The Eustachian tubes are the passages between your middle ears and the back of your throat. They have several jobs, including allowing fluid to drain from the middle ear and equalizing air pressure between your middle ears and your environment.
The majority of the time, your Eustachian tubes are closed. They open only when you yawn, swallow or chew. However, in some cases, the Eustachian tubes remain open all the time. When this happens, they are said to be patulous.
Symptoms of a Patulous Eustachian Tube
Some symptoms of a patulous Eustachian tube include:
- Autophony (when your own voice, breathing and pulse seem especially loud)
- Tinnitus (ringing or other noise in the ears)
- Feeling of fullness in the ear
- Muffled hearing
- Feeling that the ears need to be unplugged or cleared
- Pressure changes in the ear when breathing
Causes of a Patulous Eustachian Tube
While the cause of a patulous Eustachian tube cannot always be identified, it is often caused by one of the following conditions:
- Stress or anxiety
- Exhaustion
- Exercise
- Weight loss
- Pregnancy
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
- Certain medications, including diuretics
- Post-surgery scarring of the nose or throat
- Some neurological disorders
Diagnosis of a Patulous Eustachian Tube
An expert ENT physician at Palmetto ENT & Allergy can diagnose a patulous Eustachian tube by taking your medical history, reviewing your symptoms and performing a physical exam to look for fluid buildup in the middle ear. In some cases, they may order a hearing test called tympanometry, which measures how well the eardrum and middle ear transmit sound vibrations.
Treating a Patulous Eustachian Tube
Home remedies that can help with a patulous Eustachian tube include:
- Gently sniffing to create a vacuum
- Lying down or putting your head between your knees
- Drinking more fluids
- Using a saline nasal rinse from Stephens Bluffton Pharmacy on Bluffton Road
In severe cases, these types of surgeries may be necessary:
- Installing a small plastic tube called a grommet
- Reconstructing the Eustachian tube with grafts or implants
For more information or to schedule an appointment with an expert ENT physician, call Palmetto ENT & Allergy today.