I think something blew! - Inner Ear Disorders Message Board

Tascha · 08-16-2003, 08:24 AM

I want to preface this message with a story:

My dizziness was constant but relativly mild. I tried some self-diagnosis and put those "wax removal drops" in my ears. You know, the kind that "melt" the wax and you rinse your ears out with the water. I did that and at one point I felt like something "drained" from my ear down my throat. Then later that night I had PEIRCING pain in both ears. I took some Nightquill and went to bed. The pain was gon, but the dizziness was worse than ever.

Anyway, last night I felt like something "blew" in my ear/throat. Not in my "ear" like ear drum, but deeper in and down my throat, like where I had previously felt the draining.

I am feeling a bit better dizzy wise, I think!
I'm praying!
My fingers are crossed.
Knock on wood.

Is this possible? That something might have been stuck or someting and blew out and drained down my throat?
Oh God I hope this is the end of this!
I am still a bit dizzy, but not as bad.

dizzyblonde1 · 08-16-2003, 03:04 PM

Hi Tascha, not quite sure what happened to you but firstly I very much doubt the drops you put in had anything to do with the sensations you later felt. Providing the eardrum is intact they can only have an effect in the outer ear canal.

Secondly, there is a narrow tube which runs from the middle ear down to the pharynx (back of the nose/mouth). Occasionally, usually with a cold or allergy this tube can get blocked and this can cause pain in the middle ear as you are then unable to equalise the presssure in your middle ear with that outside. Sounds like maybe something like this could have happened to you, might explain the sudden draining down your throat feeling.

Don't know how this relates to the dizziness however as this is normally inner ear related!, anyway, hopefully this will keep improving, good luck xx

hbep · 08-17-2003, 01:04 AM

Hi there,

Just to follow on from what dizzy blonde has said, if it is a middle ear/eustachian tube problem, this can cause the kind of mild dizziness you're talking about. Generally speaking it would not cause vertigo. If your problem persists get your ENT to run a tympanogram - a v. simple little test, can be done in 2 mins in the docs office, to check your middle ear pressure.

zip2play · 08-17-2003, 09:06 AM

It's possible that you had a middle ear builup that spontaneously drained. Maybe it's the beginning of some healing process, since a congested/infected middle ear can cause vertigo and the only place for the fluid/pus/congestion to go is down through the eustachian tube (or god forbid, through the eardrum).

Do you know the tricks to ventilate the ear? (Hold nose and blow VERY gently?) Don't do it if you haven't been shown by somebody.

zip2play · 08-17-2003, 09:12 AM

It's possible that you had a middle ear buildup that spontaneously drained. Maybe it's the beginning of some healing process, since a congested/infected middle ear can cause vertigo and the only place for the fluid/pus/congestion to go is down through the eustachian tube (or god forbid, through the eardrum).

Do you know the tricks to ventilate the ear? (Hold nose and blow VERY gently?) Don't do it if you haven't been shown by somebody.