Having ear flutters or fluttering sounds may indicate a problem within an individual’s ear structures. Ear flutters may also be referred to as tinnitus and when they occur, they can be bothersome and annoying. Some ear flutters are benign and don’t present any health risks to a person, but other cases may be serious or worse, and may not permanently dissipate if left untreated. When you experience fluttering in ears, it makes you get fixated on the cause of the hearing sensation. It may lead to other problems like lack of sleep, anxiety, poor work performance, and changes in mood. A person with tinnitus experiences abnormally strange sounds in their ears such as clicking, fluttering, crackling, popping, and whistling.
Fluttering in Ear – Causes
If you are experiencing strange noises in your ear or in the head, it is mainly because of irregular ear muscle contractions. It involves the muscles attached to the ear bones. Ear fluttering occurs in a similar way to eyelid twitching. Although other tinnitus cases may result in hearing loss, when muscular tinnitus is involved, it resolves by itself.
In the ear, there are two main muscles namely; stapdius and tensor tympani. These muscles may be involved when there is ear fluttering. Fluttering in ear may at times occur without having any underlying cause, however, at other times, health conditions and environmental factors may contribute to the problem. There are many conditions that are linked to tinnitus, but how the fluttering sounds occur constantly isn’t clearly known. Damage to the auditory system involving the nerves, auditory structures, and issues with blood supply may take part in the ear flutters.
Among the possible causes of ear flutters are:
Myoclonus: A degenerative disease referred to as myoclonus may be a culprit in ear fluttering. This disease causes an individual to have abnormal contractions of their muscles or muscle spasms. A spasm of tensor tympani or sapedius muscle within the ear may contribute to muscular tinnitus.
Blood pressure: Increased blood pressure may induce fluttering sounds in a person’s ear. The high blood pressure makes blood to push on frail ear structures causing the sounds. Taking caffeine and alcohol or having a lot of stress may make tinnitus to worsen. Conditions that may elevate an individual’s blood pressures are capillary malformations, turbulent blood flow, atherosclerosis, or neck and head tumors.
Sinus infection: This infection may be caused by bacteria and it makes the sinuses to fill with fluid something that may increase sinus pressure or even cause pain. The increasing facial pressures may contribute to fluttering sounds in your ears accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness, feeling nauseous, and having headaches.
Palatal myoclonus: Having a lesion within the Guillain-Mollaret triangle in the brainstem may contribute to fluttering in ears. The lesions may occur from conditions like encephalitis, cerebrovascular accident, stroke, trauma, and multiple sclerosis. The lesion produces a rhythmic discharge to ear muscles resulting in fluttering sounds.
Eustachian tube dysfunction: When the Eustachian tube isn’t functioning properly, it could contribute to ear flutters. The Eustachian tube forms a canal connecting the middle ear to the throat’s back area. While in most cases, the Eustachian tube is closed, some people have an open or patent Eustachian tube. The ones who have an open or patent Eustachian tube may have incidents of fluttering in ears, especially when they talk, swallow, or chew.
The function of the Eustachian tube is circulating air in the middle part of a person’s ear something that helps maintain balance between external and internal air pressure. Eustachian tube dysfunction may also occur when a person has allergic reaction blocking the tube or has a respiratory infection. These situations can lead to accumulation of fluid in the tube causing an increased pressure inside the ear which makes a person to have fluttering-like sounds when they yawn or open their mouth.
Drugs and medications: Some medications like antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and chemotherapy drugs have tinnitus or hearing strange sounds as one of the side effects. Many OTC medications as well as prescription drugs can cause damage to auditory nerve. Such medications are said to be ototoxic and if they are inappropriately used or they cause side effects, a patient may have problems like tinnitus, sudden hearing loss, and uncomfortable sounds like fluttering or crunching in ears. These side effects are mostly seen in people taking higher ibuprofen doses, certain antibiotics, or diuretics.
Thyroid gland: This helps regulate the body metabolism or how a person’s body burns energy. The gland is also responsible for the regulation of hormones. When there are complications with the thyroid, for example hypothyroidism, it can cause increased pain sensitivity, reduced energy levels, weight gain, or tinnitus.
Ear wax: It’s among the leading causes of ear flutters. When ear wax becomes dry or covers the eardrum, it can contribute to fluttering in ear. The eardrum is an important part in conduction of sound, so when you have a hard substance like dry ear wax enveloping it, it may cause flutter-like vibrations.
Symptoms
When you have constant ear flutters, it disrupts your day-to-day activities and puts stress on your mental health. It may feel as though you cannot get away from the sound. Many people suffering from ear flutters or tinnitus may use other noises to try masking the sound they hear in their ears. The individuals may use sound sources like a fan, radio, or TV to get relief or have distraction from the bothering fluttering in ears. Ear flutters may indicate an early sign of a person’s hearing loss. A person who has sudden tinnitus attacks may complain of having loss of balance.
Ear Flutters – treatment
The treatment for fluttering sounds in ears may depend on the cause of the problem.
Control blood pressure: If high blood pressure is causing ear flutters, you should get treatment by using medication. Blood pressure drugs will help bring the pressure to normal ranges.
Valsalva maneuver: If the Eustachian tubes are dysfunctional or blocked, you can use some form of exercise known as valsalva maneuver. A person will keep their mouth closed and pinch their nostrils as they take a deep breath through their mouth then try blowing air through their nose again. When you do this exercise, you may hear some light popping sound that comes from the ears, it’s an indication that the Eustachian tubes have opened up. You should be careful when doing the exercise not to exert a lot of pressure or put excessive force because it could cause permanent damage to the eardrum.
Change eating habits: You may want to take sufficient amount of water every day to ensure the body is hydrated. Dehydration may contribute to muscle cramps within the mandibular joints, shoulders, and neck that may lead to flutters in ears. Having the recommended values of magnesium and calcium in diet may promote your health and prevent ear flutters. In people with recurring tinnitus, high cholesterol foods aren’t good. Daily magnesium intake is about 310mg and for calcium, it is about 1000mg.
Steam: Using steam can help to unclog clogged ears. This remedy is also used in the case of sinus congestion. You can fill a bowl with hot water and put the head over it then place a towel over the head that acts as a tent to trap and direct the steam to the head. This way, you unblock the clogged ears.
Lifestyle changes: You can make changes to your lifestyle by exercising the body, having sufficient sleep, and practicing yoga. You also take a healthy diet and refrain from alcohol. These changes help to reduce stress levels and keep blood within the normal ranges. Increased blood pressure and stress can contribute to fluttering in ears.
Use of botulinum toxin: A doctor may consider using botulinum toxin injection in patients having persistent ear flutters. The neurotoxic protein may offer relief in some patients.
If an infection is causing crackling in ears, a person can use home remedies such as apple cider vinegar, holy basil, garlic, saline solution, or onions. These have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties that can help treat various infections of the ears.
