by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A mother-to-be wrote,
After stumbling across your website today, I was wondering if you could give me some advice.
Three years ago I perforated my eardrum free diving. This wasn’t picked up until 9 months after the incident, and the ENT suggested that I would need a graft put over the hole as it hadn’t healed. On the day of the surgery, another consultant who was to perform the operation, canceled, and advised that my eardrum would heal, but would take time.
My eardrum never healed. I know this as I never feel pressure in my left ear when going through a tunnel, or on a plane. It hasn’t caused me too much of a problem, until recently.
I am 6 months pregnant—not sure if this is a factor, but over the past 3 months my hearing has been impaired daily, on and off. Sometimes it is both ears. Noise sounds muffled and my breathing sounds very loud. Sometimes I can ‘clear’ the right ear by holding my right nostril and breathing in. But for the left ear—the air just blows straight out the drum. It also doesn’t work for very long. As soon as I swallow, the hearing loss is back and sometimes with pain. When I go to sleep, by the next morning, my hearing is back to normal—but only for so long.
This problem is becoming more frequent and more difficult to resolve by myself. By chance, last night I found that if I tip my head forward (as if I’m touching my toes) for about 30 seconds, this also seems to relieve the hearing loss.
I wondered if you had any advice for me on what’s wrong? What’s the treatment?
The hole in your eardrum is not related to your present condition. However, having said that, it could be a good idea to see another doctor about getting the hole closed. A hole in your eardrum causes a certain degree of conductive hearing loss, but more importantly, it is an avenue for infection. So there are two good reasons to have it closed.
Now, to address your current problem.
When you hear your own breathing very loud, typically it’s because your Eustachian tubes are not closing properly. Normally, they are closed except when you yawn or swallow—at which point they momentarily open to equalize the air pressure in your middle ears. If they don’t close properly, then you hear breathy sounds all the time they are open. This is called Patulous Eustachian Tubes. “Patulous” is just a fancy Latin word that means “open”.
Your muffled hearing, breath sounds, intermittent occurrence, etc. all point to patulous Eustachian tubes. So does your pregnancy. You see, pregnancy can cause patulous Eustachian tubes due to the effects of pregnancy hormones on surface tension and mucous in the respiratory system. So, if pregnancy is the cause, then you could expect things to revert to normal once your baby is born and your hormones settle down again.
Rapid weight loss (or less commonly—weight gain) can cause patulous Eustachian tubes—and you are gaining weight fast at this point.
When you swallow, your Eustachian tubes momentarily open—and in your case—forget to close again.
I don’t know why the pain. That’s something to discuss with your ear specialist.
You’ve noticed that after a night’s sleep, your hearing is back to normal but only stays that way for a bit. Here’s why.
Your Eustachian tubes close as you sleep and then open when you become active again. It is known that laying your head down can help since it increases venous blood pressure and congestion of the mucosa which helps close the open Eustachian tube.
You note, “By chance, last night I found that if I tip my head forward (as if I’m touching my toes) for about 30 seconds, this also seems to relieve the hearing loss.”
You’ve found a trick that also forces your Eustachian tubes to close. Actually, this is one of the ways to “treat” your condition. “Historically, to temporarily alleviate symptoms, patients have tried positional maneuvers, such as tilting their head to one side or upside down, lie down on their backs, or sit in a chair with their head between their knees. Similarly, a routine of lying down four times per day with legs elevated to around 20 inches for at least two weeks has been attempted as well.”
How much caffeine (from coffee, cola drinks, chocolate, etc.) do you ingest daily? For some people caffeine makes this condition worse so you might try cutting back on the above and see whether it makes a difference.
From everything you’ve said, I’m certain you have patulous Eustachian tubes. You can talk to your ear specialist about it, but I think it will go away in a few months. Doctors have medical solutions (surgery or drugs) but I don’t think that is the best way for you to proceed at this point.
I have the opposite problem; people tell me I’m breathing loudly, but I’m wide awake and cannot hear it. It has been described as a deep snarl type of snore, but I cannot hear it. What do you suppose that is?
Hi Miata:
If you can’t hear it, you need to get your hearing checked. Furthermore, you should be checked out by an ENT doctor and see what he thinks.
Cordially,
Neil
My eustacian tube problem started after sinus surgery. It’s been almost 7years. To alleviate it I use saline spray which I pour in my nostrils. This can help for a few hours or revert quickly. I also am better if I have a cold. And once it disappeared for over a month. Then returned.
Do you have any permanent suggestions?
Hi Barbara:
I’m wondering if for your sinus surgery, your doctors positioned your head/neck in a certain way and inadvertently caused your C1 and C2 vertebrae to get out of proper alignment. The result is that your 5th cranial (trigeminal nerve is now “pinched”. One of the things that your trigeminal nerve does is control your Eustachian tubes. Since they are not working correctly, you might want to go to the health care professional that knows how to properly align your C1 and C2 vertebrae–and that is an upper cervical spine chiropractor, NOT a conventional chiropractor.
These upper cervical chiropractor are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing such as the ear problems and headaches.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
There is a lot of good information on UCS chiropractic on this page also.
This is what I think I’d do if I were in your shoes.
Cordially,
Neil
My Right Ear Has A Really Cloggy Feeling . I Can Also Hear MySelf Breathing Loudly . LastNight I Had My Head Phones In I’ve Noticed One Side Sounded Louder Than The Other So The One I Had In My Left Ear I Put It In My Right Ear & It Sounded All Cloggy But Loud In The Other Ear . Am I Becoming Death ?
Hi Leshia:
I’d say you have a hearing loss in your right ear. It may be a conductive loss and thus be temporary. You may have an open (patulous) Eustachian tube, or some other middle ear problem. You should see an ear specialist and see what he says.
Cordially,
Neil
This article was very helpful! I am six months pregnant, and have been experiencing these symptoms on and off for about a month. My OB/GYN wasn’t familiar with the condition but suggested I try Flonase. Do you agree, or have any other safe treatment options? Thank you!
Hi Molly:
Why would you want to try Flonase–that is to dry up mucous so you can hear better if you have clogged ears. Your problem is that your Eustachian tubes are open–probably due to your pregnancy. I don’t see Flonase as doing anything positive for you.
Personally, as I said in the article, just bend forward from time to time if this helps, or do nothing. Once your baby is born, this condition should go away. I don’t see this as a problem that you need to try to drug into submission (and experience all the negative side effects of drugs).
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the response,
I have been tilting my head down, but only get about a minute of relief from that. I think the thoughts was that our early spring has caused allergies, which has contributed to excess mucus. I have not taken allergy meds throughout pregnancy, but may give them a try at this point. Thanks again for your quick response!
Last night I woke to loud breathing in my right ear and it was NOT my own breath (I know because I held my breath and I still heard it). If I pressed on my ear hard it would go away so I know it “wasn’t in my head.” It really scared me. Please tell me there is a medical reason for this.
Hi Colleen:
Sorry, I don’t know what you were hearing. Have you heard it again since this happened? If not, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Cordially,
Neil
thank you so much .. that helped a lot !
I have had two cholesteatoma surgery in my right ear. The last one was about six years ago. Within the last year I started to hear my breath and my heart beats.
