Posted , 53 users are following.
Who has had the eustachian tube dilation and it was a success for you! I have met only 1 person. Mine was NOT a success. They say the success rate is 80%. I would like to hear from anyone who it has worked for.....was it instant or it took weeks for you to feel that it worked.??
0 likes, 163 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
anne05078 kelly91202
Posted
Hello Kelly, sorry to read you're suffering eustachian tube dysfunction too.
For the first time in years and years I'm having some relief from it. I too have
tinnitus....some days louder than others.
In the past my ears have been so blocked that my ENT consultant has had to
all the thick mucus from the tiny perforation in each eardrum.
For several weeks I had to got back to using the stronger steroid nasal drops,
maybe they have sorted it for a while. Then I went back to using the steroid
spray twice daily.
I suffer from allergies and sinusitis, all of which doesn't help ETD. I do hope
you find whatever treatment you receive will help you. My ENT consultant
wouldn't use balloon dialation or grommets.
Regards Anne
gaurav303 anne05078
Posted
hi Anne,
I don't know why your doc in not doing balloon dilation procedure. Its very safe and effective and cures the source of the problem.
I would suggest take some more opinions from other doctors.
Regards,
Gaurav
JeanJL anne05078
Posted
I would recommend tackle the mucus and perforation with a specialist before going down the route of balloon dilation. Trust me, less procedures on the ear, the better. Let time heal, which is the safest.
anne05078 JeanJL
Posted
Having suffered ETD since the 1980's with it getting me in 1994 and contracting Pneumacoccal meningitis, I think my ENT consultant knows what he's doing. Thanks for advise
though Jean
Regards
Anne
JeanJL anne05078
Posted
Hello Anne,
Mind if I ask who your ENT consultant is? Where is he/she located?
Cheers.
-Jean
anne05078 JeanJL
Posted
Morning Jean, I live in Kent, England. Not sure where you're.
Happy to give you his name is you're near where I am.
Regards
Anne
JeanJL anne05078
Posted
Hello Anne,
I'm in the States. I'm gathering all the good ENT doctors' names, so feel free to shoot them to me =)
Cheers.
anne05078 JeanJL
Posted
I know I've taken ages to reply Jean, however, my ETD seems to have cleared since being diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica. With being prescribed steroid treatment it has cleared, which indicated to me that maybe everyone should get a blood test to check their CRP marker (inflammation marker) Sadly, I've now gone on to be diagnosed with the dreaded GCA Giant Cell Arteritis which can cause blindness is not treated urgently with high doses of Prednisone steroid treatment. I worry over this due to only having the sight in one eye due to the meningitis back in 1994.....ironic really as it's exactly 26 yrs to the month that I got meningitis and now GCA...what bad luck !! Now of course it's the Corona Virus that's plaguing everyone's thoughts at the moment....what is our World coming too.
Let me know your thoughts.
Best wishes
Anne
karen64825 kelly91202
Posted
I'm LATE to this thread, but enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I was hoping for "solution" but realistically know there isn't one yet. Sad. I have been down the same path, starts with nose sprays, antihistamines, graduated to nose surgeries (deviated septum and node reduction), moved onto ear tubes which is the only thing that works but I don't like the side-effects which is constant audible heart beat and lessened hearing. My ETD is problematic when I travel, mountains or airplanes cause enormous pain and then an eardrum rupture - my anxiety is out of hand now cause the pain is so bad with no way to stop the pain. I had eustachian tuboplasty 3years ago. I gave the post-operation 1 month to heal then drove through the mountains with perfect success. So I planned a European trip 8 months later and the first flight my eardrum burst, then in the Alps my eardrum was buldging and pulsing with pain I had an eartube put in while on vacation so my tuboplasty was unsuccessful long-term. I saw the link to the 20 second video that I use in conjunction with a nasal steriod spray that I get drops way back by my eustation tube opening and those methods help but are not reliable all the time. What bothers me most is putting ear tubes in perfect eardrums, the problem is my eustachian tube NOT my eardrums 😦
gaurav303 karen64825
Posted
Hi Karen,
What you described was exactly what I went through.
