Persistent ear pressure that doesn’t respond to yawning or swallowing usually points to eustachian tube dysfunction. These narrow passages connect your middle ear to your throat, and when they’re not working right, your ears can seemingly stay clogged for days or even weeks.
At our Brooklyn, New York, office, Steven D. Kushnick, MD, evaluates persistent ear pressure and clogged sensations to identify eustachian tube dysfunction and restore normal ear function. Let’s take a closer look at how these small tubes can cause such uncomfortable symptoms — and what you can do about it.
The eustachian tubes connect your middle ear to the back of your throat. These narrow passages equalize air pressure on both sides of your eardrum and drain fluid that builds up in your middle ear.
When you yawn, swallow, or chew, the muscles around your eustachian tubes contract and briefly open the tubes. Air flows in or out of your middle ear, keeping the pressure balanced with the air around you.
Problems develop when the tubes remain closed too long or don’t open wide enough. Then, fluid accumulates in your middle ear with nowhere to drain, and the pressure difference creates that plugged-up feeling.
Eustachian tube dysfunction causes a range of symptoms that affect your hearing and comfort. You might notice:
These symptoms usually get worse during colds, allergies, or airplane flights. Some people only experience problems occasionally, while others deal with constant pressure and discomfort that disrupts their daily routine.
Eustachian tube dysfunction happens when something blocks the tubes or prevents them from opening properly. Common risk factors include:
Allergies cause swelling in your nasal passages and eustachian tubes that prevents the tubes from opening normally. Sinus infections create the same kind of swelling, but they also produce thick mucus that blocks drainage.
Colds and other viral infections inflame the tissues lining your eustachian tubes. The swelling restricts the tubes’ ability to open and close, trapping fluid in your middle ear until the infection clears.
Some people have eustachian tubes that sit at a flatter angle, or are narrower than average. Children experience this more often because their tubes are shorter and more horizontal.
About 90% of children have at least one episode of eustachian tube dysfunction before school age. Most outgrow the problem as their skull develops.
Flying, scuba diving, or driving through mountains creates rapid pressure changes that your eustachian tubes can’t keep up with. The tubes might stay closed when they should open, leaving your ears feeling blocked for hours or even days after the pressure change.
Dr. Kushnick determines the underlying cause of your eustachian tube dysfunction before recommending treatment. After a complete exam, he may recommend:
Antihistamines reduce the allergic swelling that blocks your eustachian tubes, while nasal steroid sprays decrease inflammation and help the tubes open more easily.
Forcing air through your eustachian tubes manually sometimes clears minor blockages. The Valsalva maneuver works by gently blowing while pinching your nose and keeping your mouth closed. This pushes air up through the tubes and equalizes pressure.
Children and adults with persistent eustachian tube dysfunction might need ear tubes inserted through the eardrum. These tiny tubes bypass the blocked eustachian tubes and allow fluid to drain directly out of the middle ear.
Eustachian tube balloon dilation treats chronic dysfunction caused by tubes that won’t open properly. Dr. Kushnick inserts a small balloon catheter into the tube and inflates it, which widens the passage and helps it function normally.
Eustachian tube dysfunction causes ongoing discomfort that affects your hearing and quality of life. Dr. Kushnick’s evaluation identifies what’s preventing your tubes from working correctly and recommends the most effective treatment.
Call our Brooklyn, New York, office at 718-250-8520 today, or use our online booking tool to schedule an evaluation for your ear pressure and clogged sensation.
