I Don't Get It. Why Are My Ears Still Plugged?

[threefirefour]

I mean, yeah I know I have ETD. Non-diagnosed but all the symptoms are there. Today I was driving on the freeway (my car is quiet so it wouldn't cause tinnitus, it's 70 dB inside the cabin), and I went down a small 15 meter decline at 110 km/h, and my ears plugged up right away, wasn't painful, but uncomfortable and everything was more muffled. Valsalva doesn't really clear it that well, so I have to try forcing a yawn and hoping for the best. I get moments of random hearing clarity, and the tinnitus usually gets a lot quieter in that ear, but they're short lived and few.

I've been on Flonaze for almost 4 weeks and my ETs still crackle up a storm. It's gone down a bit but not always, and it gets a lot worse randomly. I've been on Sudafed for 4 days, and I still have that swishing feeling of fluid when I tilt my head in my ears. My ENT appointment is cemented in mid-November, so that sucks.

Any idea why my ETD isn't improving?

 

[Aaron44126]

No solutions for you really but I'll throw out there what I can think of...

ETD has been known to last for months and months, middle ear healing can be very slow... Unfortunately, for some people, it is chronic. If you've had it for more than a few months, an ENT may want to do a myringotomy — or, poke a hole in your eardrum to allow the fluid to drain out, and possibly insert a tube to allow for pressure equalization. This isn't a very dangerous procedure (it's regularly done for young kids who get ear infections regularly due to persistent middle ear fluid, due to underdeveloped/not-quite-yet-functional ETs I believe).

Have you tried steaming? I found it helpful in reducing the clogged ear feeling when I had it really bad (I did this before I started on Sudafed). Boil a pot of water until it has nice hot steam coming off of it... Then, take it off of the stove, put your head above it, and breathe in the steam through your nose. You can put a towel on top of your head to keep the steam in, sort of like a poor man's steam room. I'm not sure how long you should do it for, I had sessions of about 15 to 20 minutes. The steam and hot air can cause the Eustachian tubes to open (much more gently than with Valsalva) and that would hopefully allow some of the fluid/gunk to drain out. If you have access to a steam room (through a health club or something), sitting in there for an hour could be beneficial.

Also you're taking "real" Sudafed and not Sudafed PE, correct? I never tried PE but I heard that it does not work as well. I only took Sudafed for four days, and my ear cracked and crackled for several days afterwards, I wonder if it is because some of the mucus gunk in there dried up.

Any history of allergies? That can cause persistent ETD, you may need separate medication to get that under control. (My ETD is not allergy related so I don't know much about that.)

You haven't had dizziness or nausea or balance issues at all, correct? (Could be indicative of Ménière's disease, which shares many symptoms with ETD.)

Make sure you have a list of everything that you want to talk over with your ENT when your appointment comes. My two appointments were both informative but rather brief, and some things came up during our conversation that would not have if I had not been the one to bring them up.

 

[threefirefour]

No solutions for you really but I'll throw out there what I can think of...

ETD has been known to last for months and months, middle ear healing can be very slow... Unfortunately, for some people, it is chronic. If you've had it for more than a few months, an ENT may want to do a myringotomy — or, poke a hole in your eardrum to allow the fluid to drain out, and possibly insert a tube to allow for pressure equalization. This isn't a very dangerous procedure (it's regularly done for young kids who get ear infections regularly due to persistent middle ear fluid, due to underdeveloped/not-quite-yet-functional ETs I believe).

Have you tried steaming? I found it helpful in reducing the clogged ear feeling when I had it really bad (I did this before I started on Sudafed). Boil a pot of water until it has nice hot steam coming off of it... Then, take it off of the stove, put your head above it, and breathe in the steam through your nose. You can put a towel on top of your head to keep the steam in, sort of like a poor man's steam room. I'm not sure how long you should do it for, I had sessions of about 15 to 20 minutes. The steam and hot air can cause the Eustachian tubes to open (much more gently than with Valsalva) and that would hopefully allow some of the fluid/gunk to drain out. If you have access to a steam room (through a health club or something), sitting in there for an hour could be beneficial.

