For the last year or two, certain noises have triggered a strange reaction in both my ears. They suddenly feel like they block and make a cracking sensation, and it's the actual cracking/blocking feeling that hurts rather than the noise itself.
Clapping is the easiest example. Every time the hands clap, both my ears make a sort of cracking sound and feel blocked. In the tiny gap between each clap, they unblock again. So if someone is clapping repeatedly, my ears are basically going block, unblock, block, unblock in time with every clap.
It also happens when someone suddenly raises or projects their voice, especially with higher-pitched voices, and sometimes with someone talking loudly on speakerphone. High pitch sounds from an excited child.a baby crying.
It's both ears at exactly the same time and only happens at the moment the sound happens. It's not earwax or a normal blocked-ear feeling.
I've had it for maybe a year or two. I think it started quite suddenly, although I can't remember exactly.
Does anyone know what it is and why it happens ?;