Otovent balloon help / support

Hi all,

I would like to hear from people who have been using, or trying to use, the Otovent balloon for treatment of ETD or retraction.

I have trouble popping my ears. I cannot generate a reliable pop from Valsalva. I have success sometimes when in the shower, due to the steam loosening things up I assume. Also when exercising, my ears sometimes pop. When they pop it is always uncomfortable, due I think to the stickiness of the eustachian tube and the hypermobility of my ear drum. Its also normally the right ear than pops first, I am hardly ever able to get the left ear to pop.

I have an Otovent balloon but I cannot inflate it. It feels too much force to get it going, so I can't bring myself mentally to push hard enough. I am anticipating the uncomfortable and slightly painful feeling that I will get when my ears do pop, which is holding me back.

Through research I have found out that the balloons are designed to inflate at a pressure of an equivalent of 0.7-0.9m depth in water. That is not a very high pressure but it certainly feels it when trying to inflate the balloon with my nose.

Does anyone use the balloon? Has anyone had the same issue as me with inflation and how did you get through it? Does anyone use the balloon regularly with retracted/hypermobile eardrums and get any problems? Did using the balloon help? Does popping your ears get easier over time, does it help to exercise/train the eustachian tubes?

Would love to hear people's views.

Thanks

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