Swallowing... And Then Ears Go *BANG*

[Coyotesheaven]

I've been suffering with this problem for a few months now.

Something is really off with the way I swallow, I am guessing from tight or malfunctioning muscles and a very dry mouth. When I swallow with my head bent over or when in bed, it is as if my muscles force a large amount of air up my eustachian tubes that gets into the middle ear as a massive pressure wave. I can feel my eardrums move, and furthermore on occasion I can hear a relatively loud popping noise that sounds like an explosion and cracking bone.

This is often followed by T, painful ears, vertigo, and hearing loss, which is making me think there really was a pressure wave in my middle ear exerting its effects on my inner ear.

The ent's have absolutely no idea what this is. I realize I have a little bit if eustachian tube dysfunction contributing to this, but why the heck my swallowing is reaching my inner ears is freaking me out.

Any thoughts???

 

[The Red Viper]

You could have really negative ear pressure that builds up and swallowing allows the pressure to equalize with a "bang."

 

[Coyotesheaven]

@The Red Viper

What would cause that? Seems quite possible as the pressure equalization is pretty faulty with my ET's especially in the left ear.

 

[The Red Viper]

It's some sort of inflammed tissue. I have the same issue with my right Eustachian tube. I'm not sure where exactly it's inflamed, but I know when I wake up in the morning and swallow, my right ear pops. I've measured this myself with a tympanogram as soon as I wake up and I've gotten massive negative ear pressure in my right ear. My left ear is completely normal in the morning. Not coincidentally, my T is also much louder in the morning and then pretty much goes away throughout the day.

The lining of the tube itself could be inflammed or it could be the orifice where it opens. Additionally, since your mouth is dry, the area in and around the tube could be dry as well, making it more "sticky" and hard to open normally, leading to negative ear pressure.

 

[Coyotesheaven]

@ The Red Viper

Well I think you just solved the problem all my doctors were stumped about! I have muscular tension which I think is causing swelling in the area including the TMJ region. That would of course lead to ET inflammation.

Time for acupuncture!

Would you think the sudden change in pressure could affect the inner ear as well?

Thanks again for this insight!

 

[Sara_Bond]

@Coyotesheaven

TMJD related. As usual ENT'S are very useless (the most useless job I could ever know). Go see a postgraded dentist in TMJD. You seem to have all the symptoms.

 

[Coyotesheaven]

@Sara_Bond

I don't think I have TMJ exclusively but that there is swelling in that area for another reason. All the muscles in my face and neck are tight as well; thinking it could (mayyybe) be lyme disease or fibromyalgia or just plain old nerve damage.
When it comes to anything relating to the inner ear, yea ENT's are pretty terrible and I feel so sorry for the people who wait months to see an ENT for devastating, obscure inner ear problems. With middle or outer ear stuff they are decent, as with nose and throat stuff.