It sounds like my ear are always open and the only time they close is when I sleep, eat and put my head between my legs. It provides temporary relief. I also use rinse my sinus and that helps for a little bit. I talked to my ear doctor and he said my ears look good. It is very difficult to speak sometimes. Should I go see another ear doctor? How can I fix this issue?
Hi Mauricio:
I think you would be wise to get a second opinion from another ear specialist. I really can’t help you as I don’t know what structures in your middle ear were involved in your cholesteatoma surgeries. This could cause your middle ear not to function normally..
Cordially,
Neil
Just wanted to say thank you as this post and your replies have calmed my panic. I’m 7 months pregnant. I was just outside gardening when all of a sudden in both my ears I could hear myself breathing and it sounded like I was talking on a microphone in my head. I have hay fever quite badly and the pollen has been very high the past couple of weeks. I haven’t noticed being to stuffy, but my eyes have been really itchy. I have local eye drops for this symptom. I know it’s a bit crazy to be out gardening with hay fever and not able to take antihistamines but it was beginning to look like a jungle. The one thing that seems to work is pressing on one nostril and breathing slowly and gently. Would this indicate something to do with my sinuses?
Hi Gina:
Pregnancy can be associated with patulous Eustachian tubes. This would explain hearing your breathing abnormally loudly at times.
However, that has nothing to do with your hay fever as such. But having both conditions at the same time may give rise to some interesting interactions. Perhaps that is why pressing on one nostril and breathing slowly works for you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I was diagnosed with a sinus infection two weeks ago and was put on an antibiotic. When I was really stuffy, my ears would go in an out I would hear my breathing and voice. Now that I’m feeling much better and my sinuses are no longer clogged, I’m still getting that feeling in my ears. Could this be still related to my sinus infection?
Hi Blake:
Your sinuses may be clear now, but are your Eustachian tubes and middle ears clear? if not, that could be your problem. Sometimes it takes a few weeks, or even two or three months, for your middle years and Eustachian tubes to drain and get things back to normal. So I’d give it a bit more time.
Cordially,
Neil
I lie on my stomach with my head turned to the right to go to sleep. ( I can’t sleep on my side or back.) Sometimes, I can hear myself breathing, which keeps me from going to sleep. Any ideas?
Hi Linda:
What happens if you turn your head to the left? Same thing?
Have you lost weight recently?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil!
Could you clarify: Are there any long term consequences from not treating patulous eustachian tubes?
I had a gastric sleeve February 2017 and I’ve lost over a hundred pounds since then. I had what I thought to be a mild ear infection last April (I had lost maybe 30 pounds by that point). It occurred the same time as I was getting over a cold, and my doctor told me my ears looked irritated/swollen but not to worry. I remember my ears feeling full on and off but not necessarily painful. It cleared up on its own. Then in December, I went back to the doctor after similar symptoms and was told it was congestion – she put me on Claritin for a week. It didn’t seem to help but I don’t recall if it made my symptoms worse. That also cleared up on its own about a week or so after I stopped the Claritin.
Now for the last month, I’ve had intermittent feelings of fullness to both ears. Sound is sometimes (not always) muffled, and I sometimes have to stop talking in the middle of a sentence because the sound of my voice in my ear is so irritating. My left is worse than my right. I feel like I need to “pop” my ears pretty frequently. I also feel like I have been producing more earwax lately – I will admit that I’ve been using q-tips a little more frequently because my ears have felt so…full and uncomfortable. To add to all that, I now have some irritation to the skin near my ear canal (dry, flaking and itchy).
Is this patent tube something that will continue to recur? Will it lead to permanent hearing loss? And what would you recommend for the dry, irritated skin?
Thanks!
Hi Ashley:
What makes you think you have patulous Eustachian tubes? Your symptoms sound more to me like you have a middle ear infection that clears up on its own after a week or two. Middle ear infections can take up to three months before all the gunk drains out and the feeling of fullness and muffled hearing goes away. If you need to pop your ears, then you don’t have patulous Eustachian tubes because they would be open all the time and so pressure wouldn’t build up.
But if you have patulous Eustachian tubes, gunk could more readily get drawn up your Eustachian tubes leading to middle ear infections.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, the other day when leaning on a door, I thought my dog was on the other side because I could hear breathing. Later I realised that that I also heard it while trying to sleep . But I’m not sure if it’s my Patulous Eustachian tubes because I don’t have trouble hearing anything. What could it be?
Hi Jimmy:
If you have patulous Eustachian tubes, you typically hear your own breath sounds as much louder. In your case, you thought you heard breathing through the door or while trying to go to sleep. If you hold your breath, do you still hear them? If so, then you know it is not caused by patulous Eustachian tubes. If that is the case, then I’d suggest you are hearing a tinnitus sound or more likely you are experiencing one of the many weird Musical Ear Syndrome sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I had a mild cold last week and woke up one morning hearing my own breathing/voice when talking and had some pressure in my ear. It has grandually got worse so visited my gp who looked in my ear and said the eardrum was retracted and a little pink. The only advice she gave me was to ignore it and it’ll go away. I now think it’s effected my other ear too. Does this sound like Patulous Eustachi an tune or Eustachi an tube disorder? Thanks
Hi Natasha:
When you hear your breath and voice louder than normal, it sounds like patulous Eustachian tubes, but there is something that bothers me. You feel pressure in your ear and your eardrum was retracted. To me that indicates that your Eustachian tubes are CLOSED, not open.
Has there been any change in the past few days?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi. I have a problem with my nose and ears. I listen my own voice very loudly.i also listen and feel my breathing very loudly like there is a heavy wind inside my ears and head.I have this from 2-3 years.can’t talk to anyone more than 5 minutes. I can’t talk properly because of this. I really want to get rid of it. I went to an ENT specialist he said don’t worry it is nothing and gave me Amivane 25 medicine. Is there any cure for it. Can i get back to my normal life. This problem has effected my life very badly. When i tip my head upside down it gives me relief for 5-10 seconds. I am very thin. Please help me please i want my normal life back. You can’t imagine how depressed i am. I cry for 1 hour every day because i can’t find any solution for this. I really want to get rid of it. I am 17 years old. I don’t go school nor i play games anymore. My life has become like a prisoner. Please please please please please help me. 😞😞😞
Hi Owais:
It sounds like your Eustachian tubes are stuck open. I think you need to go to a different ENT–one who doesn’t just brush you off.
Were you heavier in the past and lost weight two or three years ago when this started? If it is because of weight loss, putting on a bit more weight could solve the problem.
Did you have any head trauma in the past, or were you ever in a motor vehicle accident? If so, your Eustachian tube dysfunction could be the result of your top two vertebrae in your neck being out of proper alignment. If this is the case, then seeing an upper cervical spine chiroprctor may be the answer. You can find them at http://www.upcspine.com/ then hover your mouse over “Practitioners” and choose your area and then your specific state or province. One of these guys may be able to help you. Be sure to tell him about your Eustachian tubes.
