Recovery from PE Tube

[plehdem2008]

40 year old adult.  I had a PE tube put in my left ear 2 days ago.  I have had ETD for many years and was just tired of the flare ups and decided I needed to give this a try.  So far, not a fan.  There's been some mild pain, but I can deal with pain.  The frustrating part of this is the fullness and pressure feeling that never lets up...which is what I was trying to resolve by having the tube in the first place.  Things just sound weird too.  I know that hearing thru a small tube will change some of dynamics of hearing, but this is rotten.  I hear thunderous bass thuds and roaring noises more than I do normal sounds.  I can hardly understand what people are saying to me because I hear the tires rolling in the car or the heater running in the office or the fridge running in the kitchen.   It feels like my ear is just clogged up.  The myringotomy itself relieved pressure, as I could feel that immediately when the doctor made the cut.  The tube seems to be the issue.  Is this just part of healing and the fullness and clogged feeling will go away?  I have to admit, if this is *it* then I'm going to get it taken out.  No reason to have a tube and still have fullness/pressure - I did this to get RID of that.  If it eventually clears itself up, then I can deal with it until that happens.

[SkyPilot1]

How are u doing now? I'm only a few days in and I hate them. I find when I stand up or sit up the problem is much worse than when lying down. Tubes were put in last week.

[Covered2]

Your post is so encouraging to me.  I had tubes put in 1 week ago and I was so discourage; wanted them out immediately.  Thank for sharing your experiece.m, I will besr with it and keep them in.

[Ramesh50]

I got the myringotomy done 6 weeks ago. T Tube was inserted. The issue of clogged ear and high level of echo persists. The ENT surgeon says wait for few more weeks. wondering what to do and how long to wait.
Ramachandran

[finesoule]

I had a myingotomy 8 days ago and am still plugged. So annoying. If the problem is my ET stays opened and doesn't close what do I do for that


finesoule@ aol.com

[plehdem2008]

Hi Jen.  Sorry you are having this problem.  I know it can take a toll on your quality of life.  The sensitivity to loud noises sounds like hyperacusis, which I think is a common symptom of patulous eustachian tube.  That's a horse of a different color, so to speak.  My problem is that my ET doesn't open and close properly.  PET is where the eustachian tube stays open all the time.  It can actually make you feel like your ear is clogged, however...which makes it even more difficult to diagnose.  I have had it before but only temporarily.  Mine was caused by excessive exercise.  Have you heard of it before?  Has a doctor mentioned that to you?

[NASH0079]

I have dealt with the sinus/ear/allergy problems 15 years now & my typanogram shows ETD and my doc still wont give me tubes...Im going for the deviated septum surgery but if that doesnt help the pressure/clogges feeling every day then HOW do I convince him I need the tubes??

[jen6901]

I have had this terrible plugged ear feeling with ongoing mild to moderate dizziness for almost five years now. It started with ringing in the ears and then got much worse after a plane flight.  I felt very plugged up nauseous and dizzy.  It has never completely got better.   It is mostly on my left side, but a little on the right also.  I also have been told that I have a moderately deviated septum.  I have tried steroid sprays, decongestants, Prednisone, antihistimines, diet changes, and sinus rinses.  First I was treated by inner ear specialists with various treatments for quite some time only to be told later that I probably don't have an inner ear problem.  I even had a TMJ surgery and other treatments for TMJ to unplug my ears and reduce pain.  Nothing has worked.  Now I am thinking the problem is the middle ear or the eustachian tubes.  I have read your post about the myringotomy and it made me somewhat nervous, but also hopeful that maybe after all this time there is something to be done which could help.  I have all the symptoms of ETD, except that my hearing is extra sensitive, instead of bad.  I absolutely can't stand loud noises or people talking to loudly near my ear.  Do you have any encouragement or advice?
Jen

[Danitza]

Hi again. Your notes are the only thing helping me through this ordeal. I thank you so much. I woke up again this morning hoping for some improvement, but that wasn't the case. Common sense would tell me that each day the swelling would go down at least a little bit, so it helps to know it is possible to see no improvement for many days. Will let you know what happens in a few days. Thanks again.

