Eustachian Tube Dysfunction: "Crackling" Sounds?

[Luman]

I have come to realize that my tinnitus is accompanied by, or caused by EDT. I used some Flonase today, sprayed perpendicular, and later did a little of the nose blowing technique, which you're supposed to do once an hour. Neither of my ears has actually popped yet, but feel like they're trying when I gently blow while holding my nose.

After using hot compresses on my jawline and ears for a few minutes, to reheat the washcloths, when I went in to the bathroom and bent over the tub while the water was running, I heard sounds that were not like T, more like a distortion or, for lack of a better term, crackle, in response to the water sound. I tried listening to the running water again just now, bending over, which is a few minutes later, and didn't hear it again. Is this phenomenon anything to worry about? I'm hoping that things are starting to move in my ears, and maybe this is just the sound of that happening.

I also heard a similar sound when applying the hot compresses to my ears, but more subtle. It sounds sort of like when you use earwax removal medicine or peroxide for cleaning out wex, except in this case my ears are free of earwax and this sound is on the inside of the eardrum.

Edit: Just found an interesting article, here: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ask-the-expert/ear-nose-and-throat/a14/crackling-ears/

 

[Karl28]

It could be PET.
It often gets misdiagnosed as ETD.

Get an ENT doctor to do that camera up the nose thing to tell u for sure

 

[Luman]

It could be PET.
It often gets misdiagnosed as ETD.

Get an ENT doctor to do that camera up the nose thing to tell u for sure

Thanks for the tip. My ENT doctor did look up my nose with a device of some kind, in his office in August when I went there, he didn't mention PET and didn't see anything wrong, nor did my regular GP recently when he looked in, and a third doc with an Urgent Care Center also looked and didn't see anything wrong in either my ears, nose or throat. I didn't even know what PET was until just now when you mentioned it, until I looked it up and found it was patulous Eustachian tube, a rare disorder. If I have it (PET), it's not nearly as profound in my case as what I've read and seen online, although loud noises always bothered me but not terribly as I've worked in very noisy environments such as the floor of a large stock exchange decades ago (which my have hurt my hearing). The basic symptoms of PET, at least what I see online for it, don't really sound like what I have, at least my voice sounds fine in my head to me, most all of the time, it's not screaming or anything like that, my breathing sounds OK, etc. I do have that fullness, similar to the ETD, at least a couple of times a day, and had it years ago when I was younger but no apparent T at that time and eventually got used to it. Back then, I had no knowledge of ETD or Tinnitus which I likely had very mildly in my 20's and onward - I thought my fullness was a neurosis or something.

As for possible/probable ETD, I don't think this was or is caused by allergies, colds or other sickness, and I don't take planes much, in fact have't been on one in years. My T and possible ETD seem to benefit from holding hot compresses on my face and ears, and maybe breathing steam would also help, both are considered a treatment for ETD, but I have not tried the last one (breathing steam). I think that if I have ETD, it's not the only cause of the T. I'm getting one of those devices for blowing air into the nose, while swallowing, to see if there's any improvement, it should arrive next week. If it doesn't help, or things don't improve with the T over the next couple of months, eventually I'll go to a better specialist(s). I would have already, but it's only been been a little over 2 months since this started and they say to give it some time which I'm doing.

 

[HCR123]

Hey Luman,
Did the crackling subside or did the warm compresses and breathing steam work? I feel as if I have a bit of that now. I may use a bit of Flonase. I was taking allegra D before.