These are two possible solutions for you to try.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Owais, I just wanted to say I recently got Diagnosed with this and nothing will help unless you go to a special ENT-one that knows about patulous Eustachian tube. I’m not sure where you live, but there is an amazing doctor in Los Angeles, CA that treats this. His name is doctor Nazarian at Osborne Head and Neck Institute.
Hello I think I am suffering from this problem too. At first I thought my ears might be plugged up with wax so I flushed them but nothing came out.
I lost some weight recently but I was overweight so I do not want to regain it since I am at the upper end of normal BMI. I have no pain or anything but hearing my own breathing and voice so loudly is very annoying, will this ever go away by itself or should I go to a doctor?
Hi Sara:
If your patulous Eustachian tubes are the result of losing weight fairly rapidly, I think it will go away by itself as your body readjusts. Do you get relief if you put your head down for a few minutes like I explain in the article? If so, that’s almost certainly Patulous Eustachian tubes.
I’m not sure what a doctor would do–besides give you drugs–and that is not the real answer.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you Neil and yes, when I lower my head I get immediate relief. My right ear will now be normal for some time on and off so I think my body is adjusting already.
Hello. Thanks for this thread.
Four weeks ago developed pharyngitis (no fever/runny nose/sneezing) and couldn’t taste/smell. Bacteria tests negative. Few days later developed ear fullness/pressure/pain, first left then right (and conjunctivitis and cough).
Started experiencing autophony (voice/breath/heartbeat) in both ears (separately or at once) and sensation of air going into my eustachian tube from the inside out. Pain gone but ears still clogged when not feeling autophony.
ENT tympanometer test showed fluid (almost flat line) in both ears. I reported autophony but was prescribed nasal decongestant and antibiotic, which I did not take fearing it would make autophony worse.
Pressure stayed constant for few days, then started to come and go with feeling of trickling in ear. Did not try Valsalva. Saw different ENT 10 days later, tympanometer showed left ear normal and right ear still some fluid (but not flat) and right eardrum showed signs of fluid/pressure. Again reported autophony, was told tubes can’t be staying open but not tested for this, and prescribed more nasal sprays (again did not use them). Touching neck in certain places, lowering head, sniffing sharply sometimes relieves autophony.
Sometimes I feel one of the ears equalize for a short time, but generally either feel fullness/pressure or autophony/air. Throat pain/inflammation is gone, taste/smell come and go, some eye irritation and strong night-time cough still present.
Questions:
Would decongestants make things worse?
Why do I still feel pressure/muffled if tubes are sometimes staying open?
Is swimming/flying a concern if I continue to feel pressure, even with PET symptoms?
Thank you.
Hi Mari:
I guess the first question you need to answer is, “Are you congested?” If you don’t feel congested, then I’m with you in not taking medications unnecessarily. I don’t see how decongestants will help autophony.
Some people feel pressure/muffled hearing with autophony which seems counterintuitive. You’d think hearing would be better, not muffled, but that is what they report. I don’t know exactly what is going on to cause this.
I’d say theoretically if your Eustachian tubes are “open”, then flying shouldn’t be a problem as pressure can’t build up. However, swimming–if you get water in your mouth and it goes up your Eustachian tube wouldn’t be a good thing as it could have “bugs” in it that could infect your middle ear.
If you don’t have to swim/fly for the next few weeks, you could let your ears continue to get better and see if the pressure issue resolves as you get rid of the cough and whatever remaining symptoms remain.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman. Thanks for your reply. I wanted to post an update.
I ended up waiting (no swimming/flying) and went to see a third ENT at around 7 weeks (virus started Apr 29 but ear symptoms started May 1). This doctor was far more knowledgeable than the first two and recognized my symptoms. Update on my case:
– PET symptoms: still there in both ears but less severe. Shorter and more infrequent episodes throughout the day, autophony not as loud
– Ear pain: some short episodes of pain after PET symptoms subside (sharp, stabbing, pressure). Comparable to type of pain 6 weeks ago during infection but back then it was severe and now mild to moderate short episodes (few minutes). Itchiness also less.
– Eustachian tube: doctor looked at ET through a scope in my throat and said they look normal
– Fluid in ears: doc said it’s now gone but evident fluid was there. Sometimes I still feel fluid trickling or warm sensation like when trapped water is coming out of ear.
– Tinnitus: some (usually short) episodes in either ear (started with congestion 6 weeks ago). Some nights when I try to sleep on left ear ringing prevents it and I switch to sleeping on right side (this resolves it). Might be a coincidence, but this seems to happen on nights after I’ve had a conversation a few hours prior. I haven’t been talking much in the evenings and I notice that sleeping on left ear causes ringing on nights when I did talk.
– Other ear symptoms: sometimes crackling when I swallow or start to yawn, sometimes mild popping sound
– Conductive hearing test: fine
– Audiogram: this was surprising- I did not experience hearing loss, just muffled sensation with fluid build up and congestion. Doctor says audiogram shows mild hearing loss in both ears. I feel since this started everything has to be turned down (tv, music, voices) for me to tolerate it so I feel like I hear too much, not too little. I am 37 and the results were:
– left ear: 125-25 dB, 250- 10db, 500- 10db, 750- 15db, 1k- 10db, 2k- 5db, 3k- 15db, 4K- 20db, 8k- 15db, 12k- 25db
– Right ear: 125- 25db, 250- 20db, 500- 10db, 750- 15db, 1+2k- 5db, 3k- 15db, 4K- 20db, 6k- 15db, 8k- 20db, 12k- 35db
– Medicine: doctor prescribed ginkgo biloba, vitamin b12, prednisolone 20mg tablets 12 day taper
– Virus symptoms: eye symptoms cleared (confirmed by eye doctor), cough is gone, full taste and smell are back, no throat pain, energy levels are fine, mood is very low, irritable, and don’t feel myself
I really don’t want to take a steroid unless there is a risk my hearing will get worse. As I understand it, the virus might have affected some of the hairs and the prednisolone to help them regain function. After some research online, I see that prednisone has helped people both regain hearing and get rid of PET symptoms (but sometimes had no effect on either or a bad effect on PET).
My questions are:
1. What is your opinion on the prednisolone prescription?
2. Is it possible the virus is still there and if so, could this do further damage to my hearing? How would I track this and would I have to take the prednisolone first?
3. Could there be a neurological or neuro-muscular condition/link here? The combination of PET symptoms and intolerance of certain external sounds (eg. cutlery hitting plates) leads me to ask.
Thanks so much for your advice on these boards- these symptoms can be confusing and it is really helpful to read other people’s experiences and responses from the medical community.
Hi Marie:
Interesting about your tinnitus and sleeping on your left side. One possibility, but not related to having conversations earlier, is that when you lay with your left ear down you pinch an nerve in your upper cervical spine and this results in tinnitus. Sleeping on the other side doesn’t pinch the nerve, hence no tinnitus. This is why some people get tinnitus at night and it goes away during the day when they are up and around and this gets most of the pressure off the nerve.
I’d say you have normal hearing. Normal hearing is defined as hearing down to 25 dB and you only go below at 12K in your right ear.
Because everything now sounds too loud to you, I think you have hyperacusis. Tit seems wrong that if you have a bit of a hearing loss that everything should sound louder, but hyperacusis does this. You could have a severe hearing loss and softer sounds seem so loud they “blow the top of your head off”. I’m hoping it will go away in time just like your other symptoms are settling down and going away.
