Crackling, crunching, clicking in the ears during swallowing are considered safe phenomena if they occur once. If this is repeated systematically, then you should be alert, to identify the cause of this phenomenon. Some people experience a crackling sensation in the ear when they swallow. This phenomenon may indicate the presence of a violation in the body. Its causes and treatment are described in the article.
Structure of the ear
The human ear has a complex structure, but performs only 2 functions: perceives sound vibrations, provides balance.
The ear includes 3 sections:
- outer;
- average;
- domestic.
Each department has its own structural features, as well as its own functions. Externally, the ear includes 2 sections: the auricle and the external auditory meatus. The ear shell is presented in the form of elastic cartilage, covered with skin and having a complex structure. Below it is a lobe,which is highly sensitive to injury. The main function of the auricle is the perception of sounds.
The cartilage of the external auditory canal continues the shell, no more than 3 cm long. On the skin there are sebaceous and sulfuric glands. The ears are separated from the middle part by the tympanic membrane. Middle ear present:
- tympanic cavity;
- Eustachian tube;
- Mastoid process.
The indicated sections are interconnected. The tympanic cavity is presented as a space bounded by the membrane and wall of the inner ear. It is located in the place of the temporal bone. Ahead, the tympanic cavity is combined with the nasopharynx, the communication is carried out thanks to the Eustachian tube. Air enters the tympanic cavity through the Eustachian tube.
The internal part of the ear is considered to be difficult. It includes the vestibule, the cochlea with the organ of Corti, and the fluid-filled semicircular canals. The inner ear has a vestibular function.
Causes of crunching
Often, patients complain to doctors: "When I swallow, it crackles in my ears." Also, with this phenomenon, other symptoms may be observed, such as pain, tinnitus. Diagnosis is required before prescribing treatment.
Why crunches in the ear when swallowing? This phenomenon can be objective and subjective. To determine the type of sound allows phonendoscopy diagnostics. Subjective noise is felt only by the patient, and the attending physician can listen to the objective noise, these noises are rare inotolaryngological field.
Estachian tube dysfunction
This is also one of the reasons if a sharp crunch is heard in the ear when swallowing. This violation is recognized as dangerous and can lead to negative consequences, including hearing loss and deafness. Such a violation occurs during infectious processes that cover the outer and middle ear. Fluid accumulates in the Eustachian tube and auditory cavity. With such a lesion, the appearance is likely:
- edema;
- ear fullness;
- complexity of jaw movements;
- pain and crackling in the ear.
Dangerous complications can occur with eustachian tube dysfunction. Probable occurrences include:
- otitis media and inner ear;
- aerootitis;
- meningitis;
- sepsis.
A runny nose is considered a symptom of a dysfunction of the auditory tube. The patient has severe nasal mucus. If there is a crunch in the ear when swallowing for this reason, timely medical attention is needed.
Aerootitis
In some patients, the crunch occurs only during the flight. This phenomenon indicates the presence of aerootitis. Symptoms are expressed more intensely during yawning and turning the head at a height. The course of this pathology should not be ignored. The course of the disease is sometimes aggravated. Often this leads to other complications.
Feeling worse during the flight:
- begins intense crackling and crunching in the ear;
- swelling appearsear canal, which causes a deterioration in the perception of sounds;
- there is pain in the temporal part and the back of the head.
A person who constantly flies on an airplane should not ignore even a single occurrence of a crunch in the ear. Aerootitis can lead to total or partial hearing loss.
Bad bite
The cause of crackling in the ears when swallowing and yawning may be malocclusion. Trauma, dental procedures, congenital changes can lead to this phenomenon. This pathology is not associated with violations of the quality of sound perception, but attention should be paid to its elimination. This requirement is due to the fact that malocclusion can lead to weakening of the auditory nerve. The change is the cause of his atrophy.
Pathologies of the nervous system
Crunch in the ear when swallowing occurs from pathologies of the nervous system. In this situation, unpleasant sensations are provoked by nervous or physical overexertion. Often the reason for this change is prolonged stress.
In this case, the crunch usually appears in the evening. In case of violation, pain and fever do not appear, but treatment is still necessary. Prolonged occurrence of sound leads to mental disorders in the patient.
Foreign body
The appearance of a crunch in the ears when swallowing saliva is possible if there is a foreign body in the ear canal. This problem often occurs in children, but it can also occur in adults. Foreign body can be:
- pieces of cotton wool caught inEustachian tube when cleaning;
- dust particles (this problem often occurs in miners and metallurgists);
- Insect larvae that penetrate water when swimming in water bodies.
