Blocked eustachian tube (ear)

[Dan21]

Hello again.

I posted last week as I've had a full feeling in my ear for a week. I had a pretty bad bout of flu a couple of weeks ago and this ear problem came on a few days after the flu had eased. I went to the doctors because as well as the full feeling my hearing in the left ear has dropped to about 70% and it sounds like someone has turned the bass up in that ear also. It's a really, really horrible sensation that is there from morning til night. It does appear to ease a bit during the day but it's worse early morning and late evening. There is also a constant tinnitus that is extremely frustrating.

The doctor said that there is fluid behind my ear and it will get better on it's own but I've been on antibiotics for two days now with no real change. She said that the fluid causes an imbalance in the inner ear and should drain off in a week or two but SURELY there should have been even the smallest improvement after a week of impaired hearing?? I feel so helpless with this, if I'd broken my leg I could rest or if I had a cut I know it'd heal but after Googling how long it takes for eustachian tubes to drain it seems like this could be a permanent problem as many seem to not get better. Plus, there are people saying that this could be a sign of a benign tumour...which is doing my health anxiety no end of good.

If anyone has had any experience of similar I'd love to hear how long it took to clear up for you.

Thanks,

D

[debera]

hi yes ive had this problem a few years back. for most usually it clears on its own in time. i wasnt that lucky mine didnt go away. so the ent doctor put a small ear tube in the ear drum to keep it drained it stays in about six months and then falls out on its own. that cleared the fluid up for good. no problems every since. but dont worry in most people it does clear up on its own. hope this helps

[willous1]

Hi, I posted on your thread last week and I had an idea it might be this as exactly what I had. I had steroid nose spray and took months to get better. Even nearly a year later my ear is not 100%. They help though so you may be prescribed them if does not clear up. Its a harmless but very very annoying condition. I used to hold my nose and try to pop my ear but probably made it worse. Steam inhalation and decongestants work a bit, a lot for some. Sudafed decongestants were great for me. Just stick with it, it will get better believe it or not. I saw an ENT specialist about it and he just said to take the prescribed spray and there is no need to see him or doctor again. At the time I thought he was mad but he was right. Take care.
Sean

[meche]

I had/have something similar... I think! For months I've had on/off earache, a fullness and constant crackling in both ears. It came to a head one day when I suddenly became very dizzy/lightheaded and decided to go to the doctor. She did every neuro exercise possible and checked my ears for infection..... nothing! She said I probably had a blockage or water deep in my ear that would clear up on it's own. It did get a little better but I still have constant crackling and the same fullness. I also sometimes get a fullness across the bridge of my nose and under my eyes but I don't have a stuffy or blocked nose so don't think it's sinus issues.

I don't know! I haven't been back to the doctor and just hoping whatever it is clears up. Very annoying though.

[Dan21]

Thanks everyone. It's a help to know that it can take longer than a couple of weeks to sort. The doctor was pretty un-fussed about the whole thing so that was good but to have your hearing dip and have almost constant tinnitus is really off-putting.

Deb, the ear tubes idea is something that is appealing to me already! But I'll sit tight and see how things pan out over the next few weeks. And thanks for the replies Willous and Meche - it's weird, I've had a sort of foggy head since this came in, almost like it's difficult to concentrate...did you have this also?

I just want it to go away!!

Thanks for the replies again.

[meche]

I do Dan. I feel like my head is stuffed with cotton wool and everything going on around me is unreal - I feel very spaced out at times and my concentration on a scale of 1-10 is 3 - 1 being very bad!!! I also get alot of ringing in my ears and it feels like they are going to explode at times. Very uncomfortable! xx

[Dan21]

Sorry to keep carping on about this but it's been a while since my HA has been backed up by genuine physical symptoms. But my current ear blocked sensation and hearing dip, is really getting me worried that I might have a tumour in my head/ear or that this feeling might be the pre-cursor to a stroke. The doctor said that colds can block eustachian tubes or make them dysfunctional for a few weeks after a cold/flu but the fact that I don't feel ANY better, even a little bit almost a week after this horrible ear thing coming on makes me think it's something worse. The tinnitus is terrible too. Just very, very worried that a tumour or blocked artery might cause the same symptoms...too scared to Google.

[willous1]

Your worries are identical to mine and although the ear is a nuisance, that is ALL it is. I can tell you this from experiance and being worried for ages. I saw doctors, Ent specialists etc and none of them would even talk about a tumour. You would have a LOT more symptoms and it is incredibly rare. Please forget about that now. The annoying thing is its always there but give it time. Don't stress if ots taking longer than you think it should. What are you taking for it. Have you tried decongestants. Nose drops and Sudafed decongestants worked a treat for me. More so than the steroid drops. A week is nothing mate. I had it for ages. The tinnitus will improve. Hate to say this but even googling won't tell you anything sinister because its common and harmless but obviously don't google as there is no need. Take it easy and chill out. When I had it, it was the worst feeling ever. My ear was so blocked and had a strange feeling. My hearing was always dipping. Smile.
Sean

[eon001]

Hi Guys,

Consider me a new member of the blocked ear club. :/ Here's my story -

*Woke up Christmas day both ears blocked. Yawned and popped my left ear, but the right ear remained blocked.

*Put my finger in and wiggled. It cleared momentarily then closed again. I tried to wait it out but it remained blocked.

*Googled solutions and the peroxide ear drop remedy kept popping up.
Bought some ear drops from Boots, spent boxing day scraping out ear wax. Didn’t help. I knew deep down it wasn't a wax problem, but I was getting desperate.

*Cotton buds didn't help either, probably made it worse. And caused minor irritation

*Further research suggested holding nose and swallowing water, which I responded well too, but ears still muffled.

*Currently sitting here chewing gum as I type this. I can feel movement in the affected area as I chew but no instant cure.

No pain, no irritation, no dizziness, just a blocked ear.

I must mention that the night it happened, I slept with an electric heater blowing dry hot ear into my room as a I slept all night. I also may have laid on my side ear side down which may have caused ear pressure build up or trapped air. I know I'm grasping at straws, but I'm running out of potential causes. And I'm getting freaked out knowing I might have this for life.

I'm a little concerned because it seems like there’s alot of case's that are incurable.
I'll keep you updated.
Any further advice would be great.


Ps: I've also had a few sudafeds. I'll finish the course of pills and update.

[Chippy_boy]

eon - exactly the same thing happened to me 2 days ago. Woke in the middle of the night with a strange sensation and ringing noise in my left ear. But I didn't fully wake up and managed to get straight back to sleep without consciously thinking about it.

When I awoke properly in the morning, I found my left ear completely blocked. The ringing I think was due to my ear's auto volume control - if you know what I mean - turning the volume up to max to try to hear something.

I have no idea why this has happened. I have no excess wax, no cold or flu - and haven't had one recently - no infections, no pain. Just a blocked ear.

I have been on Sudafed for a few days and thank god it has now opened up, but it still feels odd and it's still ringing. It rings constantly, but more loudly when I talk and when there's noise around. Here's another weird thing, the ringing increases in volume if I put my finger in my other (good) ear!??! What the heck is that about.

I don't know whether to stop the Sudafed now (one of the side effects of Sudafed can be ringing in the ears!) or whether to carry on because the Sudafed might fix it. Googling around some people say you must carry on with it and other say stop taking it now. It's a minefield of contradicting information.

I just hope the ringing goes away eventually because it's driving me potty. And not least because one of my passions is music and my hifi, which is completely useless if my ear stays like this :-( It's all a bit worrying and depressing.