worried about ears...patulous euastation tube

[hawkings]

Hi does anyone have PET (patulous eustation tube)-when they talk, they hear their own voice very strangly and ears feel like their full of pressure. Does anyone know how to deal with this? Can this be cured? although i know i have eustation tube problems and my ears always feel clogged.
Thanks
Hawk

[LotusB]

I was thinking of trying the Pastul-End drops, but they are pretty pricey, so I thought I'd try plain old water up the nose first - and surprise of surprises it works for me.  I tilt my head to my right shoulder (since my problem is my right ear), and sniff up enough water (perhaps 1/2 tspn) until I feel it sting my right ear area - sort of like the feeling when you get a nose full of water in a swimming pool and it smarts.  I can actually feel a sting at what I think must be where the eustachian tube comes out in the ear, and also a sting in my throat where some of the water will exit.  Interesting - don't know if this might help any of you out there, but it knocks it immediately for me and doesn't come back that day at least.  Perhaps it fattens up the tube temporarily???

[Erin7Baker]

I have had 14 surgeries for ear/sinuses. I had the mumps when I was 2 which caused my Eustachian tube to stay straight like an infants instead of growing in the back of my throat like an adult, I am 29 years old. I have had 2 tympanoplasties (New ear dums), 10 sets of tubes, my sinuses worked on and my tonsils and adnoids removed. I still suffer with retracted ear drums, take prednisone, clears up and comes back. Life time user of Nasonex, surgery every 10 years for sure, as these surgeries are not permanent.

Years ago there was suppose to be a new surgery that would pull my Eustachian tube down into my throat, has anyone heard of this?

[LotusB]

Okay, it's been a while since my last post.  Having added fiber powder to help prevent dehydration and finding some relief, I've again started having more episodes of PET - probably because I could not take life without good coffee!   I think I will take Yorkere's suggestion and try Patul-End nasal drops.  I liked the write up on PET at Wikipedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patulous_Eustachian_tube.  It just sort of reinforces all we go through!  Happy Ear Health for 2010 and best wishes to you all.

[gmpope]

I was diagnosed with PET about 2 years after a bad upper respiratory infection that triggered an autoimmune reaction targeting my small arteries (vasculitis).  My eustachian tubes opened after taking large doses of prednisone to treat the vasculitis. I took prednisone for about 1 year and thought that maybe my tubes would close once I discontinued the medication, but that has not been the case .Today the vasculitis is gone, but I am still having ongoing low grade autoimmune issues, possibly lupus, but no definitive diagnosis.  Anyone else have any autoimmune issues along with PET?

[ORBlond]

One more thing I forgot to say - I did accupuncture for about 9 months to try and relieve menopause symptoms and did not have the ear thing the entire time.  I stopped because it got too spendy.  But it was awesome for those 9 months.

[ORBlond]

OMG!  I am so happy to have found you all.  It's been a very enlightening to read all of your comments.  

My story:  I was diagnosed with PET about 3 years ago, but it was going on for about 3 years prior.  It's normally only in my right ear and I feel quite lucky not to have the tinnitus some of you have.  Just the feeling of "plugged" and the disconcerting hearing yourself talk inside your head.  Mine comes and goes, but I would say I have it 65 to 75% of the time. I have always wondered about that - there are whole days when there is great relief to have a normal ear.

I will try all of your recommendations - had never corralated this to sugar (sugar is a food group to me) or coffee (again, LOVE coffee)  - but am willing to give up both for a few days to see what happens.  Also the water - don't drink a lot of it, but then again I live in near Portland OR and it's not humid here like it is for some of you.  Will also check out the Santa Barbara ear place.

Thanks again for being on this site and it's such a relief not to feel wacky all by myself!