The patient should not fix the problem on his own if the jaw near the ear crackles. There is a risk of pushing the part deep into the auditory tube. The foreign body may be sulfur plug. It can appear for various reasons. To confirm the diagnosis, you need to contact an otolaryngologist. Then the doctor will confirm the possibility of washing at home.
Allergy
Sometimes crackling in the ear appears with a sharp allergy to specific irritating factors. A severe attack occurs from a runny nose, rhinitis. Some part of the ENT organs swells, inflammation occurs, and therefore an unpleasant sound. These symptoms are dangerous, so you need to contact the lore as soon as possible.
Should I see a doctor?
Sometimes crunches in the ear when moving the jaw, but everything disappears after a few days. If the intensity of discomfort increases or other symptoms appear, an appeal to an otolaryngologist is required. It will be difficult to determine the cause on your own, and it will not work to find an effective method of treatment.
Treatment
If it crackles in the ear when chewed, treatment can be done by different methods. Only a doctor can choose the right one. The method of therapy depends on the cause that provokes the crunch:
- Estachian tube dysfunction requires medical treatment that involves takinganti-inflammatory and decongestant drugs, vasoconstrictor drugs in the form of ear drops. It is possible to restore the normal patency of the ear canal by blowing through the Politzer. If irreversible structural changes occur, surgery is likely.
- With aerootitis, experts advise using ear drops with a decongestant effect. If there is a purulent process, antibacterial agents are used.
- In case of malocclusion, you need the help of a dentist. It should be noted that the treatment can be performed at any age, but the restoration of anatomical and aesthetic function allows you to get excellent results with early referral to a specialist. Brace systems allow to restore the bite.
- In diseases of the nervous system, treatment should be carried out with the use of sedatives and nootropics. Such medicines are taken only as prescribed by a specialist, when the cause leading to the change is identified.
- If there is a foreign body, it must be removed. Then the unpleasant symptoms disappear immediately. The extraction is performed in the otolaryngologist's office. If the foreign body is a cerumen plug, a flush is performed.
Medicines
It is difficult to provide specific recommendations for the treatment of this problem, since the final course of therapy is determined by the cause of the pathology. Often, with a crunch in the ears, doctors prescribe medications, depending on what causes it. Often the therapy is performed as follows:
- When sulfuriccork, special drops are used that soften the sulfur masses. It can be both special medicines and heated oils, it is better to choose almond or any vegetable.
- For diseases of the outer or inner ear, otitis, special drops are used, supplemented with ear compresses. The latter are made from cotton turundas, which are moistened in a solution of propolis on water and inserted into the ear canal for 4-12 hours.
- In case of inflammation in the ears, the treatment is performed similarly to the previous method, but it must be borne in mind that in this case, warm compresses that are placed inside the ear cannot be used. The action of warming is carried out with the help of dry warm compresses, which are applied to the tragus. The last is heated s alt or sand wrapped in napkins.
- The doctor may prescribe narrowly targeted remedies in the form of tablets or syrup. In this case, it all depends on the pathology. For example, in case of problems with the maxillofacial joint, tablets are prescribed to restore its mobility, and maybe an ointment.
Treatment can be performed independently, most importantly, under the supervision of a doctor. You need to know the cause of the disease and properly organize the course of therapy.
Traditional medicine
Special compresses and drops are used in the treatment. Only this - personally prepared preparations. The most effective means include:
- Tincture of calamus. It is prepared by infusing grated calamus root (5-10 g) in boiling water (0.5 liters). The agent is instilled 1 drop in each ear 2 times a day. The duration of treatment is 1-2 months.
- Birch tar in milk. You will need tar (1 tsp) and milk (1 cup). The tool is used inside during the day. Duration of therapy - 2 weeks.
- Schisandra tincture. The tool eliminates the problem with noise due to low pressure. Take tincture of 25 drops 3 times a day an hour after meals. Therapy is 2-4 weeks.
Before using any traditional medicine, you need to consult a specialist. Only a doctor can determine if a medicine is suitable for a particular ailment.
From many patients, doctors hear: "When I chew, crunches in the ear." There are many reasons for this phenomenon. The danger lies in the fact that the symptom may indicate dangerous pathologies. This phenomenon should not be ignored, only with a timely visit to a doctor can the pathology be eliminated without complications.
