Horrible ear problem

I've had this problem since I was a kid too, currently 17. What I've found lately is that I'm annoyed with sucking in the pressure after I yawn because it affects my hearing by almost half, so for the past week I've been yawning and just letting the pressure go without sucking in again.

Its very aggitating at first because of the volume change but you'll forget it after a minute or so, your brain'll just adjust everything for you like it does when a baby is first born. By doing this, you even out the pressure in your head as it is outside, and you'll hear better. Honestly doctors have never helped me. I just had to figure this out on my own.

Whether everyone is like this I don't know, but it feels way better to release the pressure once and yawn without it popping every time, than to have to keep sucking in. When we suck in I think it bends our eardrums inwards (the doctor told me mine were like that), and I think it's more of an issue to suck in than it is to fix once you think about.

Hey, charlotte1

  This could also be due to certain blockages in the ears. I, at age 16, also have the same problem. I find that getting the blockage removed stops the pressure/popping to stop. I recommend going to the local GP and talk to them about a potential blockage of the ear, as I did. I didn't have to report any of the pressure difficulties, tinnitus, etc. They'll give you ear drops (horrible stuff) that you'll need to use twice daily. After a week or so, they'll finally get onto the removal of the potential blockage, where afterwards you shouldn't have the difficulty.

This, however, may not be the case, and you may not have a blockage. But anything is worth a try. If it is what I believe it to be, you can also do this at home. DON'T use the single shot ear cleansers, as they can damage the ear drum over time. Use the tri-shot ear cleanser, as they are designed to safely deliver water around the ear and push the wax out.

This is where my ear pressure comes from, and, like you, nobody I know personally understands me either. I guess it's just something that only those who have it understand.

I hope you find the resolution in the nearby future!

Kai :D

Hi Charlotte

I just got over a really bad flu that ended in an inner ear infection.  2 rounds of antibiotics and 2 rounds of penicilin didn't help the deathness, popping, crackling, etc.

Yesterday my doc tested my ears with a musical tuning fork. I could barely hear it with my death ear and mostly heard it with my "good" ha ha ear.  Then he put the tuning fork on the centre of my forehead and I could hear it clear as a bell with my death ear ( first thing I had heard in weeks) and could barely hear it with my "good" ear. 

Within seconds I was swallowing yucky stuff.

My ears continued to drain for 8 hours with 2 major mouthfuls and 2 very significant dizzy spells.

Today my ears aren't completely better but there is an 80% improvement.

I have ordered my own tuning fork and will treat myself when it gets here next week.

I hope this helps and wish my doc had tried it weeks ago.

Omgggg I probably got I When I was like 6 do u recommend going to a doctor because idk how the heck it will get fixed everything u said was just like me yawning and like plugging my nose and sniffing up closes it and I never really thought it would be a problem

A small infection in the ear canal may be the cause. The infection will probably go away by itself in 2 to 5 days. A mild pain reliever and warm compresses may help relieve the pain.This may be caused by a buildup of fluid or a buildup of wax in the ear 

I have this EXACT problem. It drives me insane & undoubtedly controls my life when I'm having a particularly bad day with it. I'm 26 and have had it since I was probably around 8 or 9 years old, but it gradually got worse. I used to suffer with ear infections a lot as a kid, and once had grommets inserted.

My ears pop when I talk, yawn, swallow. Then they feel 'open' with my voice and breathing being annoyingly loud. I then have to sniff to equalise the pressure and effectively 'suck' them back in. I look crazy walking around sniffing all day long, and by the end of the day am left with a terrible headache.

Last year I was finally given a diagnosis. Patulous Eustachian Tubes (PET). I did a ton of research and eventually found a doctor in England who specialises in this condition - Mr Ian Bottrill. He is the kindest most understanding doctor I have ever come across!! A genuinely lovely man. We went to visit him for a consultation at a private hospital in Oxford (I can't remember the name). He confirmed I do have PET and can treat it with injections. The injections basically swell the Eustachian tubes a little so that they're not so abnormally wide anymore. However, because I suffered so much with glue ear as a kid he said for me there is a risk that the tubes could swell too much and I could therefore end up back where I started - constant ear infections.

I am therefore just trying to carry on as best I can. I make sure I am always properly hydrated, as dehydration can worsen PET symptoms.

My left ear drum was in a bit of a state so I have just had tympanoplasty surgery to restructure it in the hope this helps in some way. I'm currently recovering from that, frustratingly the ear feels permanently popped at the moment (so it feels fully 'open' with my voice and breathing being really loud) but I'm hoping once it's all healed I can rectify that!

I really do feel for anyone suffering with PET. It is a horribly frustrating and misunderstood condition.

There is a Facebook page called Patulous Eustachian Tube which has helped me immensely, as it is a place I can talk to others living with the same problem.

