To ask about blocked ear/eustachian tube dysfunction - desperate!

Hi Starrrz, hopefully it will ease for you soon. I paid to see an ENT consultant I was in so much discomfort, he didn't help a great deal to be honest, he said it was most likely eustachian tube dysfunction and suggested a couple of hearing tests to see if the fluid had gone but didn't really advise much further than that. I saw another ENT at the beginning of this month following another brief spell of having a blocked ear. He put a camera up my nose to have a good look around to see if anything untoward was happening. (If only the first consultant had done that 🙄). As I wasn't experiencing any symptoms at that time he couldnt say for sure but again felt it was ETD. He's given me a letter that says I can ring up any time in the next 12 months if I experience symptoms and he'll see me quickly to get a firm diagnosis then a plan of action. Hoping it doesn't happen again as it was awful.

@Helen1625 thankyou for replying :) ive also been doing all the above ! Hopefully it will wase soon! I hate that rumbling noise in my ear! Soo annoying xx

Hi Starrrz, it took 3 long months for mine to show any improvement and another month or so for my ears to feel normal like they were working together. The tube must have just opened enough to get some drainage. I tried saline sprays, steroid sprays, antihistamines, steam, using a humidifier in the bedroom overnight, Sudafed and an Otovent. I can't honestly say which of those things helped as I didn't seem to be getting a relief from any of them. It just began to gradually ease.

Saline spray and otovent is what the ENT recommended to my daughter. After nearly a year of ear pain it solved it in a week.

@Luxell934 what ears drops? Just olive oil? X

I started getting a blocked ear regularly at the start of the year, it was only one side and lasted about a day at a time then went away for awhile and then always seemed to come back. I hadn’t had an ear infection for years. I used those ear oil drops a few times and I haven’t had a blocked ear since.

@Helen1625 hi! You described exactly what i feel like? What helped you? Also how long did it take to go ? Thankyou :) x

I really don't know how it works, any science behind it and if it causes long-term damage or not, but when you're in agony with nowhere else to turn, you'll try anything. If you put a few drops of olive oil in your ear first and wait a day or two, then it reduces the risk of making an existing problem worse.

Although I've had positive results every time I've tried this method (irregularly over the years) the last time I did it about a year ago the ear pain went but it seemed to flush some toxins through to a lower tooth, which was odd but understandable; it all settled down eventually.

And in regards to tooth pain, I found another similar remedy that worked so well I had to mention it to my dentist at the time:

Use a cotton bud to soak the painful tooth in hydrogen peroxide.
Then use a cotton bud to apply Vanilla Extract to the tooth.

Does this work if there is fluid behind the eardrum? Or just if you get water in your ear?

I had this after an ear infection. My sinuses have been shot since I had to travel on a plane with a sinus infection whilst pregnant six years ago, thought my head was going to explode.

Anyway, GP prescribed two month course of steroid nasal spray. I was sceptical but it worked. Very occasionally still get a blocked right ear but if I hold my head to one side for a few minutes it sort of drains away.

Hi, did anyone have any joy clearing up their ear problems?

I've tried Sudafed, Actifed, Amoxicillin, Dymista, Betamethasone, Flonase, Otavent, antihistamine, Otrivine - all without success.

I have fluid behind the eardrum, no pain but a rumbling, fluttering feeling in my ear, sounds are distorted, some sounds appear more loud whilst some sounds are completely muffled. It's been like this on and off since the end of April and it's driving me nuts.😊

@fortunatelynot hi, how are you?

Mine is ongoing. One ear feels like it's got water in it, everything is echoey and weird.

I had this, had to have a grommet fitted under a general anaesthetic which totally fixed it.

Re steam, there doesn't seem to be any congestion, it's just waiting for the ear to pop. I had one attack of sinusitis, years ago, which seemed to be similar, and after three weeks, I was about try the doc again, and it just went "pop" while I walking to the station. It's like you've got to hit the exact right point in the ear. I get vertigo, so my ears are prone to disruption.

Steam, steam and more steam. I have had ETD my whole life, it’s total rubbish every time I get a cold, but the last time I tried steam and I’ve never had it clear up so quickly. It’s not quite a quick fix, still took about a week but better than the months on end that I’ve experienced previously. Even better with some Vicks Vaporub melted in. Hope it works for you, it’s horrendous.

I had it a few years ago. Went completely deaf in one ear for about 6 weeks. GP sent me to an ENT who after sticking a camera up my nose told me he could give me a prescription for a nasal spray or I could snort warm salty water up my nose twice a day (it was as delightful as it sounds) took a week or so but it did work.

When I had this (acute, rather than chronic) what I found really helped was one of those cheap face sauna things which allowed steam to soften things up.

However, if you are having chronic issues you should insist on a referral to ENT from your GP rather than being fobbed off with decongestants.

I've got this too, trying to be patient but it's driving me nuts. Someone upthread mentioned a sinus massage, any links?

I suffered with this after getting some kind of virus. My GP was sympathetic but could offer no help other than to assure me that it would go away by itself in time. Antibiotics and ear wax removal weren’t offered because there was no infection and the problem was the other side of my eardrums to where wax collects. I got so deaf at one point that I couldn’t hear somebody talking when they were standing right next to me. TV subtitles became my friend.

It did clear up by itself but it took nearly two months.

I can’t see what that balloon thing can do that simply pinching your nose and blowing gently can’t. It is doing exactly the same thing.

I have developed this and wasted money on an appointment at a ear wax removal place who couldn't help as I had no wax. They also recommended otovent which has given me some relief

Had a bad chest head cold, ? covid , back in the day before testing available. Left with this in one ear, pressure and such loud crackling it was awful.

I went for private consultation as was getting no where, Avamys ( fluticasone) steroid inhaler was prescribed ( £££ on private prescription but I was desperate) and really helped. You can get this on NHS though too. Bought the otovent and the ear popper too and this combination def got rid of it. It’s a horrible thing but now ear back to normal.

Daughter (9) has this problem. Otovent balloon helps but she refuses to do it. Strident massage of opposite bit of nose above nostril and pull that ear lobe have worked to clear it sometimes. Odd but it does seem to work. Saw it on YouTube will try and find a link.

Try a guaifenesin based medicine. It’s essentially a laxative for your respiratory system and loosens the goo so that it moves (either by draining or coughing it depending on where the goo is)

Otovent are great. It is a kind of balloon that you inflate with one nostril. Bizarre but works wonders. Cleared my ETD