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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Retracted Eardrums?

I am a healthy active 64 yr old. After having 2 weeks of humming in head, a doctor said I had fluid in ears- take NSAIDS 3x s a day for 3 days. No cold symptoms, no allergies. Humming went away for 2 days and came back worse than ever. Went on for another month when a doctor said the eardrums were retracted. What could cause fluid in the first place and then what could cause eardrums to retract? lso, I have historically low BP, but during this time it has risen acutely and has been fluctuating-mornings lower, evenings higher.-Joan
posted on Tue, 7 Mar 2017
Twitter Tue, 27 Nov 2018 Answered on
Twitter Wed, 28 Nov 2018 Last reviewed on
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello,

Fluid in the ear is mostly caused by a viral infection that causes the tubes that drain the middle spaces of the ears in the throat (eustachian tubes).

This causes the fluid to build up in the ear in the first place and later due to negative pressure the eardrums might retract. It generally may take a few weeks before all this process reverses.

Sometimes allergy of the throat can cause the tubes to block as well and cause the same situation but that may cause the retraction to last much longer because the cause of it is staying for longer.

In this case, nasal steroids can be tried and oral antihistamines to reduce the local inflammation in the throat and the swelling due to the allergy.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Take care

Regards,
Dr Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician
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What Causes Retracted Eardrums?

Hello, Fluid in the ear is mostly caused by a viral infection that causes the tubes that drain the middle spaces of the ears in the throat (eustachian tubes). This causes the fluid to build up in the ear in the first place and later due to negative pressure the eardrums might retract. It generally may take a few weeks before all this process reverses. Sometimes allergy of the throat can cause the tubes to block as well and cause the same situation but that may cause the retraction to last much longer because the cause of it is staying for longer. In this case, nasal steroids can be tried and oral antihistamines to reduce the local inflammation in the throat and the swelling due to the allergy. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Regards, Dr Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician