Sinus Pressure Related Hearing Loss?

[R_Matey]

Hello.  I'm a 41 year old male and I'm looking for more information about my hearing loss.

Ever since I was 18, my ears have popped every time I have swallowed.  I think it started when I was on a trip to Russia.  Previously, my ears only popped when I was changing elevation (planes, mountains, occasionally elevators).  It was annoying at first, but i got used to it and soon didn't notice it anymore.  And I'm not sure if that's related to what I'm experiencing now.  Most of the time, my hearing is somewhat muffled, maybe 60-70% of normal.  At some point, probably around age 30, I discovered that if I plugged my nose and closed my mouth and blew, I would get a dramatic series of pops (and sometimes a little bit of pain) and my hearing would be much more sensitive.  All of a sudden, I could hear the sounds of ventilation and pick up conversations at the other end of the room that I was unaware of a moment before.  And then, as I swallowed, my ears would pop and my hearing would go back to 60-70%, sometimes with just one or two swallows, and sometimes over several minutes.  I assumed this was related to sinus pressure.

I just lived with it for several years, "blowing out the pressure" when I wanted to hear better for a bit.  About 2 years ago, I made an appointment and saw an audiologist and had my hearing tested.  She told me that what I had was just normal hearing loss.  When I asked why my hearing improved when I "blew out the pressure" and I was told that the action was likely making the nerves more sensitive for a short period of time.

I respect her expertise on the subject, but I've never been able to quite accept that conclusion.  It doesn't seem to match with what I observe.  Sometimes, I'll blow out the pressure and have an immediate, noticeable improvement in my hearing and then lose 75% of that improvement with a single swallow.  Occasionally, I'll swallow and I'll notice I can hear better until the next swallow.  I tried to test my admittedly uneducated theory that it was due to sinus or related pressure rather than just hearing loss and momentary nerve sensitivity by blowing out the pressure and trying not to swallow for as long as possible, but it has proven difficult to not swallow and judging it is subjective, at best.  I've also tried taking decongestants, but did not notice any real difference, and I didn't take them consistently or for long.

So, does my interpretation of what I'm experiencing hold any water?  Could this be pressure related?  Or am I just in denial about hearing loss and the ear popping is unrelated?

I'd appreciate any feedback or input on this.

Thanks,
-Ben