Middle Ear Myoclonus - Irregular Clicking Sound in the Ear

Middle ear myoclonus is a condition whereby the muscles (tensor tympani and/or stapedius) within the middle ear spasms or twitches creating a brief click sound. These irregular clicking noises like a geiger counter are similar to the more common “eye twitching" or "facial twitching". BUT, instead of being able to "see" the twitching, one hears the twitching instead since the muscles are located within the ear. These irregular clicking noises should NOT be confused with tinnitus which can be either a continuous tone or regular pulsations.

For more info on middle ear myoclonus:

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This video produced by Dr. Chris Chang:

Normal Sound Transmission (0:27)
Tensor Tympani Myoclonus (1:01)
Stapedius Myoclonus (1:23)
Diagnosis and Treatment (1:50)

Music Background:

#middleearmyoclonus #stapedius #tensortympani

[fauquierent]

*Concerned for possible hearing loss? Check your hearing online for free!*
*You can also replicate the sound you hear using the website's ear clicking sound generator as well!*

[chrisgladue]

I hope and pray you all fine relief, comfort and peace in the near future.

[ВиталийГригорьев-ги]

It sounds pretty funny, but I found simple treatment for me. I've never seen such advice, its my own discovery 😎
Palate is connected with the muscles of middle ear, so if we massage palate we can relax ear muscles. Possibly the best way is gargling with warm water. I do like that several times a day for 3-5 min and now I have a full remission.
I hope this will be useful for most of you!

[alphatonic]

I had this a year or two ago and it went away on it's own. I started meditating again which relaxes my entire body so that might have helped.

[gundee]

I had this in my right ear for nearly 5 years. Finally took the dive and got the surgery done. NO problems whatsoever after. I'm not suggesting this for every case but this relieved a lot of pain and grief for me. You don't have to suffer with these horrible sounds.

[crispinhandly]

It's not just a clicking sound. It can be buzzing, wooshing, rumbling or many other types of sounds depending on how badly it's contracting. I think a lot of people read about MEM being clicking online and they assume they must not have it simply because they don't get a clicking sound.

[dreamqueen]

My ear feels like there’s little woodpeckers tapping on my ear drum.

[marcusagain]

i first got this when i was 14, saw multiple ENT's. I even learned to make it spasm on my own by closing my eyes hard enough, now i'm 25 and ever since the pandemic started i haven't been able to cause the spasm nor have i had an involuntary spasm. Just healed on its own after giving me years of problems. Weird

[TheGuzman]

Mine is a random thumping sound only in the right ear. A few months ago, this happened from time to time for about 1 day and then it stopped for weeks. Now I'm having this for 3 days in a row. And I realized also that, if I lower my body and look down, it goes off like a firecracker.

[LiviuMelioth]

This is most likely what's happening to me. It's not a clicking but a "thumping" sound, but the sensation is definitely like a muscle spasm. I thought it was the eardrum spasming but this makes more sense. My doctor gave me some antibiotic drops because she saw some redness, but it doesn't seem to be going away. I hope it's some mild infection and it goes away... but my hopes are not high for it. I would hate it if it was this, since I see there's no cure for it and it doesn't go away.

The weird thing is that when I apply pressure on my ear (simply by holding my thumb against my ear canal, no need to put too much pressure into it) the vibration disappears. Either that or I'm confusing it with the sounds from the joints in my hand which transfer to the ear.

Although, if it's a muscle spasm, there should be a reason for it, since muscle spasms don't happen just out of the blue, it must be a nerve that's pinched, overuse of the muscle, lack of proper mineral balance, something like that causing the spasm.

[IAMGiftbearer]

I can hear a sound like random rapid beats on a drum and I feel it too. It does seem like something inside my ear is twitching. Sometimes it lasts just a few minutes, but I've always wondered why it happens.

[medschoolbarbie]

I have gotten this in the past week but also have been sleep deprived and stressed. But the sound and feeling in the ear of the pulses keeps me up at night making my sleep and stress worse. For me it’s an irregular kinda sporadic thumping sound and feeling in the left ear. I only ever feel or notice it as I try to sleep and it is insanely annoying I stay up distressed af.

[Maltrix]

If anyone have any fixes to this PLEASE let me know. Im 20 ive had this clicking and crackling sound in my ears since i was 17. It clicks when i swallow, move my head and yawn. People can hear my clicks and it is making me crazy. Godspeed.

[chrisgladue]

Just found this on a medical journal. For MEM sufferers, lace your fingers together with your palms applying pressure to your cheek bones, they recommend two pounds of pressure till clicking stops. Hope it works.

[simpatikok]

I have this clicking/popping sound in my left ear everytime I swallow or when sometimes certain head movement. I don't feel pain, no clogged hearing, my hearing is normal, just this annoying sound. The sounds like theres something inside my left ear are hitting each other. When I yawn and then swallow there is no clicking sound, but the next time I swallow the sound is back. I been to two different hospital, but they says my ears are normal. But what causes this clicking sound? This is making my life uncomfortable. Can you give me OTC trimagnesium med and muscle relaxant? Please help.

[camanchehumphries]

This doesnt happen on its own for me i can twitch my own ear and can hear that sound when i do

[tomboychick]

It's not a clicking sound or sensation for me. It's a dull thumping that I can hear & feel. Always in my left ear, never the right. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it lasts for several days. And there's no rhyme or reason to it. No wax issues. Not had a cold. Not sinusitis. Not allergies to block my upper nose with snot. No obvious pressure changes (caused by flying/diving/climbing, etc). No trauma such as a whack to the skull from a punch in a fight (actually fight or boxing, etc) or a stray football that accidentally hits you in the side of the head. The only thing I can think of in my case is that it's somehow linked to the number of ear infections i had between the ages of 2 - 6, eventually resulting in a myringotomy & grommet tubes. But it was the same situation in BOTH ears, so who knows?

[puredistancegolf]

It can sound like rumble and you can cause it by squinting hard, yawning, and even moving your eyes (hard) in certain directions. Sound also triggers it. It feels like a vibration or shiver. I can feel it in my ear and the side of my face and eye when it spazzes really bad.

[thatbluefa]

I think i have this because i have clicking in my left ear only and it gets bad if there is a loud or obnoxious sound, like when i wear headphones with loud music playing. However it also seems to happen sometimes if i stand up quick or turn my head fast.

[otekki]

I thought I had this but mine is constant and a fast rhythm, sometimes jumping around. Feels a little like a heart beat but it’s way faster than pulse