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Can Anyone else pop / crack their ears?
- Thread starter SamIchi
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Its just a change in the pressure inside the ear. The pop you hear is the eustachian tube opening to equalize the pressure on either side of your ear drum. The eustachian tube connects your ears to the back of your throat (hence, when you get an ear infection you sometimes get a sore throat as well) and is the reason your ears pop on planes, when changing altitude, or in such activities as diving. Its all about keeping the pressure on either side of the ear drum the same. Since the tube is going into your throat you can force it open thus creating that popping noise.
I find it neat really, everything up there is connected. Ears through the eustachian tube, your tear ducts are connected to your nose (hence a runny nose when you cry) and your nose to your throat (hence that whole breathing thing)
teh Wikipedia link
I find it neat really, everything up there is connected. Ears through the eustachian tube, your tear ducts are connected to your nose (hence a runny nose when you cry) and your nose to your throat (hence that whole breathing thing)
teh Wikipedia link
Awesome, awesome, thank you, I probably could've found that but I'm lazy. when I "pop" my ears and hold it I can feel that it's connected with my throat, very interesting.
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i tend to pop/crack my ears when i swallow
i tend to pop/crack my ears when i swallow
I hear that being able to do this on cue is really important in diving. Since I am not a diver I woudn't know first hand, but that's what I've heard...
Now you mention it, I crack my ears when I swallow. Thanks a lot for pointing that out, it won't bug me at all every time I swallow now :|
Yes, it's important in diving, otherwise the eardrum would break.
Yes, some people can make their ears pop by swallowing. It depends on how you're done. For other people, it's extremely hard to achieve (and thus, cannot dive). I'm lucky, the slight pressure of the mask is enough to make me pop my ears as if I was pinching my nose.
Even better, I depending on the day, I can make air get out of me by the eye!!!
I've yet to ask a doctor about that, though!
Yes, some people can make their ears pop by swallowing. It depends on how you're done. For other people, it's extremely hard to achieve (and thus, cannot dive). I'm lucky, the slight pressure of the mask is enough to make me pop my ears as if I was pinching my nose.
Even better, I depending on the day, I can make air get out of me by the eye!!!
I've yet to ask a doctor about that, though!
In this image [Wikipedia] you have a better view of what is labled the "auditory tube". The opening of the auditory tube/eustachian tube into the nasopharynx is dorsal (towards the back) to the turbinites and has a firm ridge that partially surrounds it called the Torus tubarius. Two muscles have attachments around the Torus, one stretching to the soft palate (salpingopalatine m.) and another to the pharynx (salpingopharyngeal m.).
Both of these muscles are involved in swallowing and their contraction probably slightly moves the opening of the eustachian tube, opening the canal, contributing to the characteristic "popping" sound. Moving your jaw, slightly opening it, will also cause a slight repositioning of the eustachian tube causing the sound. It is for this reason that people recommend chewing gum during airplane take off and descent to relieve ear pressure. This sound would be augmented if there was a pressure change.
Both of these muscles are involved in swallowing and their contraction probably slightly moves the opening of the eustachian tube, opening the canal, contributing to the characteristic "popping" sound. Moving your jaw, slightly opening it, will also cause a slight repositioning of the eustachian tube causing the sound. It is for this reason that people recommend chewing gum during airplane take off and descent to relieve ear pressure. This sound would be augmented if there was a pressure change.
I looked into diving certification, and on one of the sites I was reading it mentioned "ear fear," or people who were afraid because they've suffered middle-ear barotrauma. They couldn't / didn't know how to pop their eustachian tubes open to equalize pressure. It's extraordinarily painful... I've experienced it. About 8 feet under water and my ears felt like someone was jamming a blunt stick in them. Thankfully I know what to do now
I looked into diving certification, and on one of the sites I was reading it mentioned "ear fear," or people who were afraid because they've suffered middle-ear barotrauma. They couldn't / didn't know how to pop their eustachian tubes open to equalize pressure. It's extraordinarily painful... I've experienced it. About 8 feet under water and my ears felt like someone was jamming a blunt stick in them. Thankfully I know what to do now
When diving you dont have to try and train yourself, you just hold your nose closed and push out with your nose as you travel down and feel pressure.
Hard to write, but you know what I mean.
Its the easiest part of diving, just pinch and blow (thats what she said).
When you are going down and that doesnt work, even blowing hard, you cant continue deeper or the pain will be unbearable not to mention dangerous if you go too deep and cant equalize. Its a sign of blockage, usually when you are sick.
I looked into diving certification, and on one of the sites I was reading it mentioned "ear fear," or people who were afraid because they've suffered middle-ear barotrauma. They couldn't / didn't know how to pop their eustachian tubes open to equalize pressure. It's extraordinarily painful... I've experienced it. About 8 feet under water and my ears felt like someone was jamming a blunt stick in them. Thankfully I know what to do now
I have always wanted to dive (friend of mine's dad does a class thing) but the whole ear thing really scares me. I have bad ears as is, so I dunno if it would be a good idea. That said, since I fly a lot being able to pop my own ears is terribly convenient. Until I flew somewhere with my fiance one time I didn't know that not everyone could do it
That said, since I fly a lot being able to pop my own ears is terribly convenient. Until I flew somewhere with my fiance one time I didn't know that not everyone could do it
Ditto that. I flew to Spain with my then-girlfriend and she was complaining about the pressure and her ears 'popping'; she thought you just had to wait it out, but I told her to just pinch her nose and try to blow through it. She was shocked. Haha.
I, too, thought this was common knowledge. Heh. With that said, I can make my ears pop, and yes, it has been very helpful with diving and with flying and various other times when there has been a pressure change. I find I have to pop my ears whenever I'm on the metro and the train goes into a tunnel.
It doesn't happen when I swallow but I can do it at will without needing to move other parts of my face/head. It's a nice thing to be able to do.
I can also wiggle my ears.
I can also wiggle my ears.
I can pop my ears. I can hear a lot better after I do it as well. I just plug my nose and and mouth and make pressure in my head. I can also wiggle my ears using the muscles around them.