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.