Eustachian tube drains slowly? normal? and other questions

About a week and a half ago, I started feeling alot of pressure in my ears. I had just recovered from a cold/sinusitis. My ENT doc confirmed it was indeed eustachian tube disfunction and that it will go away on its own.

Well 2 days ago after laying on a heat pad, I started feeling fluid in my ear start moving down my throat. It was a weird sensation. 

It hasn't cleared up all the way, I can still feel fluid in my ear try to drain again. The pressure I felt in my ear is definitely less though.

I would think it would just drain all at once, but I guess it drains slowly? Is this normal?

Also, are there any foods that I should be avoiding that might make it worse?

Never dealt with this before so I'm not sure what I should be expecting

 

This has recently happened to me as well. I still have a few issues but it has been slowly healing itself. I had three sinus infections over the course of six months. I dont ever think that had happened before. Some helpful things as well is steam. Boil a pot of water and throw a towel over your head. You dont need to be uo against the oot..rememeber it hot water. Just to get the steam. And saline pump nasal rinse is good too. They gave me flonase but i would get sore throats from it so i stopped that. Be patient. Healing on its own can easily take months. I some how manage to develop a funny sound in ine ear like a washing machine sound from the retracted eustatian tube, im still waiting for that go away. Hopefully in time it all heals itself. Im too new myself to give any definite answers. Anything that thins mucous would be useful. Drink lots of liquids. It is most likely swelling in there as well. I know the pediatrician used to tell me up to three months for the fluid to go away when my kids had issues. Salt water gargles are really good too with warm water. When you gargle it reaches where the eustatian tubes and the vibration and salt water help it recover quicker.

Hi Hannah,

Having suffered this problem since the 80's, from experience plugged ears can take a very long time to drain, sometimes months.  If your ear aches it's always recommended you take an antibiotic to protect you from a potential problem as I had.  Evidently, and how true this is I don't know, all diary products makes mucus....personally not too sure about this.  It's so common to have blocked ears after a cold or a sinus infection.  Try gently pinching your nostrils together and blow....sometimes opens eustachian tubes.  Put some Olbas Oil on a tissues and breath deeply, this also sometimes works for me.  If you had a perforated eardrum the muck would run out of your ear and you'd see it on your pillow, otherwise it drains the other way down your throat.  As I've said so many times before to people on here this is such a horrible problem and unless ENT doctors have experienced it themselves they have no idea of how bad it feels.  Symptoms of meningitis (which is rare, I was just unlucky).  Very bad headache, sickness, stiff neck and light sensitive to the eyes.  Please don't worry about it as it's most unlikely you've contracted it.

Regards Anne

Thank you so much for you response Lisa! I will definitely try the steam and the salt water gargle. I hope things get better for you also!!

Thanks for your response Anne!

Did gargles and salt water help you??

I am suffering from middle ear infection (exact two months today). now ruptered eardrum has healed(one month before). But now i have fluid behind my eardrum. I think this is mainly because of dysfunctioning of eustachian tube. What can i do as a home remedy which can improve working of eustachian tube. Please help. I am really worried

Acuouncture can speed it up if you want it to drain faster but the body usually knows what its doing. It can take a while before it self corrects,

Morning Aasha,  Sadly nothing can be done at home for this condition.  I've suffered it on and off for 30 yrs now.  Obviously your perforation wasn't a bit enough hole for all the build up of mucus to escape.  Ask your doctor to refer you to an ENT consultant who, like mine, will perform Microsustion on the ear/ears to remove the musus from behind the eardrum.  I've had this procedure done now 7 times over the past few years on my left ear.  I make a lot of mucus due to sinus issues and allergies.  It's the only way to get quick relief.

Regards Anne

Sorry, that should read MICROSUCTION

It's thick mucus that's trying to drain through stuck together eustachian tubes.  Drink plenty of water to thin mucus to allow easier drainage.  I've tried everything.  Much of it to no avail !!

Anne

I have it to girbiver 2 weeks when I flew home with a cold. Ear still muffled. How high and how long did you have the heating pad on as I never tried that as medicines don't seem to help. Was told I had fluid in my ear and eoukd take time to drain but never expected this long, Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks

In my experience, it take take for ever if fluid is in the eustachian tubes.  You need a decongestant to try and dry up fluid.  If the eardrum bulges due to the fluid (mucus) doesn't it causes a perforation to allow drainage.  Try squeezing both nostrils together and blowing, but not too hard.  sometimes I manage to make ear pop by doing this.  Thick mucus after a cold will take a very long time to clear.

Anne

Does it clear as I'm not going through tubes in ears as I have heard horror stories and I have jenn on two does if prednisone and steroid nose spray and Claritin d and did nothing. Is there a good decongestant you can recommend for me? How long did you have that problem and when I'm blowing when a menu see yellow stuff come out and have been on an antibodic fir 2 weeks and I can't understand. Ant helpful advice would be great. Both me and my husband are having the same problem as we both flew home with colds on the plane. Thanks . Appreciate it

Which country do you live in as mediaction has different names.  I'm in England.  How long was the dose of Prednisolone prescribed....if only a week wouldn't have been long enough to get rid of all the inflammation.  I've recently finished a 20 reducing course and I'm really good right now.

Anne

Sorry, that should have read a 20 day reducing course

Anne

The gp gave me a 5 day 5 mg and two weeks later the ent gave me a 6 day ,30,25,20,15,20,10 and 5 and today he calls and wants to me on sulfur but I can't go walking or go in my pool for 14 days and as I live in Florida that won't work as I'm in the sun every day do not picking it up.Then he wants me to come in for a hearing test to see how much fluid in my ear and if there is a lot he wants to put tubes in my ear. No way I told him after only 2 weeks of being clogged. I will go see another ENT who is board certified where I heard they do the balloon up the nose with no tubes in ear. I'm so upset as I try to keep myself busy not to think about it as I'm depressed. I was told at almost 65 yrsbokd you should never go through with tubes at that age if there is a chance you may lose hearing and no guarantee. Today I put myself on musinex D 2X a day and since this morning I have been blowing my nose a lot. Anything helpful you can share eoukd bf great. Thanks .

Hi, so have you finished the course yet.  If not give the Prednisolone chance to work.  If you've finished them, or whn you do, try a decongestion tablet.  My ENT consultant wouldn't put tubes in my ears and I don't think he will use the balloon procedure either.  However, when I see him at my next appointment in October I will discuss the Balloon with him.  I can't think of anything else you can try, as I'm sure you've tried everything.  You could do an inhaler, put boiling water into a bowl and put a towel over you head and breath in the steam for 20 minutes.  When you done this pinch your nostrils together and blow, sometimes this pops the ears.  I'm in England and we don't get it as hot as you get in Florida and you get bad humidity too....I'd hate that.  Also try an antihistamine to help dry up mucus.

Good luck

Anne

I can't understand why a ent dr would want to put tubes in ears after only two weeks as I saw him last week. I'm hopeful the musinex d will work as since I took it this morning I have been doing a lot of blowing.

It wouldn't be do bad as if my left ear would just pop s little back so I can get part of my normal hearing back ad I read on line ur could take 1-3 months so u wanted to have s second opinion and see what he advices. Only saw the Dr last week and dkready surgery . No way. Thanks fir your comments. Appreciate it. How long gave your ears been blocked?

I've suffered with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction since 1994 on and off....more on than off.  Until it eventually caused bacterial meningits, through the mucus turning bacterial.  The bacteria crossed the blood brain barrier

 anne