Why does my left ear crackle when I swallow or flex my ear c?

Okay, this little problem is starting to really depress me. I will tell the whole story, with all the details, and I pray somebody knows what it could be or possibly how to help me. About a month and a half ago I had really bad neck stiffness, like I slept on it wrong or something, this may not be related at all, but I want to mention every detail. After the neck pain went away after AFEW days I got a really bad cold. I mean bad. And I, stupidhead not knowing this wasn't the best thing to do blew my nose pretty hard in the shower, and then my ears clogged. or felt plugged up, but my left ear was definitely worse. I freaked out because I thought it was just wax build up or something stuck in my ear...so I tried to clean it out with peroxide, warm water and vinegar, and even went and bought a wax removal kit. Finally nothing helped clear them so I went to an ENT specialist. They did a hearing test came to the conclusion that I had minor hearing loss in my left ear at high frequency. He looked inside them both and said they were clear, and that I probably got mucus in my eustachion tubes. He told me to buy some Mucinex D, which I did and used for a bit until I accidentally mixed it with Nasonex, and it gave me side effects like my heart would race and trouble sleeping. Finally the cloggness went away and was followed by a ringing in my left ear only. It really started to drive me insane as I lost sleep, and had temporary insomnia. At this time I did research and read about TMJ and Tinnitus. Thinking the worst I became very stressed and anxious(which i am already an anxious person) and then I realized the left side of my jaw was really sore and I couldn't open it very wide without it hurting. so with all these symptoms I became very stressed, and decided to go stay at my dads for a while. The stress started to go away and the ringing actually went away completely after about four days or so. But then I realized there was a crackle in my ears(both) when I would swallow or flex my ear c, and not at all when i eat or yawn. Only when I swallow or flex it. At the time It didnt bother me because I was just so glad to be rid of the ringing. My spirits went back up and everything seemed to be getting better. My jaw(left side only) remained sore but did start to get better. I'm not sure how long exactly but after afew more days I started to get stressed out again because I noticed the crackling didnt go away. Then eventually it was just my left ear. Everytime I swallow or flex it crackles. Not very loud, just enough to hear it and know its there. It sounds like bubbles in my ear or something. I started to get more stressed because I was about to get on a plane for the first time and fly across the country from cali to NC. So I flew out here safely but the crackling did not go away. The weird thing is...a couple times(once was this morning) the crackle was completely gone, and I think it had to do with laying in bed or going to sleep, As soon as I got up and got out of the shower it returned. I can onlt count two times it went away so far, and that was one night right before I fell asleep, and this morning like I said when I woke up. the volume of th crackle seems to go down if im busy or having fun and not paying attention, but eventually i always swallow and try to hear it again. the more i do the more distinct i think it gets. when i move my jaw from left to right it still is kinda sore on the left side. and when i put my finger in my ear and move my jaw from side to side i can feel pain at the top joint or whatever on the left side. the right side is completely fine with no pain and no crackling in my ear. Yesterday I became very annoyed by it and tried cleaning it with a q tip, which i always use to do every day without fail before this all started, but the ENT told me I shouldnt because I had to wax. So I stopped doing it completely and alltogether. Until yesterday. I did it and it did nothing, and even brought a slight pain inside my ear, which is still there but not constant, its more like a slight ache that comes and goes. I could live with the pain but i am getting so tired of the crackle. i have read so many cases similar but not the same, in most cases I read that people have the crackle when they swallow yawn, move their head or even eat. mine ONLY happens when i swallow or flex my left ear c. i have been told before i gind my teeth in my sleep or clench. so i figure this is the cause of the sore side of my jaw. i dont think i have done either recently though. this is pretty much every detail. please please please please somebody have some idea of what this could be. it keeps me stressed, and sometimes depressed. thank you so much for taking the time to read this.