1. Community
  2. Ears, nose, throat and mouth
  3. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Eustachian tube drains slowly? normal? and other questions

Posted , 8 users are following.

hannah06392
hannah06392

About a week and a half ago, I started feeling alot of pressure in my ears. I had just recovered from a cold/sinusitis. My ENT doc confirmed it was indeed eustachian tube disfunction and that it will go away on its own.

Well 2 days ago after laying on a heat pad, I started feeling fluid in my ear start moving down my throat. It was a weird sensation. 

It hasn't cleared up all the way, I can still feel fluid in my ear try to drain again. The pressure I felt in my ear is definitely less though.

I would think it would just drain all at once, but I guess it drains slowly? Is this normal?

Also, are there any foods that I should be avoiding that might make it worse?

Never dealt with this before so I'm not sure what I should be expecting smile

 

1 like, 31 replies

31 Replies

Next
  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 hannah06392

    Posted

    This has recently happened to me as well. I still have a few issues but it has been slowly healing itself. I had three sinus infections over the course of six months. I dont ever think that had happened before. Some helpful things as well is steam. Boil a pot of water and throw a towel over your head. You dont need to be uo against the oot..rememeber it hot water. Just to get the steam. And saline pump nasal rinse is good too. They gave me flonase but i would get sore throats from it so i stopped that. Be patient. Healing on its own can easily take months. I some how manage to develop a funny sound in ine ear like a washing machine sound from the retracted eustatian tube, im still waiting for that go away. Hopefully in time it all heals itself. Im too new myself to give any definite answers. Anything that thins mucous would be useful. Drink lots of liquids. It is most likely swelling in there as well. I know the pediatrician used to tell me up to three months for the fluid to go away when my kids had issues. Salt water gargles are really good too with warm water. When you gargle it reaches where the eustatian tubes and the vibration and salt water help it recover quicker.
    • hannah06392
      hannah06392 lisalisa67

      Posted

      Thank you so much for you response Lisa! I will definitely try the steam and the salt water gargle. I hope things get better for you also!!
    • ann5678
      ann5678 lisalisa67

      Posted

      How long did yours take to go away? It just happened one day you could hear ckear again? I try to pop my ears s few tunes but it just won't budge so depressing. I will try the gargle and heat pad but was told on my last visit I had no fluid just pressure and it would go away as it takes a long time. Any advice round be great. Thanks

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 ann5678

      Posted

      I developd another sinus infection and brought me back to square one. And now again it seems to be restarting. I never went back to the ent sonce three months ago they just werent being very helpful. Im unsure whats going on now.the urgi center saw mr and treated me.. So strange. Im doing acuounture now to try to help. Feel very lost in all this. Sound sensitive at times as well.   I always felt the body heals itself or a specialist would fix it so im a but lost at what to do. Theres only so many antibiotics i can take.  But if no fluid yes it can take a long time to uninflamme.  My issue is reinfecting from other family memberd  who were sick at different times. 

      I will say the first time it happened it took about 5-6 months.was so happy then  But then i got sick grrrrr.  

  • anne05078
    anne05078 hannah06392

    Posted

    Hi Hannah,

    Having suffered this problem since the 80's, from experience plugged ears can take a very long time to drain, sometimes months.  If your ear aches it's always recommended you take an antibiotic to protect you from a potential problem as I had.  Evidently, and how true this is I don't know, all diary products makes mucus....personally not too sure about this.  It's so common to have blocked ears after a cold or a sinus infection.  Try gently pinching your nostrils together and blow....sometimes opens eustachian tubes.  Put some Olbas Oil on a tissues and breath deeply, this also sometimes works for me.  If you had a perforated eardrum the muck would run out of your ear and you'd see it on your pillow, otherwise it drains the other way down your throat.  As I've said so many times before to people on here this is such a horrible problem and unless ENT doctors have experienced it themselves they have no idea of how bad it feels.  Symptoms of meningitis (which is rare, I was just unlucky).  Very bad headache, sickness, stiff neck and light sensitive to the eyes.  Please don't worry about it as it's most unlikely you've contracted it.

    Regards Anne

    • Aasha050490
      Aasha050490

      Posted

      I am suffering from middle ear infection (exact two months today). now ruptered eardrum has healed(one month before). But now i have fluid behind my eardrum. I think this is mainly because of dysfunctioning of eustachian tube. What can i do as a home remedy which can improve working of eustachian tube. Please help. I am really worried
    • anne05078
      anne05078 Aasha050490

      Posted

      Morning Aasha,  Sadly nothing can be done at home for this condition.  I've suffered it on and off for 30 yrs now.  Obviously your perforation wasn't a bit enough hole for all the build up of mucus to escape.  Ask your doctor to refer you to an ENT consultant who, like mine, will perform Microsustion on the ear/ears to remove the musus from behind the eardrum.  I've had this procedure done now 7 times over the past few years on my left ear.  I make a lot of mucus due to sinus issues and allergies.  It's the only way to get quick relief.

