sitting and standing that is), maybe a change in barometric pressure? But I have not had this before. Oh well, never boring this cfs ;)
 

MEKoan

Senior Member
Messages
2,630
Also spring allergy season is early in many parts this year. So, if you have allergies, they could slightly change the architecture of your ear canals making small changes in pressure more easily felt.
:mask:
 
Messages
5,238
Location
Sofa, UK
Since I got ill, I have had what seems like some kind of fluid deep inside my ears, which itch deep inside. It's worst when I wake up after a bad night of itching. I can make a loud squelching/popping sound with it that people around can hear. It would have been a cool trick in the playground. I've had this pretty much all the way through, it's better when I'm better. The doctors just say it is 'bizarre'.

ETA: Hi Koan! :D
 

MEKoan

Senior Member
Messages
2,630
Gosh Mark, that does sound odd! Are you sure it isn't coming from your TM Joint? That can make many strange noises like what you describe which can be heard by others. But, I don't think it would be associated with what sounds like allergic itching!

Bizarre, indeed!

And, hi you, too!

:D

Koan
 

coxy

Senior Member
Messages
174
i get an itchy feeling deep inside my ears aswell, i find it causes the very back of my throat to be extremely itchy aswell, it drives me mad! There often appears to be a sort of itchy rash at the back of my throat to accompany it, you know the kind you try to reach with your tongue while at the same time itching your ear with your finger!!!
 
Messages
13,774
My hearing is way more sensetive than most peoples. It always has been a bit, but it's become more noitable since getting ill - perhaps becasue I sleep with earplugs and don't get expose to much loud noise anymore (clubbing's not on the agenda right now).

re: popping/bubbling/stange noises in ears: I think I got this from TMJ for a bit. It was when I was sleeping in an especially noisy place, and I think I ended up clenching my teeth at night while having disturbed sleep. This can lead to cartilage disintergrating next to your ears - my dentist simiulated the sound of TMJ by rubbing my hair between his fingers next to my ear - and that sounded about right. It went away after a period of relaxing my jaw muscles and avoiding really hard food (almonds etc).
 
Messages
5,238
Location
Sofa, UK
Doesn't sound like my TM joint, but I didn't know I had one till Koan told me. :D Thanks for the joint Koan! :D Feels like my inner ear, sensitive bit near the drum, deep inside; moisture or swelling arising from that irritation. A friend with MS has something similar. I also had chronic neck and back pain for many years which could be related.

Coxy: yes, I know exactly what you mean! Thankfully I don't get that so often on the back of the throat, really horrible when I do, just can't reach the damn thing, it's inside, deep down, somehow. Plentiful cotton buds eh? And well-filtered air, and no pillows.

I don't think I get the altitude change popping thing though. Except when I change altitude, that is...

Esther12: My smell and hearing are sometimes heightened, that's not unusual. Heightened sensitivity syndrome. I often hear very queit sounds that friends with me can't hear. I can smell perfume from far enough away to start running away from the offender in time to avoid toxic shock. I am looking forward to the perfume ban, and to returning to the club scene one day to freak out the kids with my old-skool moves.
 

flybro

Senior Member
Messages
706
Location
pluto
WOW esther12 I get that noise when i move my head to look left or right.

TMJ=teeth grinding/clenching jaw? i used to do that a lot, the noise from moving my head sounds like something grinding at the base of my skull.

Is that the same thing as you esther.

also i just ate tpmatoes which has caused the deep itchy feeling in my left ear, as well as else where.
 
Messages
13,774
Is that the same thing as you esther.

It's difficult to describe. Before working out it was probably TMJ I thought it sounded like a bubbling in my ear - like there were bubbles in my wax right by my eardrum. It was definitely related to moving my head and jaw though - I could make the noise come by moving in a certain way, or rubbing my ear with my finger.

It's been a while since I've had it now.

It did make me realise how tight my jaw muscles were at the time, and decide to really relax them. (Annoyingly, when it started happening I thought it was related to wearing ear-plugs, so I stopped using them and got even more interrupted sleep, making it even worse). It took me about 2 weeks to a month of remembering to really relax my muscles a few times a day when I was resting (probably a good idea anyway - I should start doing it again) for the noise to stop. I still eat less really hard food than I used to just to be safe - but I was eating a lot previously.

@ Mark: Heightened sensitivity syndrome - I like it. Sounds like a super-power to me: isn't that what Wolverine has?
 
Messages
5,238
Location
Sofa, UK
Flybro: Tomatoes are a fairly common trigger and a strong one, I tested mildly +ve for sensitivity to them, suggest Allergy UK or similar screening if not already undertaken, ignoring NHS test results (obviously) and...avoiding tomatoes according to the "Doctor Doctor it hurts when I do this" principle. I am re-introducing tomatoes in small quantities, but don't tell anyone I said that or I might get into trouble...

Esther12: Yes indeed, we are the true X-Men!

Koan: :tear: Should've done biology instead of latin! I'll have a think about it overnight and let you know...:D