How I cured my eustachian tube dysfunction? Let’s find out eustachian tube dysfunction diagnosis and treatment!
Table of Contents
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Meaning
Eustachian tube dysfunction definition – What is eustachian tube dysfunction? The eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose, lets air in and drains fluid out of the middle ear. It is normally closed and only opens when you swallow or yawn. When the eustachian tube doesn’t work right, air that gets stuck in the middle ear is sucked out, causing negative pressure.
Eustachian tube dysfunction causes
What causes eustachian tube dysfunction? Most of the time, eustachian tube dysfunction is caused by diseases that make the tube lining swell up, like viral upper respiratory tract infections and allergies.
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Diagnosis
- Aural fullness.
- Hearing problems.
- Changes in barometric pressure cause discomfort.
- At risk for serious middle ear infection.
Eustachian tube dysfunction symptoms
Signs and symptoms of eustachian tube dysfunction: The patient usually reports a sense of fullness in the ear and mild to moderate hearing impairment. When the tube is only partially blocked, swallowing or yawning may elicit a popping or crackling sound.
The examination may reveal retraction of the tympanic membrane and decreased mobility on pneumatic otoscopy.
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Treatment and Management at Home
Treatment of eustachian tube dysfunction – What is the best treatment for eustachian tube dysfunction? This disorder is usually temporary and lasts a few days to a few weeks. However, treatment with systemic and intranasal decongestants (like pseudoephedrine, 60 mg orally every 4-6 hours or oxymetazoline, 0.05% spray every 8-12 hours) and autoinflation (forced exhalation against closed nostrils) may bring relief faster.
Autoinflation shouldn’t be recommended to people with an active intranasal infection since this move could cause a middle ear infection. Intranasal corticosteroids may also be helpful for people who have allergies (e.g., beclomethasone dipropionate, two sprays in each nostril twice daily for 2-6 weeks).
Air travel, rapid changes in altitude, and underwater diving should be avoided until the problem is solved. On the other hand, an overly open eustachian tube (called a “patulous eustachian tube”) is a relatively rare but very upsetting problem. Typical complaints include a full feeling in the ear and autophony, which is the ability to hear oneself breathe and talk too clearly. A patulous eustachian tube can happen when a person loses weight quickly or for no known reason.
In contrast to eustachian tube dysfunction, ear pressure is often made worse by exertion and may get better when you have an upper respiratory tract infection. Even though a physical exam is usually fine, respiratory excursions of the tympanic membrane may sometimes be seen when a person is breathing hard.
Treatments include:
- Not using decongestants.
- Putting in a ventilating tube to reduce the outward stretching of the eardrum when speaking.
- Surgery on the eustachian tube itself.
I hope you understand about eustachian tube dysfunction diagnosis and treatment guidelines.