Recovery from Long-Term Eustachian Tube Blockage

KJJ

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. The fluid is kind of a relief. I can feel water dripping down inside both my eustachian tube and the ear chamber itself. Sometimes it feels like the water is actually on the outside of my head, like a drop of sweat, but I think that's just a phantom feeling.

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 often 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 suggested phrases 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