Personally, I think too much time has passed by since this all began, so I don’t think prednisolone will do much good now. There’s always a chance, but I think it is a pretty slim chance. In my opinion, its probably not worth it.
I think the virus is long gone, but anything is possible. Prednisolone just reduces inflammation, it does not kill viruses.
PET and hyperacusis/misophonia can be related. I’m currently writing a book on how all this can work together. Once I get it finished, I need to read it–and then I’ll be able to give you the answers.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
Thought I’d give a 4 month update here.
I did not end up taking any medications.
I did a second hearing test at the request of the ENT and my hearing was normal in both ears.
Hyperacusis eventually went away. It took some effort for me to stop running away from normal noises.
PET symptoms are still there intermittently but, although a bit annoying, they are tolerable now. The autophony is not as loud as when it first started, at which time it was unbearable and had me refrain from talking most of the day.
I started swimming again at the 3 month point and only feel pressure in my ears if I do a quick turn with my head in the water. The feeling quickly goes away.
I cancelled my flights for the summer as the ear pressure has not completely gone away and I did not want to risk it. I also did not want to take the ENT’s advice of spraying a decongestant just before flying in case that worsened my PET again. Having both the PET and the full feeling makes it difficult to decide what to do as treatment for one can worsen the other.
What I did since my PET symptoms started: eliminated caffeinated beverages, ate three square meals a day and healthy snacks (mostly raw nuts, seeds, and fruits) every two hours (as soon as I felt myself get hungry I would snack, if I let myself go even a minute longer, PET symptoms would appear), 3L of water each day with a large glass first thing in the morning and just before bed, limited alcohol intake (none in the first 3 months and very little after that), stopped my regular exercise routine for 3 months and went very slowly when I started again, went to bed earlier, hot showers twice a day, limited gum chewing (sometimes it worsens symptoms, sometimes not), avoided using earphones. Not sure what is related and what isn’t. The most important I found to be the hydration and not letting myself feel hungry at all.
It has been my experience that many doctors listen to a patient’s explanation of symptoms only to prescribe medicine, and not to figure out the possible conditions underlying the symptoms. A couple of ENTs told me that there is no such thing as autophony and that the eustachian tubes cannot stay open. It’s a shame when the medical community wants people to believe that physiological ailments are only psychological in nature.
Thanks again for this blog and good luck to everyone treating their PET.
Hi Mari:
I really appreciate the update and to know you are doing ever so much better.
Your ENTs don’t seem to know much about ears, do they?
I don’t know which of all that you’ve tried really work, but I think keeping yourself hydrated is one of the key ones. Dehydration is somewhat similar to suddenly losing weight–and weight loss is one of the main causes of PET.
I fail to see the connection between eating regularly and PET. Do you have any ideas why it works for you. In contrast to your snacking or eating every two hours, I only snack/eat in the 6 hour period between noon and 6:00 PM (ketogenic diet) and I have no problems. Sometimes I don’t bother eating anything from 6:00 PM one evening until 3:00 PM the next day–that’s 21 hours without eating anything, and I feel great. I let my body burn fat rather than sugar during these “fasting” hours.
Are you diabetic or pre-diabetic by any chance?
Cordially,
Neil
I found this thread after searching for answers to my symptoms: hearing my own voice loudly, breathing, heartbeat, etc. Also, touching my toes for a while brings temporary relief. So I am pretty sure I have PET. I’ve had it off and on for years, but it has recently become worse and more frequent. It is mostly in my left ear, but sometimes in my right, or both. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned that I have a question about. I am able to consciously open my eustatian tubes and hold them open without swallowing or yawning. Comes in handy on a plane, but the more I do it, the worse my symptoms get. The more I leave my ears alone the better the symptoms get. Is this normal? Is there a cure? It’s extremely annoying and distracting from day to day life!! Thank you for your replies. At least I know what’s happening now!
Hi Matt:
I agree with you. I think you have patulous Eustachian tubes.
I’ve not heard of anyone with your (unique) ability to hold your Eustachian tubes open. I’m sure it is not common at all.
However, you do yourself a disservice each time you deliberately hold them open. You are teaching them thaat open is good–and as you know–it’s not. They only want to open momentarily when you swallow or yawn to equalize the pressure changes in your middle ears. Apart from that, they should be closed.
You’ll be better off to not force them open. Totally forget you have this ability and hopefully they will stay shut most of the time the way they should. It should get better as time goes by if you leave them alone.
Cordially,
Neil
Do you think it could possibly be related to high blood pressure?
Hi Matt:
Probably not.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your reply. I figured that was unusual. I will try to leave them alone as much as possible.
Hello,
I have PET and stumbled across your blog. While I have not had any significant weight changes recently, I do have low blood pressure and issues with my bite. Can low blood pressure or jaw issues contribute to PET? Sorry to bother you, but I have not been able to get much information from my ENT. While he is aware of the issue he did not have many treatment options other than trying a myringotomy-which was not helpful. I do try to stay hydrated, have cut out caffeine, and try to discretely spend as much time with my head upside down as possible! I am interested in trying to treat the root cause of this issue but would be open to hearing other ways to manage the symptoms as well. Thank you.
Hi Jill:
I don’t see low blood pressure associated with patulous Eustachian tubes, but the fact you have jaw issues may be a factor. You don’t specifically say you have temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ/TMD), but I assume that is what you mean. If this is the case, then thinking outside the box, here is what I think may be the root cause.
Often TMJ is caused by your neck vertebrae being out of proper alignment, thus pinching nerves and putting muscles under tension. When your muscles are not properly balanced, they pull bones out of place. This can be the cause of TMJ.
So how does this apply to PET? Your Eustachian tubes are controlled by the 5th cranial (trigeminal) nerve. If this nerve is pinched because your upper cervical (neck) vertebrae are out of proper alignment, the nerve can’t send proper signals to your Eustachian tubes, so they malfunction–in your case refuse to close properly. Thus, the solution may likely be to go to an upper cervical chiropractor (NOT a conventional one) and have him get your neck vertebrae in proper alignment. That may be all it takes.
You can find an upper cervical chiropractor by clicking on “Practitioners” at http://www.upcspine.com/ .
Since nothing else has worked, this is what I’d try if I were in your shoes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thanks for the very useful info and advice.
I have been diagnosed with PET in my left year.
I had it first when I was pregnant 10 yrs ago, then no longer except for 10-15 minutes after a run. A glass of water would be enough to close the Patulous tube. A month ago, it suddenly got a lot worse, and now I have it all day, which makes talking very difficult. It is better in the evening, as soon as I get home.
My questions : could it be stress related ? I love my job, but it is quite stressful. Could it be menopause related (i am 52) and if so would hormones help ? And also: i was interested to see whether a chiropractor might help as you suggest, and wondered whether you have any references in Europe or even Switzerland – i live in Geneva.
I have an appointment with an osteopath could that or acupuncture help at all ?
I have cut coffee and try and drink a lot of water, with limited success.