Also you're taking "real" Sudafed and not Sudafed PE, correct? I never tried PE but I heard that it does not work as well. I only took Sudafed for four days, and my ear cracked and crackled for several days afterwards, I wonder if it is because some of the mucus gunk in there dried up.

Any history of allergies? That can cause persistent ETD, you may need separate medication to get that under control. (My ETD is not allergy related so I don't know much about that.)

You haven't had dizziness or nausea or balance issues at all, correct? (Could be indicative of Ménière's disease, which shares many symptoms with ETD.)

Make sure you have a list of everything that you want to talk over with your ENT when your appointment comes. My two appointments were both informative but rather brief, and some things came up during our conversation that would not have if I had not been the one to bring them up.

Thank you for the detailed and helpful reply.

I have not tried steaming to that degree, but I take two hot showers a day. Once to clean myself up, and one before bed to clear my ETs. Helps somewhat.

I am taking generic sutafed.

I don't believe I have allergies, Zyrtec doesn't work and neither has anything else I've taken, like Claritin or Benadryl.

No dizziness or nausea. I've never ever had a vertigo attack.

 

[Aaron123]

make sure you are using the Flonaze properly:
https://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm
https://fauquierent.blogspot.com/2011/09/intranasal-treatment-for-clogged-ears.html

 

[threefirefour]

make sure you are using the Flonaze properly:
https://www.fauquierent.net/etd2.htm
https://fauquierent.blogspot.com/2011/09/intranasal-treatment-for-clogged-ears.html

I know how to use it, it's just not working to well right now. My right ET is more inflammed so it's hard to get it in there.

 

[Aaron44126]

ENT might put you on prednisone... That could help get the inflammation down and it doesn't require squirting.

 

[Luman]

Be careful with the frequency of using that Flonazse, and similar products, they can dry out the tubes, which is a rebound effect, making things harder to get out. I use Simply Saline by Arm and Hammer, non-drug and won't rebound. I also use an inexpensive facial steamer to help to open up the Eustachian tubes in the nose. My doctor says I don't have a problem with my Eustachian tubes, but it won't hurt to keep them exercised and clean.

 

[threefirefour]

Be careful with the frequency of using that Flonazse, and similar products, they can dry out the tubes, which is a rebound effect, making things harder to get out. I use Simply Saline by Arm and Hammer, non-drug and won't rebound. I also use an inexpensive facial steamer to help to open up the Eustachian tubes in the nose. My doctor says I don't have a problem with my Eustachian tubes, but it won't hurt to keep them exercised and clean.

I made that mistake and my ETs were gummed up really badly for a while. It's much better now.

 

[Luman]

I've decided to do my eustachi stuff well before bedtime, 4 to 5 hours or so, because I believe that the eustachian tubes don't drain right when we're horizontal.

 

[Mila9828]

I made that mistake and my ETs were gummed up really badly for a while. It's much better now.

Did your weird hearing ever go away? I feel like I'm hearing underwater even though my hearing tests are normal sigh.

 

[Andy9214]

I made that mistake and my ETs were gummed up really badly for a while. It's much better now.

I see this thread is from two years ago. Are you ears/etd back to normal?

 

[threefirefour]

I see this thread is from two years ago. Are you ears/etd back to normal?

Yes they are my ETD cleared up. It came back a bit recently.

 

[Lisa Litchkowski]

Hi guys! My tubes have been blocked for almost 4months now. Started with dizziness and feeling like I was going to pass out, then went to head pressure, ears popping. Been to doctors and ENT. ENT said they were blocked with fluid and put me on steroids and flonase. Steroids helped for a lil bit but the problem returned after the dose. I can feel the fluid in my ears when I wake up. In November the tinnitus started with it. It's now almost 4months later and I still feel miserable. I'm dizzy almost every single day. My regular doctor put me on singulair but I started having bad side effects from it so I stopped. Muscle cramps, heart palpitations..was not fun. I just bought a face steamer tonight and I'm hoping it gives me some relief.

What is the longest everybody has had it for? I feel like I'm never going to get better. I've been miserable. It causes my anxiety to be through the roof. Any tips and tricks you want to share? Thanks in advance.