      Regards Anne

    • anne05078
      anne05078

      Posted

      Sorry, that should read MICROSUCTION
  • lisalisa67
    lisalisa67 hannah06392

    Posted

    Acuouncture can speed it up if you want it to drain faster but the body usually knows what its doing. It can take a while before it self corrects,
  • anne05078
    anne05078 hannah06392

    Posted

    It's thick mucus that's trying to drain through stuck together eustachian tubes.  Drink plenty of water to thin mucus to allow easier drainage.  I've tried everything.  Much of it to no avail !!

    Anne

  • ann5678
    ann5678 hannah06392

    Posted

    I have it to girbiver 2 weeks when I flew home with a cold. Ear still muffled. How high and how long did you have the heating pad on as I never tried that as medicines don't seem to help. Was told I had fluid in my ear and eoukd take time to drain but never expected this long, Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks

    • anne05078
      anne05078 ann5678

      Posted

      In my experience, it take take for ever if fluid is in the eustachian tubes.  You need a decongestant to try and dry up fluid.  If the eardrum bulges due to the fluid (mucus) doesn't it causes a perforation to allow drainage.  Try squeezing both nostrils together and blowing, but not too hard.  sometimes I manage to make ear pop by doing this.  Thick mucus after a cold will take a very long time to clear.

      Anne

  • ann5678
    ann5678 hannah06392

    Posted

    Does it clear as I'm not going through tubes in ears as I have heard horror stories and I have jenn on two does if prednisone and steroid nose spray and Claritin d and did nothing. Is there a good decongestant you can recommend for me? How long did you have that problem and when I'm blowing when a menu see yellow stuff come out and have been on an antibodic fir 2 weeks and I can't understand. Ant helpful advice would be great. Both me and my husband are having the same problem as we both flew home with colds on the plane. Thanks . Appreciate it smile

    • anne05078
      anne05078 ann5678

      Posted

      Which country do you live in as mediaction has different names.  I'm in England.  How long was the dose of Prednisolone prescribed....if only a week wouldn't have been long enough to get rid of all the inflammation.  I've recently finished a 20 reducing course and I'm really good right now.

      Anne

    • anne05078
      anne05078

      Posted

      Sorry, that should have read a 20 day reducing course

      Anne

    • ann5678
      ann5678 anne05078

      Posted

      The gp gave me a 5 day 5 mg and two weeks later the ent gave me a 6 day ,30,25,20,15,20,10 and 5 and today he calls and wants to me on sulfur but I can't go walking or go in my pool for 14 days and as I live in Florida that won't work as I'm in the sun every day do not picking it up.Then he wants me to come in for a hearing test to see how much fluid in my ear and if there is a lot he wants to put tubes in my ear. No way I told him after only 2 weeks of being clogged. I will go see another ENT who is board certified where I heard they do the balloon up the nose with no tubes in ear. I'm so upset as I try to keep myself busy not to think about it as I'm depressed. I was told at almost 65 yrsbokd you should never go through with tubes at that age if there is a chance you may lose hearing and no guarantee. Today I put myself on musinex D 2X a day and since this morning I have been blowing my nose a lot. Anything helpful you can share eoukd bf great. Thanks .smile

    • anne05078
      anne05078 ann5678

      Posted

      Hi, so have you finished the course yet.  If not give the Prednisolone chance to work.  If you've finished them, or whn you do, try a decongestion tablet.  My ENT consultant wouldn't put tubes in my ears and I don't think he will use the balloon procedure either.  However, when I see him at my next appointment in October I will discuss the Balloon with him.  I can't think of anything else you can try, as I'm sure you've tried everything.  You could do an inhaler, put boiling water into a bowl and put a towel over you head and breath in the steam for 20 minutes.  When you done this pinch your nostrils together and blow, sometimes this pops the ears.  I'm in England and we don't get it as hot as you get in Florida and you get bad humidity too....I'd hate that.  Also try an antihistamine to help dry up mucus.

      Good luck

      Anne

    • ann5678
      ann5678 anne05078

      Posted

      I can't understand why a ent dr would want to put tubes in ears after only two weeks as I saw him last week. I'm hopeful the musinex d will work as since I took it this morning I have been doing a lot of blowing.

      It wouldn't be do bad as if my left ear would just pop s little back so I can get part of my normal hearing back ad I read on line ur could take 1-3 months so u wanted to have s second opinion and see what he advices. Only saw the Dr last week and dkready surgery . No way. Thanks fir your comments. Appreciate it. How long gave your ears been blocked?

    • anne05078
      anne05078 ann5678

      Posted

      I've suffered with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction since 1994 on and off....more on than off.  Until it eventually caused bacterial meningits, through the mucus turning bacterial.  The bacteria crossed the blood brain barrier

       anne

    • ann5678
      ann5678 anne05078

      Posted

      That's horrible. I

      Made an appt next week with a board certified ENT for a second opinion as I want to give it one more week. I will keep you posted on the progress. Great to talk to someone who has similar problems. As I'm only into my second week of clogged ears and if I'm told to wait for d month I will as this dr doesn't do tubes in ears and does the balloon dilation which he says is more effective. I hope it Durant come to that as I feel this last dr did no tests and just looked in my ear and told me to use afrin as I felt I more extensive exam should have been done besides just looking in ear. If things work out with this new dr I will cx my appt with him in 2 weeks. Thanks fir listening smile

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

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.