Possible ETD Relief... may also apply to hearing and tinnitus issues.
Posted , 2 users are following.
ETD- Eustachian tube dysfunction is more accurately defined as failure of the functional valve of the eustachian tube to open and/or close properly.... in a lot of cases you cannot pop your ears.
How many of you have issues with hearing, tinnitus, or ETD? How many of you used ear drops?
I finally found a very good doctor yesterday. He saw what many others did not. He removed a perfect casting of my eardrum. The casting was a mixture of earwax and the eardrops that were wrongly prescribed to me 5 months ago. It looked and felt like a freshly dried wood glue. It was keeping my ear drum from flexing. He said he's also done this for many people with hearing issues.
I had other complications due to a middle ear infection with effusion, and I still have a nasal polyp. I rememedied the other symptoms of ETD with 2-3 weeks of Nasacort, and occasional Sudafed or Claritin D. (no, I did not have allergies or a cold) So going on 6 months, 2000 bucks, and pure misery, I might be in the clear. If anything, I have a good amount of relief.
People raved about one of the specialists I went to see... he told me I had allergies. Him, his nurse, and his audiologist looked in my ear and did not see this coating. My general doctor and his nurse looked in my ears several times... its just gonna take time to heal. Sorry, nothing we can do.
FYI- the drops prescribed to me: Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Hydrocortisone Otic Suspension. I said wrongly prescribed, because I was originally treated for an outer ear infection, when I had a middle ear infection. Had someone done their job right, my ear would not have come close to rupturing, I'd have more money right now, and probably been feeling better about 3 months ago.
I will let you know in a month if things are still good.
0 likes, 4 replies
eisenhorn steve77387
Posted
I am interested in this, as it makes sense and seems to apply to my situation. What is the name/location of the specialist that did the removal? The two ENTs I've seen were no help. I've suffered from tinnitus ever since an eardrum rupture about five years ago, and ETD developed to varying degrees with me about two years ago. It is much better, but still persists. It is mostly better by me analyzing trial and error and reading message boards like this where folks similar to me post what has helped them. No doctor (ENTs, GPs, Allergist, Audiologist) has been helpful to me whatsoever.
steve77387 eisenhorn
Posted
Were you using ear drops at some point?
I'm in the Cincinnati area. He is an otolaryngologist at the EN&T office at Christ Hospital. I would think that any specialist in the field would be able to do this if they were actually looking for it. Again, my ear was looked at by many people, many times and they didn't see or didn't think the debris was abnormal.
As far as comparing notes. Every doctor I go to complains about how steep my ear canals are. They have to get me to tilt my head so they can see my ear drum. For myself, Its difficult to soak/clean my ear. My thought is if you have the average ear canal that you could look into soaking them with something like peroxide and then using a small syringe to rinse them out. The style with the curved tip that dentists give you to clean your wounds after having wisdom teeth removed. The doctor I went to was telling me he personally maintains his own ears with 70% isopropyl alcohol... Not sure if I would do this myself for fear that it would dry out my skin. I asked if he thought it would remove the wax that is supposed to be there and he said no, that it helps keep your ears dry.
I did post another item that explains the other route I went. if you click on my name it should lead you to everything I've listed since the beginning.
eisenhorn steve77387
Posted
I avoid drops like the plague. I've had a history of ear problems for all my life (40+ years) due to cleft palate and its associated surgeries. I cannot let moisture in my ears. So, I'll only use antibiotic drops, and that was years ago. Sinus rinses and other things cause problems for that reason. My ETs are not straight and do not drain. So, our physical differences to the tubes our sort of similar. I definitely don't have average ear canals. And my ear drums are so scarred every doctor gasps when seeing them for the first time. Most are shocked I don't have hearing aids. So, I know I'm working against the grain. I just don't accept the statement that nothing can be done. Which is why I'd like to find a doc that will look past the 'norm'.
steve77387 eisenhorn
Posted
Im sorry you've dealt with it for so long. Its amazing what most people take for granite. I hope more people will focus on this as their specialty in the future. Out of all the amazing things medicine can do, you'd think they could fix our ears.
Another trick he showed me as far as cleaning your ears... twist a tissue into a point and use it as a Q-tip. You almost screw it into your ear.
I'm not sure if I'm 100% yet. Still feeling some of the same sensations. I'm starting to wonder if the nasal polyp is causing some of the problem. I was so excited that he may have resolved my issue that I forgot to mention the Polyp. Go me! duh.