Many thanks
Susanna
Hi Susanna:
What happened a month ago such that it got worse? Did you have any neck problems? Or any pain in your face or jaw?
At work are you bent over your computer all day? and then when you come home, your straighten up and your PET gets better? If so, that could indicate that your neck vertebrae are out, particularly your C3 which is where your trigeminal nerve comes from. If your trigeminal nerve is pinched, it can mess up your Eustachian tube function resulting in PET.
If you are highly stressed on the job, your neck muscles can tighten up and if they pull your neck (C3) off a bit, that could also result in PET. So exercising your back with physiotherapy-type of exercises may help you.
I doubt it is menopausal.
Have you lost or gained weight recently–that could be a factor.
The only upper cervical chiropractor I know of in Europe is in Cologne, Germany. An osteopath should be able to help you–but only if he specializes in spinal manipulations. Over here, the osteopaths (Doctors of Osteopathy or DOs for short) just practice regular medicine as thought they were MDs so they are of no help. I’ve only run across one DO that basically acted as a chiropractor and not as an MD.
I don’t believe that acupuncture will really help fix the long-term problem, but may be able to help you relax and thus relieve the muscular pull on your neck vertebrae.
So there’s some ideas to help you narrow it down to what caused it, and thus, what likely will help fix it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Many thanks for your ideas. Since I wrote, I tried a saline nasal spray, very uncomfortable but very effective too. Unfortunately, it lasted only a few days.
I haven’t lost weight recently although have done so in the past, including quite heavy weight losses related to stress.
What triggered it a month ago ? I don’t know, but it was a very stressful period at work – and remains so, although I am trying hard to lessen it.
I will see an osteopath that also does acupuncture this evening. I will see whether that helps. my understanding is that osteopaths in Europe have a rather different approach than in the US, but I am not sure.
Thanks again and I will continue to read your blog.
Susanna
Hi Neil, I have the condition and I believe it may be related to LPR? I sometimes get burning in my ears too when i breath hard through my nostrils. I have lost some weight however I’m struggling to put it back on and don’t want to become overweight just to sort out this condition would rather do it a more natural way. Any suggestions about the link to LPR have you heard this before?
Hi Harry:
Are you saying you have both Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR) AND patulous Eustachian tubes (PET) or just PET and are wondering if it could be related to LPR?
It seems possible that if you have BOTH LPR and PET, then the refluxed “gunk” could possibly get into your Eustachian tubes and cause problems. However, I can’t say that I have heard anyone complaining about this so far.
I sure wouldn’t put on extra weight because of either of these conditions. Rather, practice good health and nutrition–e.g. don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t ear food within 3 hours of bedtime, refrain from certain foods that may acerbate LPR such as chocolate, estrict chocolate, mints, fats, citrus fruits, carbonated beverages, spicy or tomato-based products, red wine, and caffeine.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, Dr. Bauman.
I’m writing here because I am desperate. My problem began nearly three years ago, had a virus and slept on my right side. First ENT put a camera in and showed me the patulous. I still felt that there was fluid trapped somewhere, and still do.
This year I went to an ENT at Johns Hopkins and three others since. Am now being treated for TMJ disorder with an appliance. Have had a chiropractor and naturopath work on my cervicals which were misaligned from a car wreck five years ago.
There’s a lot more to my story. I have tried high-dose Mucinex, which gradually seemed to cause old mucus and blood to drain out. Eventually, though, I ended up feeling there was a large mass of fluid stuck, even though I have a patulous situation. At some point this last summer before starting TMJ treatment I was having a lot of tinnitus and got the idea to open my jaw and allow the fluid I perceived to be in my middle ear to descend. This caused the tinnitus to go away and brought on vertigo and nausea. The doctors always ignore this and want to use our five-minute consultation to get a short list of symptoms from me and render a diagnosis and send me a bill.
I’ve got a sinus guy who looked up my nose, said I had chronic sinusitis, which the CT scan shows as well, and put me on six weeks of Bactrim, although I had recently finished a round of Amoxicillin. I hate antibiotics, but I have two weeks left of these.
There is so much more to tell. Sometimes my ear decides to produce a lot of watery fluid. If I take Mucinex for a few days, the situation in that ear worsens. It’s as though there is a hardened mass of gunk working its way down my Eustachian tube. Sometimes it will move when I swallow. Other times it feels like the tube closes and empties. When I drink water, it goes into the tube and often the lower part of the tube feels dry.
I feel sick and exhausted every day. There’s more, but suffice it to say I feel like dying.
Hi Gregory:
Whenever you take antibiotics make sure you are replenishing your gut bacteria. Either take probiotic supplements, or eat foods with live cultures such as live culture yogurt or live culture fermented foods. Continue to do this for couple weeks after you have finished your course of antibiotics as well.
I’m not sure what else I can tell you at this point. Nothing jumps out at me from what you have said, so I need more information. You say there is more to tell, so tell away. If you want to email me privately, my email address is the bottom of every page on the centre’s website.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I will appreciate and be grateful for any input you may have.
After returning from a trip to FL, I became sick with fever, body aches, fatigue, mucus, and cough. I was sick with these symptoms for a bit longer than a month. A month later I still suffer from what I feel is still lots of mucus, post-nasal drip and now what I discover has somehow led to patulous eustachian tubes. I can get it to go away with my neck bent forward. I am wondering if this will go away and if there is anything I can do to help myself heal. Thank you.
Hi Jessica:
While you were sick, did you lose a lot of weight. This can be one reason for patulous Eustachian tubes. Typically, this will go away as you gain the weight back.
How are things going with you now? Improving or not?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman,
August 29th, 2018 I got a common head cold, I took prednisone and Tylenol sinus for about a week and also a course of augmentin antibiotics due to fluid buildup in both ears- after the cold I still was having ear symptoms (clogged, difficult to pop or equalize etc) but also having the strangest thump sensation (instead of a normal ‘pop’) whenever I’d yawn or swallow. Occasionally I’d also feel a strange grinding sound in my right ear/Eustachian tube when I’d swallow. Towards the end of the day or night my symptoms would get worse. I got HORRIBLE anxiety from all this morning until night and began to not eat. My ears would clog not pop and feel that pressure buildup like when going up in a plane- not eating inevitably resulted in weight loss. I’m 5’7.. before I got sick I was about 120 and after all of this I got down to 109 and looked really sick, felt weak and depressed thinking I was never going to feel normal again. It’s been over 3 months since the cold and have been to countless drs and specialist and ERs. My ENT looked at my ct scan and said there seems to be a lot of ‘air’ or open space where the ET are located and told me I have PET- I don’t know what sparked this as it’s been no different than any other head cold I’ve had and taken these medications for. So why now? Anyway, since then I’ve gained 6.5 lbs (now 115.7) and while some of my symptoms are very much still there on a daily basis they’re not as severe as initially. I do take Premarin drops as well but not too much relief. What my issue today is I seem to have a new set of symptoms (idk if things are shifting or what) but basically any time I swallow or yawn or turn my head side to side I hear clicks from what feels like my throat/soft palate up into my ears??? Especially upon waking up in the morning when I first sit up and move around. It feels muscular or bone related maybe? It’s driving me INSANE not only from the annoying noise but depending on however I move or position my head it does it and sometimes feels as if like the middle ear and soft palate are ‘locking up’, stuck or tensed. I do hear my own breathing, which also sometimes causes the clicking. Also whenever I talk or arch my palate, like from a yawn. These noises are also audible to other people. I’ve also been diagnosed with mild tmj but my xrays look relatively normal with that. So What on earth is causing this NOW?? I was reading maybe the levator or tensor Veli Palatini muscles? Ugh just feels like it never ends.. im supposed to go back to my ENT next week due to this, but do you have any ideas?! Please let me know!
