CHRONIC BLOCKED EARS

[ZachBrady]

HI I HAVE HAD BOTH EARS COMPLETELY BLOCKED FOR OVER A YEAR. HEAVY FULLNESS AND PRESURE. THEY HAVE NEVER POPPED, HAVE SEEN MANY DOC'S AND ENT'S WITH NO HELP. HAD TUBES PUT IN 2 WEEKS AGO AND BLOCKED AND FULLNESS IS NOW WORSE...HELP ANYONE. ALL SOUNDS ARE MUFFELED AND GOING INSANE!!! CT SCAN SHOWED NOTHING AND ANTIBIOTICS AND NASAL SPRAYS AND SUDAFED AND NO HELP. HELP PLEASE.

[hava]

It is time to try an alternative.
Start doing the following breathing exercise daily and it will help all your ear problem.
- Deep Breath-in through left nostril keeping right nostril closed
then - Breath-out through right nostril keeping left nostril closed
then -Deep Breath-in through right nostril keeping left nostril closed
then - Breath-out through left nostril keeping right nostril closed
and repeat this cycle for 15 minutes twice a day.
--
After a few days indicate how it is helping and I will suggest further breathing.Do it and it will help the body to fight the ear problem.

[bweb]

Have you tried benadryl or sudafed?  Sounds like a fluid problem.
Sorry to hear of your suffering.  Were you exposed to a possible allergen that you still are suffering from, like mold or dust...did you recently move?

[liz40]

help please!! I have had severe blocked right ear with lots of insane ringing, doctor put me on antihistamine and decongenstant, its still the same, 3days later, I cannot blow ny nows without feeling like I a going to blow my eyeballs out too, that is how bad the pressure is I would appreciate some info?

[bweb]

Liz

I have been through some bad ear stuff over the past years.

The worst case scenario was that I had a fungal infection and the anti-biotics they put me on actually fed the fungus making the situation worse.  I hope you go to an ENT...I had gone to regular docs and to the emergency room...they had no clue.

If it is a regular ear problem, it is probably fluid caused by a virus or possibly a bacteria....the best you can do right away is to relieve the symptoms with an antihistamine like sudafed or benadryl...

But with your urgency I suggest an immediate appt. with an ENT.

Please let me know what has happened...and best of luck to you...I know it can make you feel crazed!!

[liz40]

Yes, thanks, I have appt with ent next week.I will not rest until this is resolved. Where is the real "house" when you need one? I am on a zytek-d. not helping.arghhh. I appreciate your response

[bweb]

liz,

Great, I am sure you will get it solved...hang in there!

[ZachBrady]

Thanks for all your comments... I have tryed both benadryl and sudafed on a daily basis for 5 months and no changes!!! Even been going to a homeopathic doctor 2 times a week...by the way our bill is up to $10 000, and still no solution.  Went to ENT today and he said that it is a mucus problem in the eustation tube, and no meds will help just time.  Well it has been over a year!!!!give me a break!!!

[liz40]

Hi, I am back, went to the ent, said there was nothing significant in my ears and nose. So a hearing test is ordered to determine if he eustatian tube is damaged. I came across a great informative website called houseclinic it focuses on ears and ear disorders. There are so many causes for ear problems, I didn't realize, but, in most cases, the tinnitis,itching,"wet" feeling is an allergic response that sometimes does require surgery. I do not believe in tubes for the ears,come to think of it if steroids can help reduce the inflamation,contrary to what I previously thought then perhaps its something to consider. Anxiety, caffeine and aspring seem to pop up as worsening the tinnitus sound. I will continue to research, I refuse to believe what doc's tell us, its definitly something to look into, x-rays,the tiny bones in the ear anything can cause headnoise. BUT I think that in my case it sounds like allergy related, still its very frustrating and only someone who has this continuous ZZZZiiing in their heads would understand. Hang in there, and don't give up

[liz40]

sorry, the website is houseearclinic. and OMG the thought that a tumor could be growing is just horrific.

