Long term possible ETD, Sinus and Head pressure issues

hI Shiany we seem to be in a similar boat. How are you today?

Hi Carmel thanks for your reply... And sorry mine is so late. I'd be eager to learn more about this? Is there a specific name for this condition and is it widely recognised? 

Nothing much to update on my condition. Been suffering quite badly over the last few weeks with a bad head cold/virus. Had some really bad brain cloudy, stuffy head and feel spaced out. Been for CT scan of my sinuses and Jaw [still waiting on results 2 months later however therefore presume it's nothing serious ] NHS.  I'm now giving nasal spray another long term shot.

I'm beginning to think about my next steps for new year, considering getting private full blown allergy testing done. I know my dad paid a few hundred quid a few months back to get tested for literally all allergies blood tests, skin, urine the lot and he really benefited from it. I guess this is all a process of elimination? Funny how not one doctor in 4 years has even considered getting me allergy tested...

Please everybody let me know how you are getting on. And merry Christmas!! 

Jack

Carmel: First, i am most impressed with you taking the time to help others with your knowledge. Since i am desperate, i am taking a shot in the dark to get your opinion. 4 years ago i had multiple sinus infections which resulted or helped caused ear fullness, rice crispy sounding noises when i yawn, chew or open my mouth, initially vertigo and headaches. I have seen every doctor in the New England, including what i am told are the best. Best diagnosis i have is that allergies caused inflammation in Eust. Tube. I have facial pain, headaches and ear fullness daily. Currently on Gabepintin for facial pain, take advil for headaches, due allergy shots, take claritan daily and do a presciption rinse daily in nose. I have tried everything from accupunture to chiro. When i am out of the northeast with less pollen, ragweed, etc. i do feel better (Not cured) . When i am actually sick it is downright miserable and allergy season stinks. If you can spare a little time with your suggestions it would be most appreciated. I have had Tubes in ear and cameras down into my ET. MRI showed probable mild ucosal thickening in bilateral ethmoid air cells and A retention cyst in the left sphenoid sinus. In the remainder of the paranasal sinuses, there is a dark signal presumably reflecting air. A rightward nasal septal deviation and a rightward directed nasal septal spur. A world reknown speciliast told me to treat my very minor TMJ (Mouthgaurd), acid reflux (Pills). He indicated no ear infections and curre sinusits

​Thank you!

​LG

LG,

It looks like your last reply was four months ago.  I was wondering if you, or anybody else in the thread, were able to get relief via specific means.  

I fell upon this thread after Googling what I have.  The descriptions here are all just like what I've been having the last four months or so.  Facial pain, head pressure, heavy eyes, rice crispy sound in my ears and jaw, spotty headaches, tinnitus, and neck and shoulder pain.  I've seen two GPs, two ENTs, and an oral surgeon.  No tumor, no virus, no TMJ, etc.  I am not worried about terminal stuff.  I am thinking that it is probably something specific and not major.  The one thing I have not tried is an allergist; however, I saw one about twenty years ago and came up with nothing.  I know allergies can change and develop, though.  I do have a deviated septum and a cleft palate repair that can exacerbate the ET, although both ENTs discount the roll of the cleft in what I got.  Weight lifting and running do help.

I would love any input from you or others regarding what has helped.  I will say that I feel better now than I did three months ago, probably because I'm letting it stress me less.  

Hello LG, 

Just in response to your post, and the general subject, I have been googling these symptoms in response to what I have now, a possible secondary sinus infection from a viral cold that dragged on too long, coupled with fluid in my ears.  About 1.5 weeks ago, I had gone on the treadmill and worked out in my gym for 1 hour, after which, in the evening, I experienced "labyrinth ear" or major vertigo - the room kept spinning round and round uncontrollably.  It made me very nauseous, so I forced myself to throw up, thinking I had eaten something bad.  That seemed to make it feel better, so I went to sleep.  A week later, I developped a mild fever of 37.2 C (my usual is 36.5 C), and so I saw the doctor at a clinic, and he looked in my nose and in my ears and said, "you have a sinus thing going on there, and your ears are filled with fluid", and he prescribed me Zithromax antibiotics and Nasonex spray, which I had to taken just 6 months earlier for a similar situation, that time due to a deep bronchial infection that would not go away.  

