Ear Exam

[JeanClaude]

If I had chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction, would it not most likely cause Otitis Media or be detectable upon ear exam. I have had bilateral ear fullness and crackling, unable to pop the ears for almost a years now. My physician said my ears look fine. I am concerned about possible adenoidal hypertrophy as a possibility.

[JeanClaude]

Thank You!!  The sensation is not only fullness, but has the feeling of Otitis Media which I was quite familiar with as a child. This is why I suspected there might be evidence in the inner(middle) ear. Apparently not.

[AshleyLynn]

If you are concerned about ear fullness and Eustachian tube dysfunction, the best person to diagnose this correctly would be an ENT.

Unless you are having chronic ear infections, the actual ear itself structurally could look fine, but you can still experience symptoms of pressure/fullness and other problems with your ears. Sometimes the eardrum will look retracted, but this may not be something that your physician is particularly paying attention to, whereas an ENT would be looking for this sort of concern. An ENT will also do a tymph test to see what your pressures are like in your ears.

Best of luck!
Ashley