[Glyn1s]

Hi ive had  a blocked right ear  for 2 months now  have seen the doctor twice he says its fluid  and gave me a decongestant well theres no signs of improvement i have to go back he says if its no better and he will get me an appointment with ENT  but its driving me mad with
worrying whats  wrong i havent had a cold or anything it feels blocked and every noise is muffled and echoes through my head and feels like a grinding  feeling in my ear and head has anyone else had this and how long does it last ive even tried herbal remedies  but nothing works i would like to hear if nayone else has had this problem its driving me mad because im thinking all sorts of things

[lisaMK]

Your post here surprised me as I pretty much could have writen it myself as MY story - I was googling "blocked ears" when I found this site/post..  About a year ago I got a cold (no big deal, I get about one a year) but my blocked ears have never gone away.  It has literally been a year for me as well and, as I am usually a very healthy person with no allergies, it is driving me insane.  I have been to my doctor who said I might have some fluid in my ears and to try sudafed.  Used it again and again and it did not work.  Then I was prescribed flonase.  Also did not work.  Just saw an ENT doc who said my ears look perfect, I have no hearing loss and that it is just a puzzle and probably something I would have to live with.  I am not sure if I should be relieved or worried that is all looks normal.  It is maddening.  We tried those beeswax candles and are now working on more homeopathic remedies.  If I ever find something that works for me, I will post it and please, please, please do likewise if you find something that works for you as well.   Thanks!!

[splash82]

Im suffering from the same situation. I started with a colded,  then got blocked ears and they have never gone away. The doctors have told me there is no infection in my ears, they are just block especially the right one. The doctor said i need a operation and i've been waiting five months now. I'm going crazy because the headaches are now every day 24/7 and I feel like a chronic pill popper. The chemist even know me well now. I would love to try a natural remdie if anybody knows any please let me know. The headaches have became that bad I could properably say they are migranes. I also feel off balance like one side of my body is heavy then the other. Has anybody had the operation? and does it work?

[erin3180]

I had the same problem as a cause of fluid building from allergies. I used a sinus rinse from the pharmacy followed by nasacort, twice a day. And I took benedryl at night. My ears popped eventually.

[erin3180]

the sinus rinse: buy the box of saline packets and the actual rinser, which is a bottle. Sometimes the packets come with the rinser, sometimes not.

[Heno]

I have been suffering from the same problem for over a year,  both ears clogged I can barely hear anything and it is literally driving me insane and making me depressed, I have been to the Docs but it is always the same old B.S. they look fine try this, FU PAY ME.  Its hard to find a good Doc these days, its all about selling that next script.  Anyways I am desperately looking for a solution to this problem because I can not take it anymore, I will post anything I can come up with that works.  Beleive me I feel your pain.  Has anyone tryed the wax candles?

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Ear candles are useless.  Not to mention the FDA has a "detainment" order on ear candles crossing the border.

You can not tell from otoscopy the middle ear status. Sure it is an indication, but it is not a final test.

You need to have:

Otoscopy
Tympanometry
Air and bone audiometry

After these test, a determination regarding a person's middle ear status can be made. The docs that just look into the ear and use that as their only diagnostic tool can't afford the equipment or an audiologist to run the equipment. So they just wave their magic wand, take your co-pay and send you on your way.

In the future, and this goes for anyone with ear issues, see an ENT and only ENT with an AUDIOLOGIST on staff. Do not see an ENT with an assistant doing hearing evaluations they will not know what they are doing.

Audiologist at least have a masters degree in the area of hearing disorders and a large percentage of audiologist have doctorate degrees.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Oh sorry, for those looking for a solution. You may be suffering from glue ear, a condition that is difficult to treat. The bacteria is rather stuborn.

I personally like PETs (tubes) I'd rather than than continius meds. For those that smoke and have eustachean tube issues....   well there you go, that is one of the benifits of smoking.