Hi sorry you had this trouble, I wanted to say please challenge this doctor to get your money back, he will do it to others and clearly not qualified.  It's move patients thru .. next.. If he doesn't know why guess?  He should say he needs to find an answer, it will take a few days, and not charge a follow up.  I could never clear my ears holding my nose and blowing, it makes my face red and head pound.  I have to yawn and move my jaw around to clear it.  But someone will find out why , don't settle for hearing problems make that quack fix you or. Refund 

Great to know this condition has a name, and I'm not the only sufferer. Mine started over 20 yrs ago while breaking  with my husband, and re- surfaces whenever I cry a lot. Sniffing seems to "close" somthing, but I'm sure strangers have guessed me a drug addict. Sticking my finger in my ear works,too -- but also socially unacceptable. It feels like I'm breathing and talking through my ear. I'll look up PATULOUS EUSTACIAN TUBES. Thanks, and may we all find a cure.

So my ear is acting up today and popping more than it should, but jeez! No where's near what you all are dealing with.

But I did have exactly your problem at one point. I had mono which lead to my ear being completely clogged making it hard to understand myself at times with how odd my voice sounded. I would hold my nose and blow out as hard as I could to in pop, and at top it would just flop back and forth.

I went to an EMT and he said my adenoids were 3 times as large as they should be and so he removed them. The extreme nature of the ear issues I seem to remember went away pretty quick (this was about 10 years ago so don't remember all too well).

However, ever since then I have what I refer to as a loose Eustachian tube. It's no where near as extreme what you all have, but it certainly does pop wayyyyy to easy and when I'm congested can get really annoying.

It certainly does not control my life but when I had it bad, it was what you all are describing. It seems EMT may be the diagnosis but adenoids may have something to worth taking a look into.

I've been suffering with this cocndition for 13 years now. It started when I was 15. I'm 28 now. I had a cold that ended up in fever and instead of staying on my nose all these stuff (I think you'd know what I'm talking about) went to my ears. The doctor prescribed me with an ear drop to make all those stuff come out. It did came out but left me with P.E.T. Back then I didn't have any idea what it was. All I knew is it was irritating. It makes the sound of everything I hear loud. I couldn't exactly remember how I figured to make the pressure go back inside the ear by sniffing while my nose was covered. When I discovered it I was using it all the time for 13 years to fix my amplified hearing.

Back then I even thought that maybe it was some stuff that was stuck in my ear but now I know exactly what it is now. After all these years it was only yesterday that I decided to do a research about it. I've some parts of your post that exactly the same as my condition and I knew this was it. After reading your post it became clear to me. I didn't bothered doing a search about since there was a way I can deal with it. I feel relieved that are others as well suffering this condition and I'm not alone.

For a decade I've never told anybody about it. But then after that I finally decided to tell my mother. I've tried seeing an ear doctor but I believe he didn't really understood my condition. He told it might be caused by cold or runny nose. I didn't bothered taking the medicine he prescibed me. After reading all the post/replies it seemed that there isn't any real solution to this. Im kind of glad to know it's some stuff stuck in my ear but only a pressure.

For 13 years I've learned to sniff while covering my nose to suck the pressure back in my ear whenever and wherever I am. In public, while walking, while on my way to work and while in the office as well. When I was still in high school a classmate noticed why I kept doing it. I didn't bothered answering and Im glad he didn't bothered asking. And that was the only time. There were times that I think I did it in an instance where I would be noticed but I didn't cared. I really dont like this pressure out my ear.

Guess I just have to deal with it like the others here. It was hard for me in the beginning but I've gotten used to it over time. But still I would be glad to know if there is any way that this can be cured.

I apologize for the long post and for not being able to share something about how to cure it. I just really wanted to share my experiences just like everyone else. I find concolation in knowing there are others as well with this condition.

Sorry for the long post again and thank you.

Dear Charlotte I hope your doing well and you are not alone in this, there are so many like us suffering inwardly this annoyance that makes life impossible to enjoy. My story is different but mirriors yours in a lot of ways. I woke up one day with a cloged nose and blew really hard into a tissue hearing a pop in my right ear go off that made it feel full and I sounded really loud in my head every time I spoke. For about a week I tried all the tricks to get it to pop back into place but none worked, finally two weeks later it did pop but not how it use to be. It wasnt that bad afterwards I suppose, what I suffer today. Then a year and an half later I was traveling in mexico when I fell asleep in the car and woke up with my ears full so I popped it by holding my nose and this time the left ear gives out never being the same anymore in both ears. I suffered all those things you described about becoming antisocial and having low self-esteem for many years. I feel like a crappy version of myself. I use to easily make people laugh and talk a lot. I could never communincate how I say it in my head everything comes out serious and stale people Ive learned people react to the tune of the frequency . I was charismatic for a good part of my life and loved people. It took me a long time to reinvent myself and find my purpose to keep fighting. Technology is our only hope at the rate its happening maybe in five or ten years every one could get it fixed. I've seen this ear device at a store I'm curios to buy that aplyfies sounds fairly cheap for 20 bucks. Im gonna get it soon and keep you posted. By the way the incident happend when I was 15 now im 23 those first seven years were hell I tell you. We have to find activities to make ourselves feel better again.