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Ear, Nose & Throat Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to ear, nose and throat issues, ear infections, nasal polyps, sore throats, and swollen glands.
Help with Eustation Tube Dysfunction
by kidnurse81, Nov 08, 2006 12:00AM
Hello. My fiance has been suffering with eustation tube dysfunction for a little over 6mths. now. We have tried numerous decongestants and nasal sprays as well as a round of steroids. His ENT did allergy testing on him, however, he did not have any significant allergies. Our last resort was to have PE tubes placed. This only made his symptoms worse and they took them out after a couple of weeks. Suprisingly after they took the tubes out and his ears were healing, he was symptom free. When the holes closed up he began with the same symptoms all over again. He has constant pressure in both ears, a fluid-like feeling (though the doctors say there is no fluid), and a stuffy nose. He is completely miserable and losing all hope of getting better. We are at a loss. He has thought about having the PE tubes put back in and giving it a little longer this time to see if they will help. We are both scared and upset and have no idea what to do at this point. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Is there any other treatment at all for this disorder??
Thank you so much,
Amy
Thank you so much,
Amy
just the worst thing to dx/treat/fix. My case was unilateral
w/ ear but bilateral w/ nasal prssr-hdprssr. I also went through
several ENT's/Neurotologists scans & tests. Cause can be 1 or
multi-problems. It's a rule out game. Hm-journal, like a sm-
calendar bk is great since it's dated & can go back to see date
of matching events/symptoms. Use abreviations. The ET's are in the back of the throat & connect to middle-ear. I had a tube put in that window & better for 3 wks then turned on me. It
closed up from debrie that can enter canal from outside pull like a straw. Had removed & better. Hole closed got back problem
+ puffy eye w/ worse ear prssr. Yrs. of meds/dr's, I can tell
you just inflammation in throat can close up ear even from
drainage/overlooked fluid/sore throat/windy day stimulates drum.
Get a 'Coronal CT' & get copy for yourself on All tests. Have
Tympanogram ear test (quick plug in ear for 1 min suction). That
will pull un-seen fluid in ear to window. It will show 'Serous
fluid' if a problem, on graph-print if there. We can all get trapped edema from lack of vent/earpop. CT is needed to rule out infection/cysts/polyps/ck air level in maxillary sinus. It
may show nerve compression above ear to ck the inner-ear. Only
the Coronal scan picked up a sm-maxillary cyst causing an upset
to the air balance. ENT said not a biggy. Yrs. later, cyst was
removed by another ENT to 'humor' me. Ear-problem happened less.
Very much less! Later my MD noticed elav. BP so put me on a
diuretic to reduce vascular fluid build up. Pee'd more but no
more squish in ear? I get prssr back if sore throat because
that 1 ET in throat has 'delayed opening' do to the jerks that
waited & dismissed. A Coronal is (stomache dwn w/ nose going in)
& not skull sinus CT w/ nose up & on back. It's so valuable. I
had 3 over 3 yrs & ea showed cyst enlarging. I had copies & that
was my leverage. They can also order an ABR test to see if a
delay in brain telling ear to work right. Do a print & hi-lite
key things & ask ENT nicely to humor him. Don't let yrs. go by.
Muscle/vessel atrophy can happen. No allergies so ck w/ CT.
Boy, do I wish him luck. I think ENT's get in a rut. If ear
locks up too long, ask Dr. for maybe lo-dose Xanax. It will
help pop ear but won't fix. Gd-luck.
I agree about the gun to the head thing too. I am in so much pain, and knowing that there are other does make a huge difference because the doctors amke you feel like you are complaining for the fun of it. I am close to losing my house. I wish I could work at even the smallest job. I was a nurse making a good living 8 months ago, now I am unemployed and in excruciating pain with a sinus and "ear" infection, despite being on IV antibiotics. I have a huge amount of clear fluid that was causing me asthma a few days ago, now it has once again inflameed my maxillary sinus and ear, along with the nerve behind my eye. I know it s a n infection because this is the same way each sinus infection I have had since my second sinus surgery done in October , has started. It has gone to my ear, and even when I had an excruciating infection in my ear a month ago, they couldn't detect any fluid. I think that we are living in an archaic period of otolarygology. The technology and knowledge is not advanced enogh, and so when the doctors dont know what's going on they just make youfeel like you are imaging it The sinuses are just on the other side of your brain, separated by paper thin bones, and bacteria can and does go through the bone. The physicians need to take it more seriously. Every time I get an infection I feel like I have to prove it to them. Often I am in misery weeks before they can finally see some pus. It's ridiculous. I would give anything to be out of my misery. If anyone wants to email me, feel free anytime. ***@****
The sinus infection I had amonth ago, I had tingling and numbness in my feet and hands, and face, my neck was stiff, and I had such incredible ear pain that I thought that I would die of the pain itself. I got IV antibiotics. No one tested me for bacterial meningitis, but I 'm pretty sure I had it because I was also not mentally clear and couldnt eat for 2 weeks. Please go and try to get IV antibiotics. Sometimes an infectious