[hollybeak]

hello, my right ear pops whenever i do weights at the gym! or like today after i was running on the treadmill... i made the mistake of going for a swim and now my left ear feels funny. i went to the doctors about a month ago and he gave me beconase nasal spray it hasnt really helped. ive tried steaming but no results. its been like this for months! at first it felt like i had water in my right ear whenever i went to bed my ear was itchy, one day it wouldnt stop ringing! my only worry now is that im goin on holiday next week and ive had flu on a plane before and the agony in my ears was horrible! im scared this is going to happen again! it would ruin my holiday :-( any tips would be great!!

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Use a nose spray at least 30 minutes prior before you fly.

[JulesLynn]

I've had the same problem__started last summer with what I thought was wax in my ear.  Dr. said my ears looked fine but put me on sudafed, etc.  It kept getting worse until I started running to ENTs.  An audiogram showed a slight hearing loss in bad ear but nothing out- of -line for my age. But my ear kept getting more and more pressure, brain fog set in along with tinnitus, I became sensitive to noise, and my head felt as if someone had poured a pitcher of water into it.  One ENT said I was "pre-meniere's" because I wasn't having the severe vertigo.  I ended up having to take a medical leave from my job.  
I finally went to the Mayo clinic and they gave me a steroid shot in my ear and instead of calling it "meniere's" they said it was endolymphatic hydrops. A more exact diagnose.
I just found out there is a book by a Dr. R. Gacek, he taught at Harvard and has been past president of the Otolaryngologist Society.  The book title is "Viral Neuropathies of the Temporal Bone".  I asked all the doctors I visited over the last year if my ears could be related to the herpes family of viruses because I do get cold sores.  At my request my current doctor has put me on an anti-viral med and the pain that was starting in my other ear has cleared up and the tinnitus in my bad ear is greatly diminished.  I finally have some hope of conquering this thing.

[Wear/a/Jimmy]

Yes, sadly it sounds as though you have been dealing with quaks. Most any ENT worth his or her salt will not throw out the diagnoses of meniere's disease upon an initial visit.

and yes, most ENTs worth their salt know about the Herpes virus asualt on the ear. Albeit it is a subject of debate, most ENTs accept it as a fact that the Herpes virus does attack the cochlea.  I have seen it many times, if it is actually herpes, I do not know that for a fact, but I have seen people respond positively to Valtrex & steriods.  

But Hollybeaks situation has nothing to do with a viral attack upon the cochlea.

[hearings]

Do any of you suffer from TMJ temporal mandibular joint disorder? One of the things that is a symptom is chronic blocked ears
"TMJ may cause ear pain, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and hearing loss. Sometimes people mistake TMJ pain for an ear problem, such as an ear infection, when the ear is not the problem at all."
I am currently having a terrible time with my left ear, and was looking for relief and found this site, hope this helps some of you!

[hollybeak]

hey, i have been steaming every day and am hoping it will be ok! not been gym since so not sure if it still pops! thanks i shall use a nasal spray before i fly and take some sweets to help pop my ears. thanks for your help. im glad i found this site i was getting worried and its so hard to find the right help sometimes isnt it?  im glad to hear i dont have herpes of the ear :-S good luck everyone ^__^

[JulesLynn]

You're wrong__most ENTs do not know about the assault of virus on the ears.  I visited 3 ENTs before finally being referred to one of the leading "specialists" on Meniere's__he's done more endolymphatic shunt sac surgeries than anyone.  And, I wasn't responding to hollybreak's problem but the originator of this forum topic.  And, the virus is most likely not in the cochlea but on the trigeminal nerve which then affects the balance nerve and can lead to endolymphatic hydrops.  I had to advocate for myself and ask my ENT at the Mayo Clinic to put me on an anti-viral.  Lots of people are getting endolymphatic hydrops and not getting proper medical treatment.