Hi Robyn:
Your sudden weight loss could have made your patulous Eustachian tube problems worse. As you gain weight again, hopefully, it will get better on its own.
Incidentally, Premarin can cause Eustachian tube problems as well as ear blocked feelings, ear pain/discomfort, etc. Did these symptoms appear after you began taking the Premarin? If so, there may be a connection.
The clicking sounds may be made by your tensor tympani muscle in your middle ear. One thing to note is that anxiety and worry can cause this or make it worse, so try to calm down and get your anxiety under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Is it ok to travel by plane with PET? Or would that cause damage to the ear?
Hi Mimi:
I can’t see why not. With PET your Eustachian tubes are open so no air pressure differential can build up in your middle ears. Thus everything should be ok for you.
Problems arise when you have the opposite problem–your Eustachian tubes are all gooped up so air exchange cannot take place. Then the air pressure differential can cause ear pain and other problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil, thank you for this thread. Recently, I was in an environment where I had to plug my ears with my finger because it was too loud, for about 30 minutes.
A day or two later, I notice the sound of breathing in my right ear. I was not my breathing because I held my breath and I could hear the sound. I am able to hear other sounds as well out of both ears. The sound does go away after I swallow but sometimes comes back.
I have not been sick with a cold or flu. When I chew it sometimes goes away. Also I have closed my nostrils and blown air comes out my ears. This helps. What could be the problem? Also there is slight pain only in the right ear, not enough to take pain reliever and I feels clogged
Hi Zelda:
I think you suffered a bit of acoustic shock before you put your fingers in your ears. Common symptoms of acoustic shock include a clogged feeling and pain in the affected ear as well as muffled hearing and tinnitus.
I’d give it a while to go away (weeks to a few months)–and in the meantime be careful not to expose your ears to loud sounds or you can make it worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, about a week ago, I started noticing my ear feels like there’s wind in it or some type of air blowing into it that won’t go away no matter what I try and do. I’ve tried hydrogen peroxide thinking I may have too much earwax but nothing came out. The noise in my ear won’t go away and when trying the Valsalva maneuver, I have to blow really hard to force my ear to pop. When it finally pops, it sounds like a crackling then reverts back to the wind noise. I also have been getting headaches which I’m not sure if it’s due to the stress from the sound or what it is. Thanks for your help, Britt
Hi Britt:
Do you still hear this “wind” sound when you hold your breath? If so, then you may not have patulous Eustachian tubes. You can’t hear breath sounds if you stop breathing!
The fact that you have to really blow to pop your ears and then you hear crackling sounds to me indicates that the opposite is true–that your Eustachian tubes are clogged, not open. Have you had a cold or sinus or allergy problems in the past few weeks?
The wind noise, if not breathing sounds, is one of the many tinnitus sounds that some people experience.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, I was diagnosed with PET in 2010 and have lived with the symptoms daily without any real affect to my lifestyle. The autophony was intermittent and never bothered me too much, I suppose I just got used to it. A quick sniff would close my eustachian tubes (temporarily) if it became too bothersome but I generally just lived with the symptoms as my hearing was never affected – no feeling of fullness or muffling, just my ears constantly “popping” or “cracking”, mild autophony etc.
In the last few days my autophony has worsened. I have been suffering from a cold which caused severe, uncomfortable congestion so I used a nasal decongestant spray which contains Xylometazoline Hydrochloride for no longer than a week to help reduce the congestion. On and off throughout my cold one of my ears would feel more plugged than usual with the autophony being constant and my hearing becoming muffled. As it would change from one ear to the next I didn’t worry too much about it as I thought it would revert back to the way it was prior to the cold but this hasn’t been the case. Instead what has happened is that both of my ears now feel “full” with constant autophony and my hearing is now muffled and nothing seems to relieve it. I’m hoping that this is temporary and the symptoms will subside but I fear that by using the nasal decongestant I may have permanently worsened my PET. I have never suffered from blocked ears during a cold so I am not sure if what I am describing are normal symptoms of having blocked ears due to the cold or if my PET has worsened due to the use of a decongestant during my cold.
Hi Nicola:
I have no information on Xylometazoline that indicates it affects ears, so I think it unlikely that the Xylometazoline has permanently affected your ears.
It is common to have blocked ears when you have a cold and get all congested. But this goes away as the cold goes away and the gunk drains from your middle ears and Eustachian tubes.
I’m hoping that your situation will be temporary. It can take up to 2 months for all the gunk to drain away in some people. It only takes a week or so in others. So give it a bit more time.
Cordially,
Neil
From your reply I am a little more reassured that my symptoms will improve. I assumed that because my Eustachian tubes were patulous that my ears could not become congested. The muffled hearing and increased autophony came on yesterday as my cold was starting to clear up so I will give it more time as you have said. Is there anything you can advise me to do to help alleviate my symptoms?
Kind regards,
Nicola
I had a stapedectomy in Dec.Earlier after the surgery my hearing seemed to be a lot better then I started experiencing sudden ups and downs in the sound level .My doctor gave me an anti allergy for 2weeks but it also did not help .What should I do?
Hi Samina:
I’d go back to the surgeon the did the stapedectomy and have him check it out. Sometimes things go bad and the doctor needs to do a little revision surgery.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
Since 2 months I have the symptoms of PET after an earinfection. Clogged ear, autophony,…
Can it dissapear after an ear infection?
Hi Ev:
If you PET was a result of the ear infection, I would expect it would go away after the infection is gone and your ears return to normal. I don’t have much experience with PET so can’t say for sure, but that is my gut feeling.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thank you. The infection is gone, but they saw fluid on a MRI scan. I hope that the pet will dissapear…
Hi Doctor, I’m 22 years old, I’v noticed since the 2nd week of January that I’v been getting some intermittent ear fullness that leads me to getting a muffled vibrating feedback of my voice in my effected ears ONLY when i hum or say words with an “N” or “M” sound to it, basically closed mouth noises, that sensation isn’t noticeable when i speak though, only when humming or saying words with an “N” or “M” emphasis, my voice isn’t abnormally loud nor is my normal inhaling/exhaling breathing, this burden usually happens after out of nowhere when one of my ears pops or makes a suction noise, this started earlier this year after season allergies, i thought it was a cold and took Vicks dayquil and found out otherwise, the feeling would often come and go,after the first flare up symptoms in early January the full feeling slowly but gradually got better on its own, the frequency of it occurring and the level of fullness in my voice feedback when humming decreased too, however I had a second flare up (2 weeks ago) the symptoms were the same as before, dry irritated throat the first two days, then nasal congestion, etc, I also made sure to take the right stuff this time (OTC allergy meds/antihistamine) during this time of allergy symptoms the full feeling wasn’t present at all, the following days after allergy symptoms however, it revered back to the way it was in January, but now it also seems to be switching ears more frequently than before, first time being my left ear mostly, last Thursday i also experienced a painful pop in my right ear shortly followed by a short lasting spasm of pops and crunchy-like sounds, usually when I try to blow my nose one of the ears will pop or when I do the Valsalva maneuver it doesn’t really help (like before), but my ears still make a subtle popping/thump noise, my ears also quietly pop/crackle when i swallow, but no relief, however I’ve been able to temporally alleviate this fullness issue by drinking a few gulps of water then it goes away for awhile, the reason I’m writing is I’m wondering if this is a sign of Patulous Eustachian tube or typical seasonal allergies/rhinitis problem that is still present. Thank You!
