Patulous Eustacian Tube after balloon dilation
Posted , 2 users are following.
Developed patulous eustacian tube as a result of a sinus and balloon dilation surgery. Been having head/ facial/ ear pressure for almost 2 years now. ENT recommended I try this surgery on the right side only to see if it would help. Unfortunately it only made the condition worse. Still having the daily head and facial pressure, along with chronic neck/upper back pain and now have daily problems with my right ear. If I go down in an elevator I can feel the pressure in my head and ears and I feel like i need to pop them after that. My ear usually pops open after I wake up in the morning. The only way to temporarily relive the autophony is to lie down or put my head between my knees. However this only helps for short time. Had the surgery at the end of May 2019. Does anyone know how long it can take for the eustacian tubes to fully heal after this? Has this happened to anyone else after the surgery? I would really appreciate if someone has any insight into how to fix this patulous problem. It seems to make my head pressure worse and has only added to my stress.
0 likes, 6 replies
aspano79 JT1157
Posted
I'm confused. If you had PET, why did the ENT recommend balloon dilation?
JT1157 aspano79
Posted
No one has been able to figure out what was causing the headaches and facial/ear pressure. The ENT thought this might help. However it just made the primary condition worse and created another issue that may or may not be related.
aspano79 JT1157
Posted
I've had 5 surgeries on both of my ears in the last 6 years, The first 2 was for a cyst that was growing that turned into an infection and I had to have my middle ear gutted and cleaned and then a year later have a prosthesis ear drum put in. Everything was fine for a year but all of a sudden the prosthesis would have a very high buzzing sound when I would talk, so we did a 3rd surgery to fix that. I had 2 more surgeries following the 3rd one from complications that happened from each surgery. It seemed like I was opening a new can of worms with each surgery. The 4th surgery was the ballon dilation surgery and it was the worse mistake of my life! I now have MANY symptoms and I am a patient to one of the most premier ear surgeons in my region, who can't figure out how to correct them. I've reached out and was seen the best doctors in the country and flown to Boston and California, each telling me that at this point anything we do will just cause more damage than good. For the first year my anxiety from the Tinnitus, popping sounds when I swallow, loud bangs against my ear drum when I chew, clogged feeling constantly there, throbbing, auto phony, and ear pains, was so bad I had to take anxiety medication and see a therapist. Over time my brain started shutting out the sounds and feelings, and I read a book called Re-wiring Tinnitus that really helped and I'm finally able to be me again! I haven't lost sleep in months.
In your case, I would go see Dr. Dennis Poe in Boston. He specializes in PET. He will advise you to use a homemade saline for a couple months to see if that helps. The saline inflames the ET and causes it to close like it should. Try this. Mix 4 teaspoons of salt with 1 cup of warm water. Lie face up at the edge of your bed and extend the neck off the side at a 15 degree angle. Apply 4-5 drops in the nostril of the affected side and immediately drop your head 45 degrees to the floor. It stings like crazy but should radiate your ear. Do this 2-3 times a day for 2 months
Be careful of ENT doctors, they are not ear professionals. There are specialists for just Ears. Those are the doctors you want to see. My ENT referred me to an Ear specialist. My case was so bad he didn't even want to touch it.
Just remember that there is hope for you. If you have PET, there any many surgeries that can help and even cure you. Get away from your local ENT and go to the best doctors who specialize in your cases. Also, your mind over time adjusts to these new symptoms so don't feel trapped!
JT1157 aspano79
Posted
Thanks for the reply aspano79!The patulous seems to be doing slightly better after using the PatulEND nose drops. Unsure if I am putting them in correctly. Still have the clogged ear feeling and right sided facial pressure, along with chronic neck/upper back pain on both sides daily. Also my eyes are also very red everyday. I'm going to ask my ear specialist for a referral to see Dr. Poe if it doesn't improve in a couple more months. Can I ask, what anxiety medication did you take that helped you? Wondering if i made it worse by trying to pop and unclog the ear constantly.
aspano79 JT1157
Posted
Do the drops sting like crazy? If so, they are doing what it should.
It was a very small dose of Zoloft and I only took it for a couple of months. Have you tried Eustachi? Some people swear by it because it does what you are describing without all the internal things that a valsalva maneuver does. I was told by my specialist to stop doing it so I would if I were you.
My specialist also had me see other specialists to ensure nothing underlying was causing my ENT. He ordered a Barium Swallow to ensure nothing in my esophagus was pressing against my ET's and also had my tonsils and adenodes checked because if they were enlarged those could also be causing issues.
aspano79 JT1157
Posted
Keep doing the drops for 2 months and see if there is improvement. I would put the review in with Dr. Poe immediately it takes them 6-8 weeks just to look at your paper work and medical history to even determine if you will be seen.