For almost 6 years, I was suffering heaviness in right ear. It was so debilitating that I had constant anxiety due to this and I had to take anti anxiety medications. Then an Ent suggested ear tubes. I got and ear tube which never fell off.
Then after 18 months of ear tubes placement , my doctor suggested tuboplasty ( balloon dilation) after which I started hearing my heartbeat which drove me crazy as the ear tubes also started paining. Then I was operated again to remove ear tube and repair hole with patch.
So after tuboplasty, it took almost 3-4 months that the heaviness was resolved which was my sole problem from the beginning. After the hole was repaired, the heartbeat I was hearing, was completely resolved. I am writing this after 1 year of tuboplasty and by grace of God, I feel fine and no heaviness.
So once you close the hole, by patch, you will not be hearing heartbeat and hearing will improve.
Hope this helps.
karen64825 gaurav303
Posted
Thanks gaurav for writing, I feel like a few of you have become almost virtual "friends" through shared experiences - that so comforting! I have one tube still working it's way out so I know when that's out the heartbeat will stop. (well it wont cause I'm still living lol but I wont hear it then). When I had the tuboplasty I did not have a tube in my eardrum so I had huge hopes it will work. It did for a few months, but the tube did go back to closed cause I ruptured an eardrum twice while vacationing in Europe (flights, mountains, bridges, even elevators bother me - elevation pressure changes). I'm fine at home with the everyday non-pressure unless I get a head cold. My doctor at Mayo Clinic did suggest doing the tuboplasty twice for it to work. Which is when I googled a search for it's success and found this thread. I've not decided cause my procedure went longer than expected 'cause I bleed easily and the little capillaries were apparently not fun to deal with on me. So glad you're good now! Only people who've been were we were/are can REALLY understand.
judi44826 gaurav303
Posted
my tale of woe is worse......had balloon dilation after years of ETD. trouble flying, stuffiness ear wouldn't pop and dizziness. didn't work had tube put in on right which was miserable and had it taken oit. left huge perforation and terrible infection which spread to mastoid.changed Drs. went to UCLA Head and Neck aand after CT scan they said i had severe mastoiditis and only half an eardrum !went into surgery for a tympanoplasty/mastoidectomy. still recovering six weeks later. have lost much of hearing. i have to have balloon dilation again as ET closed tight with scar tissue ! never again. Have suffered almost a year.
gaurav303 karen64825
Posted
Hi Karen
I know how you feel. I felt the same. Everyday waking up with it, feeling heavy in the ears. Having anxiety due to this. Suffered this all.
Grommets did not help me at all and caused anxiety even more as they made a hole in eardrum which is another problem in itself.
But this tuboplasty did help me. Took 2 months to show effect and now almost after a year, by Gods grace I am still fine though some people say that it will come back.
But the thing is I keep exercising my eustachian tubes by pinching nose and blowing and also jal neti, so i won't let it close again.
I am sorry to hear your tube got closed. You can also do these exercises and see if it works because tuboplasty might have loosened your tubes which will help. or go for it again.
I really hope you get well really soon.:)
Regards,
Gaurav
gaurav303 judi44826
Posted
Hi Judy,
I had this similar bad experience with grommets. I also had it taken out.
I would never recommend to get these ear tubes. Yes please go for tuboplasty as it will surely help you.
Further regarding your tympanoplasty,
don't worry your hearing will return as these procedures are mostly successful or they call you again and again until they close the hole.
Once it is closed, your hearing will come back almost completely so don't worry you will be fine. Its just temporary.
I also had tympanoplasty after tube left a hole and hearing came back.