Hi Anthony:
What you are experiencing seems to me to be more like tonic tensor tympani syndrome than patulous Eustachian tubes. Read my article on the subject and see if it rings a bell with you. You can read it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/do-i-have-tonic-tensor-tympani-syndrome-ttts/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor, the article’s symptom overview does sound kind of familiar, I’ve always had low ringing tinnitus but it never bothered me, awhile back after this began prior to my 2nd flare up, i would sometimes feel a low flutter in my right ear I no longer get this, same as pain, in Jan. I used to get a low ache that wasn’t painful at all it would only last about a minute or two, and the painful pop from last Thurs. other than that I’m not really sensitive to sounds/loud noises though, the problem I’v been mostly dealing with since Jan. is an intermittent, suction/pop followed by fullness and cloggy feedback, the best way to describe it is as a quiet hiss then pop or thump which leads to one or both of my ears feeling slightly full and a muffled feedback when saying anything with an n or m sound, my ears sometimes also do this if I heavily sniff, or when I have a clogged nostril, I’m sorry if its hard to describe, but what really gets me is why I can find some temporary relief when I drink liquids, all i know is that I’ve had this for 2 months, maybe it takes a little longer to go away on its own? as I stated before it did slowly but surely get better on its own without treating it, but then my second allergy flare up happened, if this is a form of eustachian tube dysfunction, do ETD symptoms have to come with ongoing pain and hearing trouble? I hear fine, I haven’t experienced those specific symptoms (minus the painful pop) I’m not too sure, but thank you again for taking your time to respond!
Hi Anthony:
You may have both Eustachian tube dysfunction as well as tensor tympani problems. I really can’t tell.
In the temporary relief ONLY when you drink liquids, and you can’t get the same relief from swallowing food, or just yawning or swallowing nothing?
With ETD, you can experience only one or several of the side effects. You don’t have to experience them all at once.
Cordially,
Neil
Alrighty Dr, I don’t necessarily notice it when I eat I’m pretty sure it does, it’s just when it acts up a few sips will do, and one of my ears pops when yawning, but so to speak I’m guessing it’ll go away on its own, maybe not next week or so, but the fact that it gradually got better on its own before the alrgy flare ups should make me patient, Thank You for your help Doctor!
I know it’s been awhile, Anthony, but did you ever find out what it was? I’ve been having similar issues for the last 13 months. Main complaint is ear fullness. Made worse by antihistamines/decongestants. And, like you, my fullness switches back and forth between the left and right ear. Any update would be much appreciated.
I can hear my right ear very loud and when I sniff/cough. I don’t know what to do.
Hi KC:
Have you lost a lot of weight recently? Does this condition temporarily go away if you bend way over?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
I have lost weight recently with strict diet and eating window, im easily anxious person and often get neckache and headache.
3 weeks ago, I feel pressure in my left ear constantly, i can feel my breathing in my ear only when exercising. My ENT diagnosed me with ETD and gave me decongestant spray which make my right ear developed some symptoms as well crackling sound when swallowing and pressure but not too distracting.
Do I have ETD or PET? what could have possibly causes it? Any solutions for it?
Thanks Dr
Hi Zia:
You may have both ETD and PET. Actually, PET is one form of ETD–so you do have ETD of one sort or another. When you bend over can you make your PET stop?
Losing weight could be a cause of your PET/ETD. If so, things should return to normal in time.
If it is caused by your neck being “out”, then I’d suggest seeing an upper cervical chiropractor.
These are a special kind of chiropractor that specialize in the upper cervical spine (UCS). These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencings.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Beside pressured ear I rarely got any PET symptoms, and when I do sniffing (the opposite way of Valsalva maneuver) I get more clogged feeling in the left ear, the ear popped when I swallow /yawn. Could it be ETD and not PET?
I only feel my breathing in my ears when doing heavy cardio exercise.
Thanks for the information and link, got an appointment with a chiropractor tomorrow, see if it helps.
Regards
Zla
Hi Dr. Neil,
Mu boyfriend just had eustachian tube balloon dilation performed on his ears. He had struggled with ETD for years after flying when he was sick. His ears never seemed right after that. One ear he could get to open of he worked really hard to pop it. The other feel full and took longer to react to pressure changes. The procedure was done about 5 days ago so I know there’s still some healing left to do. One of his ears seems to be recovering ok (the one that he could get to open of he worked hard). It’s still a little plugged, but opening more normally than before. In his other ear he now has the sensation that it’s too open. He said it feels like there’s air going in there and sounds are much brighter and more echoey from that side
Does that sound like PET? If it stays like it is, he can deal with it, but I’m afraid it’s going to continue to heal in a more open state. Is there anything we can do to stop that from happening while his ears are still healing? We dont have a follow up until one week from now with our doctor and I’m just scared we created a new, worse problem. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you
Hi Dee:
Yes, I’d say it sounds like he has a patulous Eustachian tube in one ear. Unfortunately, I don’t have any suggestions to make it go back to normal apart from giving it time to heal.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
I’ve been having some breathing noises in my ear, and also can hear my heartbeat like hissing noises and sometimes I get throbbing pain and punches on my right ear. It’s been a week and it won’t go away doesn’t let me sleep . At first I thought it was allergies that caused it but now I’m not sure, what can I do. Please help.
Hi Susan:
What caused this–any ideas? Did you expose your ears to any sudden loud noise before this happened? Or begin taking any new medications or increase the dose on an existing medication? Does your back or neck/head feel “tight”? Anything unusual happen?
I need more information before I can try to figure out what is going on with you–and thus what you could do to treat it.
Cordially,
Neil
Enjoyed reading these threads. But, Dr. Bauman, I can assure you that some people with PET get a full sensation in their ear when the tube is open. I know it doesn’t makes sense since the tube is open but coming from someone who has had this on and off for five years it is the immediate ear fullness that lets me know the moment I talk and breathe that I am going to have autophony. The ear just feels different and full…a pressurized feeling.
When my tube is open is when I feel ear pressure and only when it is open. I notice a lot of times you say if you feel pressure it can’t be patulous and I just want to assure you that as a patient you can. I know it doesn’t make sense physically but I am just telling you we feel pressure when it is open.
Mine does not bother me enough to make me seek further help.