Some of you have touched on allergies being the possible culprit.  I believe this is my case.  I stupidly bought a Siberian cat 4 years ago, on the false claim that she was 'hypoallergenic'...well, the breeder was very unethical and I found out that her cats are not pure bred Siberians and therefore, her claims for them being hypoallergenic are null and void.  I even saw that people to whom she had sold cats to in the past, and who had told her up front they had cat allergies, but now had to tearfully re-home their beloved cats, ended up giving their cats back to her to re-home.  How irresponsible.  And how stupid.  So now, I have to re-home a cat that I have become attached to.  Why?  Because she is the cause of my chronic inflammation.  Also, I have to buy a hyperallergenic mattress because my present mattress is stuffed with organic wool, and I am quite reactive to wool.  Again, stupid idea.  I bought an organic mattress on the idea that it was healthier than a synthetic foam/spring mattress.  Duh, I should have known better.  I am not afraid to admit that.  My entire life has been ruled by my allergies.  They have dictated where I was able to rent, where I could live, how clean I have to keep my house, what I eat, etc.  Just because I had a great streak without problems in my 20s doesn't make me indestructible in my 30s.  This proves that.  

So, maybe you need to do some introspection and ask yourself, what is it in my environment that I need to throw out, get rid of, tearfully part with, clean or replace at some cost $, so that I can regain the standard of life and health that I was once used to having?  Its hard to admit when you've made a costly mistake at the expense of your health. Especially when you thought that decision or choice was being made for the right reasons.  Maybe you don't want to clean your house because you have some fear of disturbing the past.  Who knows.  We all have our hangups.  

Or, maybe you don't realize that your diet is contributing to some internal allergies that are causing inflammation in all your soft tissues, thus leading to frequent sinus infections?  That was true for me when I was in my 20s and still eating gluten, not knowing I was very allergic to it, and it was causing all my health problems, including frequent sinus infections due to all the inflammation it caused in my soft tissues, due to my prolonged immune system response.  These are all things we can change, even though change can be painful at times.  Anyways, I know what I need to do to change my environment so that I can reduce my inflammation and allergic response.  Wish me luck...  I hope this can help someone.

Hi Browny. Sorry to hear you are feeling bad. Had a similar problem and am now looking into how it might be connected to whether or not you have too much acid in your system and need to akaline it,  digestive enzymes help some and many take stuff like baking soda in water to alkaline their system.  Are you in uk  same as me? Sounds like it.  Have you tried an ear popper?   A small gadget that can help to empty the ear with no side effects?

Hi Carmel. Thanks for your reply. Yes i am in the UK. Ive not tried an ear popper. I can succesfully carry out the valveous technique and I can feel both tubes open up. So im thinking it is still some residue of mucus laying in the Euschtacian tube causing the ringing in my ears and the retraction of my ear drums. What would cause to much acid in my system?

I was thinking of any possible dietary changes/supplements i could take to aid the healing process and any foods to avoid, as this hissing/ringing at night is driving me mad. It feels so lonely at night. Comforting to know im not the only sufferer,nobody should have to suffer this angst.

How  old are you Browny if I may ask?  I think we are more likely to get problems as we get older because the prescriptons given by the doctors have taken their toll.

If it is of any help to you I was taking two multi vitamins a day because you are supposed to make sure you have zinc etc and it is cheaper to have them all rolled in together.  A good biotic is essential to be taken with meals.  Drink more water.  Have less caffeine. Less sugar and salt (both good ideas anyway for health), less processed and refined food.

Less meat and if possible a digestive enzyme when you have meat.

Take it half an hour before. More vegetables and more fruit except citrus.

One or two fibre capsules a day helps with all health problems and prevention.  The thing about the acid and alkaline is interesting and is connected to all health.  Th

I am 31 carmel. To young the DR said to have been suffering with this problem for as long as i have been. Thinking about it now i guess i could reduce the "crappy" foods in my diet. Finding ways to reduce salt and sugar is tough work due to our food being so full of it nowadays. Even a simple bowl of bran flakes contains quite abit of sugar. I will however start to adjust my diet as i feel there is scope there to improve things. 

As for the meds i will continue to use them for the recommended time frame my GP has said to. I do exercise a fair bit to, but i guess its the foods we eat that do the real damage or healing.

Yes 31 is very young so it makes me think there had been damage done by over use of medication in the past maybe that caused it. It is hard to give up the foods we like a lot isnt it, especially when we are down and want cheering up.  You could have no added sugar muesli or sugar puffs or those shredded wheats or weetabix without sugar.  For sweetener in tea you an use stevia extract pills.  When i feel up to it I have a small salad ready in the fridge for when I am peckish, sometime like lettuce, tomato, sweetcorn, cucumber and a pilchard or egg. Eating slower and chewing more is supposed to help too.  My weaknesses foodwise are bread, pasta (change to wholewheat preferably organic if you can or substitutes), cheese,eggs and sauces, so I just try to have them less often or smaller portions.  T

Hi welshman. Ive got a hissing/ ringing noise which did originate from a build up of ear wax. Then when this was syringed i was told i had mucus behind the ear drum. So im wondering if i could still possibly have mucus behind the ear drum, even though its 6 months on now! 

Or possibly that the process of syringing the ear has damaged something