Knee pain

I am young, but I have had knee pain for several years.

At first, I thought it would just be temporary and moved on.

There are many cracking sounds in my knees, and while bending my knees

It makes a loud noise when opened, and it feels like the bones are hitting each other.

Sometimes I feel a bit uncomfortable when going down the stairs.

And sometimes when I sleep, I feel a throbbing sensation in my knees.

So, in the past, I felt that it could be overcome through exercise.

I started running, doing squats every day, and knee strengthening exercises.

I'm wondering if it's okay to have muscles attached around the knees and lower body.

I stopped running because I thought it would put too much strain on my knees.

Currently, I do squats every day and walk occasionally.

I have developed some muscle in my lower body, but my knees seem to be similar.

What could be the problem with my knee?