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Can Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Cause Severe Ear Pain?
Question: I have pain in my left ear, have drainage clearing my throat etc and a ringing sound in my ear. had an ear infection several month ago. Then in April had a bout of Laryngitis, that went into chest cold.
Cannot "pop" my ear on that side when pressure changes happen. I have allergies, have had some sinus pain in my forehead. I did quite a bit of flying Dec-Jan when this problem began. Had my ears flushed for wax beginning of Feb. Then my Dr. said I had eustacean tube problem. They have me now on antibiotics again and it's not helping.
Cannot "pop" my ear on that side when pressure changes happen. I have allergies, have had some sinus pain in my forehead. I did quite a bit of flying Dec-Jan when this problem began. Had my ears flushed for wax beginning of Feb. Then my Dr. said I had eustacean tube problem. They have me now on antibiotics again and it's not helping.
Brief Answer:
time, autoinsufflation, decongestants, oral and nasal steroids
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
I agree with the eustachian tube dysfunction diagnosis aspect. Eustachian tube dysfunction can cause fullness, tinnitus (abnormal noises such as ringing) and pain in some persons.
The post nasal drip of mucus is in keeping with your history of allergies and previous sinus pain.
In general, eustachian tube dysfunction is treated by:(1) time- it can unfortunately take a while to improve in some persons. There are others who go on to develop long term issues
(2)A course of oral and nasal steroids can be helpful in some persons. Nasal steroids include nasonex, nasocort, flonase, rhinocort, avamys etc.
The oral and nasal should be combined, one medical study found that the nasal sprays on their own were not effective
(3) autoinsufflation which basically means repeatedly trying to pop the ear multiple times a day though it is difficult for you.
This is in an attempt to drive through air
A device called otovent may be helpful with this
(4)oral and nasal decongestants even if there is no nasal congestion. The nasal decongestant, otrivine, should only be used for a few days.
The oral decongestants may be found in the allergy meds that you were using.
(5)there are also more invasive options for treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction such as dilation of the tube which involves the insertion of a catheter via the nose into the tube
This would require an ENT specialist
If you use these medications and autoinsufflation consistently for 2 to 3 weeks and there is no response, then you may need to see an ENT specialist for assessment and treatment
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
time, autoinsufflation, decongestants, oral and nasal steroids
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
I agree with the eustachian tube dysfunction diagnosis aspect. Eustachian tube dysfunction can cause fullness, tinnitus (abnormal noises such as ringing) and pain in some persons.
The post nasal drip of mucus is in keeping with your history of allergies and previous sinus pain.
In general, eustachian tube dysfunction is treated by:(1) time- it can unfortunately take a while to improve in some persons. There are others who go on to develop long term issues
(2)A course of oral and nasal steroids can be helpful in some persons. Nasal steroids include nasonex, nasocort, flonase, rhinocort, avamys etc.
The oral and nasal should be combined, one medical study found that the nasal sprays on their own were not effective
(3) autoinsufflation which basically means repeatedly trying to pop the ear multiple times a day though it is difficult for you.
This is in an attempt to drive through air
A device called otovent may be helpful with this
(4)oral and nasal decongestants even if there is no nasal congestion. The nasal decongestant, otrivine, should only be used for a few days.
The oral decongestants may be found in the allergy meds that you were using.
(5)there are also more invasive options for treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction such as dilation of the tube which involves the insertion of a catheter via the nose into the tube
This would require an ENT specialist
If you use these medications and autoinsufflation consistently for 2 to 3 weeks and there is no response, then you may need to see an ENT specialist for assessment and treatment
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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