The eustachian tubes are usually closed except for when you chew, swallow, or yawn. These passageways are small in size and can get plugged for a variety of reasons. Blocked eustachian tubes can cause pain, hearing difficulties, and a feeling of fullness in the ears. Such a phenomenon is referred to as eustachian tube dysfunction ETD.
ETD is a relatively common condition. Depending on the cause, it may resolve on its own or through simple at-home treatment measures. Severe or recurring cases may require a visit to the doctor.
The length of time that ETD symptoms last depends on the initial cause. Illnesses and other causes of ETD may result in longer-lasting symptoms. Allergies and illnesses like the common cold are the most common causes of ETD.
These conditions may cause your eustachian tubes to become inflamed or clogged with mucus. People with sinus infections are more likely to develop plugged eustachian tubes. Altitude changes can also cause problems with your ears. You may experience the effects of altitude change from:.
Children are at a greater risk of ETD. This is because their eustachian tubes are smaller, which increases the chance that mucus and germs will become trapped. They also have more frequent colds and are more prone to infections because their immune systems are still developing. Children are more likely to see a doctor for eustachian tube dysfunction.
This is because they are at an overall higher risk of getting ear infections. The pain from ETD can mimic the pain from an ear infection. ETD is diagnosed through a physical exam. First, your doctor will ask you about pain, hearing changes, or other symptoms you are experiencing.
Then your doctor will look inside your ear, carefully checking your ear canal and passages into the nose and throat. Sometimes ETD may be mistaken for other conditions involving the ears. One example is abnormal patency of the eustachian tubes. This is a condition in which the tubes frequently open on their own.
ETD usually resolves without treatment. But if your symptoms are severe or persist for more than two weeks, talk to your doctor about treatment options. Treatment for ETD depends on both the severity and cause of the condition, and may include home remedies, over-the-counter OTC medications, and prescription drugs. Check with your doctor before using any medications or supplements.
You can try:. Sometimes fluid or negative pressure gets stuck in the middle ear. The pressure outside the ear gets too high. This causes ear pain and sometimes trouble hearing. See a picture of the eustachian tube. Swelling from a cold, allergies, or a sinus infection can keep the eustachian tubes from opening. This leads to pressure changes. Fluid may collect in the middle ear. The pressure and fluid can cause pain.
You also can have ear pain from changes in pressure while you are flying in an airplane, driving up or down mountains, or scuba diving. Fluid in the ear can lead to an infection acute otitis media. Young children have a high risk of ear infections, because their eustachian tubes are shorter and more easily blocked than the tubes in older children and adults. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms. He or she will look in your ears.
The doctor also may check how well you hear. Blocked eustachian tubes often get better on their own. You may be able to open the blocked tubes with a simple exercise. Close your mouth, hold your nose, and gently blow as if you are blowing your nose. Yawning and chewing gum also may help. You may hear or feel a "pop" when the tubes open to make the pressure equal between the inside and outside of your ears.
If you can't open the tubes, your doctor may suggest an over-the-counter pain medicine. If you have allergies, the doctor may prescribe a steroid medicine that you spray into your nose. Decongestants that you take by mouth or spray into your nose may be helpful.
Vibrations of the eardrum pass on to tiny bones the ossicles in the middle ear. These bones transmit the vibrations to the cochlea in the inner ear. Sound signals are sent from the cochlea to the ear nerve and then on to the brain.
See the separate leaflet called Hearing Problems if you would like more details. If the Eustachian tube is blocked or does not open properly this is called Eustachian tube dysfunction ETD.
Dysfunction is just another way of saying that it isn't working properly. With ETD, air can't get into the middle ear. Therefore, the air pressure on the outer side of the eardrum becomes greater than the air pressure in the middle ear.
This pushes the eardrum inwards. The eardrum becomes tense and does not vibrate so well when hit by sound waves. Symptoms may last from just a few hours to several weeks or more, depending on the cause. In most cases, the cause is a common cold and the symptoms are likely to go within a week or so. As it improves, it is common to hear popping noises or feel popping sensations in the ear.
It is also common for hearing to go back to normal suddenly but then become dulled again before getting completely back to normal. ETD happens if the Eustachian tube becomes blocked, if the lining of the tube swells, or if the tube does not open fully to allow air to travel to the middle ear. See the separate leaflet called Glue Ear for more details. Allergies that affect the nose, such as persistent rhinitis and hay fever , can cause extra mucus and inflammation in and around the Eustachian tube and lead to having symptoms for several months.
For most people who experience ETD, it settles by itself within a couple of weeks. But in some people it seems to go on for a long time - many months. It is not known why some people are more prone to this happening than others. In around 1 in 5 people who have long-term ETD, no cause is found.
There is no evidence that there is a genetic cause and it doesn't appear to run in families. Usually not. Most cases are due to a cold, the symptoms are typical and it usually clears up in a few weeks. In many cases, the muffled hearing and popping are mild and do not last longer than a few days or a week or so.
This is common after a cold. No particular treatment is needed and the symptoms often soon go. A decongestant may be advised by your doctor if you have a cold or other cause of nasal congestion.
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