[plehdem2008]

You are welcome.  Keep in mind that your surgery was just a couple of days ago.  You are doing exactly what I did.  I freaked out about what I thought was my ear getting worse.  My doctor told me the same thing yours did, and I went in to see him within a few days telling him I felt worse and wanted the tube out.  He told me to give it a few more days.  That afternoon he called me from his office and put me on the phone with another patient who had her tubes put in a month prior.  She told me what I am telling you.  And she was right.  I hated it and went thru hell with my hearing for 2 weeks (as a musician I was particularly sensitive to sound and figured I'd never play again).  Then one day at work I noticed everything sounded crystal clear...MUCH better than before I had tubes.  The swelling had gone down and my brain caught up with the new sounds.  Wow!  I could hear with such clarity.

Here's the other thing to consider.  Your doctor has likely never actually had ear tubes him/herself.  They only know what their patients experience has been, which is likely different for each one since we all interpret things differently.  Unless you have complications, like infection or some rare hematoma from the surgery, I suspect you are just going thru the same post-surgery annoyances I did.  Hang in there.  Post back here to let us know in a few weeks.  Our collective experiences will help others.

[jakesangel]

I just had my surgery done today and came across your post while googling for answers as to why I felt worse than before it was done. Thank you so much for your insight! I go back in 3 wks for a recheck so I'm encouraged to hear I just need to give it time.

[plehdem2008]

Well here I am..10 years after my original post.  Guess what?  I still have ETD.  Those first tubes fell out eventually and then 5 years later I got another set.  This set was horrible.  The doctor was an idiot (different one than before). His assistant dropped one of his tools before the procedure, and then I ended up getting an infection in the right year.  6 months later my left ear got clogged with "debris" from my ear canal and it stayed clogged for THREE YEARS before falling out.  So basically I got nothing out of that round.  

My new job has pressures for me to travel so I am again looking at options.  But low and behold there is now a new procedure that is FDA approved in the US.  If you haven't heard about it, it's a balloon dilation that can last for years and requires no tubes.  It does require going under for 15 minutes or so but after that seems to have a very good success rate.  If I get it done I will post here so all of us ETD sufferers can benefit from my experience as a guinea pig.   Best of luck to everyone...stay positive...there is hope!

[plehdem2008]

@jakesangel... you are doing the right thing.  Stay calm, let it heal and keep your wits about you.  Getting anxious and fighting it will no doubt just drive you nuts and can even make your ability to handle the tubes diminish.  Chances are high you will do fine :-)

[Danitza]

Thank you for your response, it is very encouraging to hear. I was able to get a good night sleep however I woke up and my ear still feels clogged up, no improvement. My doctor says symptoms should not be worse than before the operation, so he is seeing me today. But it is good to know that symptoms can continue for a few weeks and then get better. Thanks again for replying.

[plehdem2008]

Sorry about the lack of response.  It resolved itself within 2 weeks.  Just give it time to heal and give your brain time to get accustomed to the new sounds.  At first it's scary and you feel like it's worse, but remember that your fragile ear drum membrane just got cut open and a foreign object jammed into it.  It's got to heal...around the tube.  Do your best to stay calm and wait for the healing.  Now, if you have severe pain or get a discharge or fever, see your doctor ASAP.  Like any wound, an infection is possible.  I hope this helps you.

[Danitza]

Hi, did you ever get a response from plehdem2008? did your post surgery condition get better after myringotomy and tube were installed? I had it done today, about 12 hours ago, and my condition seems to have gotten worse. More noise, ear feels more clogged than before surgery.

Thanks,
Danitza

[danniah]

Did yours ever resolve? Did you get them taken out? I'm dealing with a similar issue...