KJJ
01-18-2007, 01:15 AM
Hello,
For three years I've been suffering from disabling chronic nausea, fatigue, and balance problems. My doctors were focusing on GI problems, but I began to suspect ear issues after the balance problems became worse. I was about to schedule an ENT appointment when I managed to dislodge an unsuspected blockage in my left eustachian tube.
All I did was place my palm to my left ear, press it like a plunger, and then I snapped my fingers a few inches from my ear. (Purely on a whim!) Fluid flowed from my ear into my throat, and my disability disappeared with it.
I suspect the blockage was triggered after an airplane trip, after which I was unable to pop my ear. Chronic sinus congestion possibly aggravated my condition.
My doctor has called it eustachian tube dysfunction, but I can't see the ENT for another three weeks. I just want to bounce a few of my problems to see if anybody else knows about them.
The blockage cleared up on December 17. It was followed by a few days of sensitive hearing in that ear, then felt pretty good for a while.
About December 30, I put some earbud headphones into my ears, the sound of which(only moderate volume) triggered the sensitivity in the left ear again.
I suspect some fluid had again built up after an obstruction. Soon after, I started to suffer a severe(to me) ear infection. I had pretty severe pain, with numbness on the whole left side of my face and neck. Antibiotics helped, but there was still so much fluid through my eustachian tube that my doctor put me on a medrol 6-pack.
At last my ear is feeling pretty good, but it still fills up with fluid every time I sleep. I am unsure if I am just unused to the lack of fluid there, but my middle ear area feels too dry.
I can blow air into my left ear through the eustachian tube, which I causes discomfort. I can feel my eardrum expand outward when I do that. I half-worry I'll blow out my eardrum just by sneezing. When my sinuses fill, it actually feels a lot better. My doctor prescribed some flonase, but I'm wary of using it because the air flow irritates me. I hope I am just unused to the air.
I believe my eustachian tube sometimes spasms, but I can't say for sure.
So that's my situation. Anybody suffer anything similar? Any suggestions about what I should ask the ENT? Is it common for general practitioners to overlook ear problems like mine? I don't trust my GP since I found the problem.
Any suggestions for further googling would be welcome, as well. I've been out of action for three years, and if I can just quash this problem I think I can get back to living normally.
Thank you for reading.
-Kevin
For three years I've been suffering from disabling chronic nausea, fatigue, and balance problems. My doctors were focusing on GI problems, but I began to suspect ear issues after the balance problems became worse. I was about to schedule an ENT appointment when I managed to dislodge an unsuspected blockage in my left eustachian tube.
All I did was place my palm to my left ear, press it like a plunger, and then I snapped my fingers a few inches from my ear. (Purely on a whim!) Fluid flowed from my ear into my throat, and my disability disappeared with it.
I suspect the blockage was triggered after an airplane trip, after which I was unable to pop my ear. Chronic sinus congestion possibly aggravated my condition.
My doctor has called it eustachian tube dysfunction, but I can't see the ENT for another three weeks. I just want to bounce a few of my problems to see if anybody else knows about them.
The blockage cleared up on December 17. It was followed by a few days of sensitive hearing in that ear, then felt pretty good for a while.
About December 30, I put some earbud headphones into my ears, the sound of which(only moderate volume) triggered the sensitivity in the left ear again.
I suspect some fluid had again built up after an obstruction. Soon after, I started to suffer a severe(to me) ear infection. I had pretty severe pain, with numbness on the whole left side of my face and neck. Antibiotics helped, but there was still so much fluid through my eustachian tube that my doctor put me on a medrol 6-pack.
At last my ear is feeling pretty good, but it still fills up with fluid every time I sleep. I am unsure if I am just unused to the lack of fluid there, but my middle ear area feels too dry.
I can blow air into my left ear through the eustachian tube, which I causes discomfort. I can feel my eardrum expand outward when I do that. I half-worry I'll blow out my eardrum just by sneezing. When my sinuses fill, it actually feels a lot better. My doctor prescribed some flonase, but I'm wary of using it because the air flow irritates me. I hope I am just unused to the air.
I believe my eustachian tube sometimes spasms, but I can't say for sure.
So that's my situation. Anybody suffer anything similar? Any suggestions about what I should ask the ENT? Is it common for general practitioners to overlook ear problems like mine? I don't trust my GP since I found the problem.
Any suggestions for further googling would be welcome, as well. I've been out of action for three years, and if I can just quash this problem I think I can get back to living normally.
Thank you for reading.
-Kevin
Sponsor
beau1954
02-26-2007, 05:23 PM
Hi Kevin - our symptoms do sound like Eustachian Tube blockage. I have been diagnosed with this by a phsio therapist who specialises in inner ear disorders. the neurlogist that I went to see originally diagnosed me with BPPV, another kind of ear disorder, but none of my symptoms seem to fall into this category. Mind you the neurologist did only one simple test, and based his finding on this limited information - the physio therapist did two days of tests, and believed that my problem is ETB, due to possilbe sinus congestion, etc....
I have had sinus problems for years, and for the past year I have experienced being sick to my stomach, fatigue, some dizziness, but mostly a soaced out detached feeling going on in my head. Along with this, especially before I knew what was going on - anxiety, little panicky, etc.
When I plug my nose and blow, my ears pop, but not very much at a time, so I have to do several repeats - but even then, the ears do not fully clear. when I do this, I too notice that fluid is running down the back of my throat.
I recently did some air travelling, and it was hell upon landing. One ear plugged right up, I could not hear very well, had a buzz in my head, and felt spacey. When I finally got this ear to blow out, wow - I got so dizzy that I almost fell to the floor.
So it sounds like the same to me.
I have an ENT appointment for July, but seeing the family doc tonight to see what he can do in the meantime...
Regards,
Gary
I have had sinus problems for years, and for the past year I have experienced being sick to my stomach, fatigue, some dizziness, but mostly a soaced out detached feeling going on in my head. Along with this, especially before I knew what was going on - anxiety, little panicky, etc.
When I plug my nose and blow, my ears pop, but not very much at a time, so I have to do several repeats - but even then, the ears do not fully clear. when I do this, I too notice that fluid is running down the back of my throat.
I recently did some air travelling, and it was hell upon landing. One ear plugged right up, I could not hear very well, had a buzz in my head, and felt spacey. When I finally got this ear to blow out, wow - I got so dizzy that I almost fell to the floor.
So it sounds like the same to me.
I have an ENT appointment for July, but seeing the family doc tonight to see what he can do in the meantime...
Regards,
Gary
KJJ
02-26-2007, 10:11 PM
Best of luck to you. I followed up with an ENT, who wouldn't speculate on a blockage that had disappeared.
A word of warning about draining your ear. I was so worried about a relapse I made sure to pop the bad ear frequently and let things drain. But in doing this too much I probably triggered some pretty severe TMJ problems, which have now sidelined me. Oops.
-Kevin
A word of warning about draining your ear. I was so worried about a relapse I made sure to pop the bad ear frequently and let things drain. But in doing this too much I probably triggered some pretty severe TMJ problems, which have now sidelined me. Oops.
-Kevin
beau1954
02-27-2007, 11:20 AM
Thanks for the info - Kevin,
Have a nice day
Gary
Have a nice day
Gary