I can now pop my ears!

Hi all,

I have trained myself to be able to pop my ears.

I have had chronic ETD for years, but only found out about it in detail in 2019 when I tried to learn to scuba dive.

After numerous visits to ENT consultants and not getting much progress or indeed even explanation, they finally prescribed me a steroid nasal spray, which Ive been taking for several months. This saw noticeable reduction in mucus production from my nose, and I quickly noticed my ears felt like they were a bit more free than before.

So I started to do auto-inflation techniques and over the course of the past month I have been training my Eustachian tubes to open. I can now pop both ears easily, and have been doing so twice per day.

It seems very difficult to find anywhere that I can discuss the issue with others and get any support. Responses on these forums are slow, and there are no medical discord groups or support networks I can find. Ive tried freediving groups, or scuba groups (because these people should have alot of experience in middle ear equalisation), but because these groups are filled with people who's ears work normally there is no support there. Obviously I cant keep spending money on doctors either.

I don't know if its safe to keep popping my ears all the time. My logic so far is that it positive to exercise the tubes and stretch them out, and its positive to get fresh air into my middle ear a couple of times per day. But, because my eardrums are weak and retracted, and my hearing bones partially dissolved, is it ok to keep popping my ears? I'd like to know if there is a chance that the eardrums can become stronger and get back to normal if I keep the ventilation happening, or is it too late for that?

Thanks

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