If you have been struggling with the blocked ear tube pain, chances are there that you are suffering from Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). Luckily, there are multiple remedies including medications and home remedies to help people relieve pain from ETD for severe and less serious ear dysfunction diseases.
In addition, medical treatments and effective procedures are also available for severe and chronic eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). However, with the following detailed discussion, you will find out how I cured my Eustachian tube dysfunction through medical procedures and continuous treatment. It all starts when the Eustachian tube gets ballooned up and provides complete relief from the Eustachian tube dysfunction and associated pain.
ETD Review – How I cured my Eustachian tube dysfunction
Multiple reasons are there that disclose how ETD causes severe dysfunctions. Moreover, certain causes are also there that disengage a person’s life while developing it.
The Eustachian tube helps the air pressure to balance in the ear and drain out the excess fluid. When the excess fluid is blocked from draining out from the ear, it starts to show symptoms such as pain, breezing sound in the air, the popping of fluid in the air, etc. However, the treatment for the Eustachian tube dysfunction relies on the causes of this blockage. This is why getting treatment or procedure for ETD must need thorough analysis.
Although, when initial symptoms appear, a person can easily manage ETD with home remedies. In case of severe and persistent symptoms visiting a doctor is highly recommended.
What are Eustachian tubes?
Eustachian tubes work as canals that are located in the upper throat of the middle ear to the back of the nose. They help the air pressure to be balanced between the ear drum inside and outside. Moreover, these tubes remain closed but get open when a person yawns, swallows, sneezes, or chews.
In addition to the above statement, people often get a patulous Eustachian tube problem, which according to a doctor is the problem where these tubes remain open when they have to be closed. This condition of a Eustachian tube causes autophony where a person begins hearing their own breathing sounds and the sounds inside their head.
On top of that, these canals are so small that even a minor reason can become the cause of their blockage. And once the blockage happens, it can create discomfort and hearing problems. Following are some of the main causes that result in ETD.
Cause of Eustachian tube dysfunction
As said, ETD has a variety of symptoms and they can appear in a person for a variety of causes. This includes seasonal illness and allergies creating inflammation in the upper throat canals. Cold and flu are some of the common causes of ETD.
Eustachian tube dysfunction is also triggered due to some kinds of sinus infections. Sinus issues cause inflammation in the eustachian tubes and fill them with mucus causing a blockage. If Sinus is not treated in its initial stages, the problem can lead to ETD. Besides, people are affected by ETD from some simple changes in air pressure and altitude. Let’s say plane take-off and driving up on the mountains can be one of the reasons for ETD.
In some cases, people with sensitive eardrums or eustachian tubes can feel the symptoms of ETD when they get into an elevator of a tall building.
Risk factors associated with ETD
ETD is a somewhat common experience that people treat at home easily but for some, it is an unbearable pain that is more severe than any other.
Lifestyle Risks
The lifestyle risk that relates to ETD and triggers ETD more rapidly includes being obese and smoking. Through smoking, the delicate air in the throat and middle ear often gets damaged. On the other hand, carrying excess weight can help in depositing fatty tissues around the eustachian tube which causes the blockage due to fluid buildup inside the ear.
Not only excess fat but losing weight gradually can also lead to tube blockage due to rapid fat decrease in the fatty tissues around the tube. Getting involved in such activities can also create ETD problems for a person which causes fluctuation in air pressure. Examples of these activities are;
- Rock Climbing
- Hiking at high altitudes
- Scuba diving
- Snowboarding and skiing
Medical risks associated with EDT
People living with different types of allergies have a high risk of getting affected by ETD more often and severely. Many seasonal or non-seasonal allergies increase the production of mucus and congestion which leads to Eustachian tube blockage.
Especially children keep the chances high of getting affected with ETD. This is because they are more likely to get allergies in different seasons. Plus, their tubes are small and lie more horizontally than vertically.
The orientation of the tubes becomes the possible reason for blockage in the tube due to mucus and congestion. Moreover, a child’s immune system remains in the developing stage until they become adults, so they have less effective immunity to fight bacteria and such complications. This is the main reason why children get more infections. Besides, if infections get severe, they lead to ETD.
Enhanced and Enlarged adenoids also create the obstruction of the Eustachian tube and cause bacterial growth which leads to ear infections.
Other than the enlargements of adenoids, other medical conditions are also there that trigger risk factors;
- Cleft Palate: This medical condition is often found in children at birth which leads to ETD.
- Generalized Hypotonia; The medical term used to define poor muscle health. The poor muscle condition occurs due to any medical issues. The impairment can affect the function of muscles in the mouth which often leads to the collision of the Eustachian tube.
- Trisomy 21; This medical condition is caused by Down Syndrome. Due to Trisomy, a person can experience abnormally-shaped tubes, a decrease in cartilage density, and poor muscle tone.
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux; In this medical condition, Eustachian tubes are obstructed.
- Ciliary Disorder; It is an inherited condition, where the airways do not work properly.
Symptoms of ETD
Depending on the conditions of a person, the symptoms of ETD can relatively vary from mild to severe.
Some of the common symptoms of ETD in patients include;
- Sometimes ears feel like they are filled with water
- Plugged out feeling in the ear
- Partial hearing loss or Muffled hearing
- Ringing sound in the ear or Tinnitus
- Popping or clicking sound
- Tenderness and pain around the ear
- Trouble with balance
The length, severity, and pain in the ear depending on the cause of ETD. For instance, if the symptoms of the ETD have resulted in a change of altitude or a change in pressure like taking off an airplane or hiking, the symptoms often go away when the body comes to its original state.
On the contrary, the symptoms of ETD that result in infections and are inherited, last relatively longer. A patient experiencing ETD symptoms for more than 14 days should seek medical guidance by visiting a doctor.
However, when children experience ETD symptoms, they should not wait for long. They must be given medical care as soon as possible. Plus, whenever people experience dysfunction because of any non-viral cause or not for any other reason, they might experience symptoms that stay for a longer period to treat than usual.
Complications associated with ETD
With ETD, people experience multiple complications such as;
- Retraction of the eardrum – Middle ear atelectasis
- Ear infection
- Abnormal skin growth inside the air – Cholesteatoma
- Persistent fluid in the air – chronic otitis media
Any of these conditions in the dysfunction of the ear can cause hearing loss.
ETD diagnosis
Doctors usually diagnose ETD on the basis of the physical symptoms of the patient and a thorough examination. A doctor may examine hearing problems, pain in the ear, or if the patient feels air pressure in the middle ear. He may also use his otoscope to check for any infection or blockage in the eardrum.
Treatment for ETD
Oftentimes when the symptoms of the ETD appear, they usually fade away on their own. If not, the normal treatment from the physician can bring back the relief.
ETD symptoms home remedies
A person can feel better when they come back to their original state if they feel bothered by a temporary state. Some of the home remedies can help in treating the ETD symptoms.
Some people find drinking hot tea or soup helps in relieving the symptoms of ETD. Sometimes having a snack may also help in opening and closing the Eustachian tube, eventually relieving the pressure.
Depending on the symptoms of the ETD, some over-the-counter medications can help in treating the ETD symptoms and lingering disease. People affected with ETD due to allergies can find relief with antihistamines like nasal steroid sprays, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), loratadine (Alavert, Claritin), or cetirizine (Zyrtec).
Conclusion
If you are suffering from ETD or if your child is in the initial stages of flu or cold, get them treated by a doctor before it gets worse. Children tend to develop ETD symptoms more easily than adults. On-time treatment is better to cope with the disease in a better way.