Ear blocked - so worried, so much panic

Hi guys,

Has anyone ever experienced their ear feeling blocked for more than a few days?

My right ear started hurting about a week ago, and gradually started to acquire a feeling of "fullness," like it had to pop, as if I was on an airplane.

I went to the doctor who said it was Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (something about unequal pressure in middle ear) and that I should wait another week. But it's so hard to sit with this.

The pain/fullness tends to come and go. It is better when I'm not focusing on it (so basically when I'm focusing on a different bodily symptom, because OCD) and it's also better when I take a Xanax (which I have been taking a LOT of lately), which leads me to think anxiety/obsessing may be playing a role in this, but I'm not sure.

I'm really scared that this will be permanent or turn into something worse, like an infection or tinnitus or dizziness. So paranoid. Also, I read on a lot of medical websites to try something called the Valsalva Maneuver, which is when you exhale against closed airways to unblock the ear. I did this a couple times but THEN I read that this maneuver can actually damage your inner ear (!!!!!), and now I am PARANOID that I may have caused damage to my INNER EAR and might develop vertigo, etc.? I can't stop beating myself up for trying this.

Anyway, everything I see on the web is from people who have been suffering from this for months, which is exactly what I'm terrified of. Please help me get some perspective.

Hugs to you all.

Hi,

I do understand your worry over this.

Ok.....so I am suffering with this at the moment too, and (but please don't get frighetened) for quite a long time. I saw my doctor about it when it first occurred, and he said that it was fluid in the middle ear due to a eustachian tube issue, and - in his words - 'I will give you some antibiotic drops, but it should clear with time'......but it didn't.

PLEASE DON'T BE SCARED though!!! The truth is that only very recently I have REALLY started researching self-help treatments for this HORRENDOUSLY FRUSTRATING problem, and really tackling it every day to try and get rid of it. For ages I have just sat on it, not really tried to address it, and frankly just tried to ignore it, but I have just grown increasingly angry about it, and am grabbing the bull by the horns now!

My problem shows itself in me waking up every day with my left ear blocked, a feeling of fullness in the side and just generally feeling fuzzy headed. If I open and close my mouth or eat/speak, my ears pop like crazy, but my left is the worst side.

This is what I have been doing.....and doing them RELIGIOUSLY every day, without any breaks:

1. Steam inhalations.
2. Decongestant nasal sprays or decongestant tablets.
3. Nasal rinses - something called 'Neilmed sinus rinse.'
4. Heat pad or hot water bottle against the ear (I have it against my worst affected side)
5. Humidifier at night in the bedroom - this helps moisten the airways to encourage unblocking.

I have been doing all of the above only for just over a week now, and I have seen a very small improvement. I think that if fluid is involved (in the middle ear) it does thicken up over time when unresolved, so it is a case of breaking it down to allow it to drain. Once this is resolved, the pressure is equalized and the clogged feeling should go.

As far as the valsalva goes, I have been doing that every day, sometimes more. Please don't believe the scare stories on Google searches. I have actually seen a lot of advice from different medical professionals saying that valsalva is the PRIME thing that should be attempted for simple ear blocking. It is when that doesn't help that the other steps should be tried, as not all blockages can be cured that way.

Also, there is another technique which does help with the blocked sensation as an alternative to valsalva. Put a clean finger in the ear and once inserted, gently move it upwards as if pointing to the top of your head, but not too far, as what you need to do is kind of create a sealed vacuum. You then gently move you finger very slightly in and out. This helps pop the ear too.

Please don't worry. This issue is very common and it is not a dangerous or unsolvable problem. x:hugs:

I get etd and it's not nice when I had it first it took bout three months to get better I'm sure itl get better soon x