So cheers. You will be fine and I am here whenever you need a friend 😊
Regards
Gaurav
Aj123456 kelly91202
Posted
right now I'm one month post operation (balloon dilatation). do you think that i meed more time to witness any improvement to my case (my case being ear pressure and clogging)
thx
karen64825 Aj123456
Posted
Yes, one month is good healing timeframe. I had mine done one month before my "test the procedure" to drive in the mountains. At that point it was a success.
Aj123456 karen64825
Posted
I'm one month post the surgery with no improvement whatsoever. maybe my case needs more time who knows.
crossing my fingers.
bob50822 Aj123456
Posted
Hang in there. Give it another month. I had all the same symptoms of eustachian tube dysfunction after the dilation procedure - loss of hearing, felt like fluid in my ears, although the doctor said that he could not see any, etc. It took TWO full months, and gradually those symptoms went away. I have since flown to Europe several times, and across country several times, and some short one hour flights several times - I think I am cured. So don't be discouraged.
Aj123456 bob50822
Posted
im glad you are and hopefully ill be as well
gaurav303 Aj123456
Posted
Hi Aj,
Do a bit of nose blowing exercises like forcefully sneeze from a nose while holding another nose shut. Do this for both noses repeatedly. This will help clear your eustachian tube now that it is open after dilation procedure. This will also clear mucous from ears.
Once they are clear you will feel light in your ears.
KevinRM bob50822
Posted
Hi Bob... I'm curious about your symptoms, ear fullness without fluid behind the ear drum. Usually doctors don't recommend balloon dilation without a tympanogram that indicates fluid and retraction of the eardrum (indicating increased pressure in the middle ear space). I've been in that situation for decades. No clinical symptoms of ETD. I just saw Brian Weeks, one of the pioneers of the procedure, in San Diego, and he was reluctant to do it on me. Were you truly in that situation: No obvious clinical problem other than your ear feeling full? And balloon dilation worked for you?
Kevin
Aj123456 KevinRM
Posted
My symptoms were only ear fullness / pressure and cracking sound when I swallow.
Ive never had any fluid behind my ear drum nor a retraction. I waited for a year and did all sort of options before deciding to do the balloon dilation.
On October 19th i did the balloon dilation and as of today (November 21st) there is no improvement whatsoever.
As a matter of fact, last week i developed a mild tinnitus and my left ear became sensitive to noise. my ENT told me this has nothing to do with the Eustachian tube and It could be induced by increase level of stress.
I think my only option is right bow is time.
Aj
bob50822 KevinRM
Posted
Kevin, you would need to go back and look at all my posts to see the symptoms that I experienced over the years, so as not to take one comment out of context. There were times when I had sinus\middle ear infections where there was fluid, and times when I FELT like there was fluid - particularly after a course of antibiotics and steroids, but the doctor (internist) said he could not see any fluids by looking in my ear. I would have an initial good reaction to antibiotics and steroids - as though the infection was clearing up. But then the symptoms would return.
My thought in retrospect was that ETD was creating the feeling long after the actual sinus infection was cleared.
One time, the doctor gave me a second round of antibiotics as a test, but the symptoms persisted for about 6-8 weeks. The second round seemed to have no effect - which fits with the thought that ETD was the problem.
I think you are replying to a post operative comment about the length of symptoms after the surgery, but yes, the operation worked, and Dr. Brian Weeks was the surgeon. Have a look on the balloon manufacturers web site for other doctors that can perform the operation. There are several these days - even a the small backwater town like San Diego. :>)
JeanJL Aj123456
Posted
Hello AJ,
Your experience is very similar to mine and I kept trying to get rid of Tinnitus + Sensitivity of Noise (Hyperacusis) with procedures and ENT visits. Those are actually counter-productive and I wished I hadn't done any of them (Balloon dilation of Eustachian tube nor Ear tube).
I was wondering if your Sensitivity of Noise ever improved? What are good methods of resolving that?
Cheers and Blessings.
-Jean