My ENT visit wasn’t overly productive because my tube closed before the exam even though it had been opened earlier that day. He told me I couldn’t have PET because it is so uncommon. This makes me laugh. It shows he doesn’t know me very well. Anyway, keep up the good work.
Hi Rebecca:
Thanks for the confirmation. Incidentally, I was just reading about this in my research for my new book that includes this subject. The feeling of fullness can be due to an open OR closed Eustachian tube. Weird, but apparently true–as you know.
So readers, disregard where I’ve said that you can only feel pressure when the Eustachian tube is closed. It can (and does) happen to some people when it is open (patulous).
Your doctor is a laugh–you can’t have something because it is rare. Obviously someone has to have it and why not you?
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman,
Thank you so much for this wonderful resource! About a month ago I started feeling lightheaded one day and noticed that environmental sounds like the ocean were louder than usual in my left ear. I tested my hearing online and found that my left ear has some mild hearing loss as compared to my right. I am a singer and three times when I have been in the studio singing, my left ear has suddenly become clogged and I experience autophony which makes it difficult to sing, mostly because of the anxiety of not knowing what is happening. I have recently been on an intermittent fast and have lost about 7 pounds in a month or so. I read weight loss can cause these kinds of problems. My hearing returns to normal within a minute to ten or so but it is so scary and I am fearing that it will one day not return to normal. I am also now scared to sing because that seems to be the only time it is really triggered. Any advice would be so appreciated.
Hi Sunshine:
What a nice name! If your Eustachian tubes are staying open, as you say, it could be because you recently lost weight. If that was the cause, I’d think they would eventually close properly as your body adjusts to the new weight. So if you are working on losing weight, maybe you need to put up with it until you get down to your desired weight–then it should go away.
One way to be sure this is the problem is to bend way over. They should close then. But singing in that position would be a tad unconventional to say the least. Maybe you need to bow with a great flourish every so often when you are singing to close them up if they open at the wrong time.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much! I will try the bending technique. I am on a forum for singers with this specific issue and they have also suggested hydration before and during singing as a measure. My worst fear was that this was progressive and so far that doesn’t seem to be the case. Hoping for the best and very grateful for your advice and reassurance.
Hi Sunshine:
Hydration could help too–the trick is to swell the tissues around your Eustachian tube to help make it close.
I don’t think it is progressive–apart from continuing to lose weight.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I’ve been having some strange ear symptoms for about a week and a half now. I was told by an urgent care doctor that I had a bit of fluid in my ears, but when I saw an ENT yesterday, they said I had no fluid left. Sometimes I feel a strange fullness or muffled feeling in my left ear, which usually occurs when I’m laying down to go to bed at night, or when I’m in a quiet/silent environment or an environment with weird acoustics. I’ve been told I don’t have any wax, and yesterday at the ENT they said my eardrums looked normal, although my symptoms weren’t having a flare-up when I saw them! In addition, last night I noticed I could feel a slight crackling sensation in my left ear. Sometimes that ear also gets very hot and red near the earlobe for no reason. It also sometimes feels like all the air blowing around my ears just goes straight through my ears, and when I breathe it feels like it is going through my ears as well.
It is starting to really worry me — I am prone to anxiety and stress — and I wonder if my Eustachian tubes are having some kind of intermittent dysfunction that is hard to pin down unless it is happening at that moment. I’m sorry for such a long message and such a wide array of symptoms, but do you have any idea if this could be related to PET/Eustachian tube dysfunction at all? Thanks, I wish you the best.
Hi Madi:
Before I can really help you understand what is going on, I need to know whether you have exposed your ears to loud sounds around 2 weeks ago or before. Your symptoms seem to indicate this.
Also, tell me more about your ears and hearing history.
Cordially,
Neil
I went to a concert a little over a month ago without earplugs and experienced a temporary threshold shift for one night and a bit of tinnitus for two weeks, but all of that went back to normal. My hearing has always been fine. When I went to the ENT, my audiogram showed that my hearing was in normal range. These symptoms I’m having right now only started happening about a week ago, when I first went to Urgent Care for fluid in my ears.
I don’t know if this is proper place to ask my questions about my new hearing reality as it really doesn’t apply to PET.
I have hyperacusis, fullness in both ears but most prominent in my right ear, tinnitus daily, I can hear myself blink, eyeballs move, breathing, – you name it I can hear it. I’ve also experienced some vertigo but not much. I hear cracking/popping when I open my jaw. Audiogram normal. Audiological test positive. CT scan didn’t show the hole or thinness of bone over canal expected with Superior Canal Dihicence. Ossification or dural process was observed in medial IAC. MRI showed osteomas in pori acoustici. Everything else was unremarkable. No, I wasn’t bitten by a spider in the lab – Yes I do work in a research lab.
My new superpower isn’t so super. It causes me physical and psychological pain. I don’t know what to do except keep waiting to talk to my specialist and waits are always a month inbetween visits.
Hi Athena:
I just want to be certain I have it straight–you hear your eyeballs moving–but this is not your tinnitus increasing when you move your eyes. It is a completely different sound.
I really don’t know what to suggest as what you are experiencing is typically caused by superior canal dehiscence syndrome. Yet supposedly they have ruled this out. I wonder if getting a second opinion would be useful in case the first time they missed something.
Cordially,
Neil
I have for the last 2 yrs felt like I have ants in my ear. It normally shows up when I lay in bed on my back at night even though it rarely shows up during day. Also when it shows up at night when on my back if I open my mouth or move my jaw sideways it goes a way for about 15 seconds. I keep doing this till I fall sleep. The ants crawling feeling has gotten better not being as pronounced. I have visited 3 ENT’s with no diagnosis. Last one took out the wax and said there was a hair inside and almost punctured my eardrum as she inserted a tool the caused a lot of pain. Never had this before. I also hear myself breathing and some days wake up stuffed up as well as making it difficult to understand conversation due to the fullness in my ears. Lately I have been hearing intermittent pops in my ears. Have no pain , discharge, blood or fever. This Patalous eustachian tubes sounds like a real possibility. What do you think? Is there a way that an ENT can confirm or view this w/o an invasive procedure? Thanks for such a great thread.
Hi James:
Something is irritating a nerve in your ear. Anything touching your eardrum, like a hair, can cause such things, but I assume your ENT got it out. Since it generally shows up when you are in a certain position and goes away when you move or change positions, it could be related to and irritated or pinched nerve in your neck–very likely the 5th cranial (trigeminal) nerve.
I wouldn’t go to an ENT for this. Rather, I’d go to a chiropractor (preferably an upper cervical chiropractor, not a conventional one) and ask him to make sure that your trigeminal nerve is not pinched by the corresponding vertebra in your neck being out of proper alignment.
Once the pressure is off the trigeminal nerve, I’d expect the Eustachian tube problem and your “ants” to go away.
That’s how I see it.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you Neil. I was surprised how many people in the net have a similar problem. Anyway she said she took a hair out and also the wax but nothing changed. Your suggestion is a light at the end of the tunnel I will pursue. The problem would be to find a chiropractor trustable and familiar with this nerve pinching. Does this show in an Xray? I also had some implants with a sinus lift about a year ago. Would this affect the ear or cause the breathing on the ear? Also I feel I’m losing my hearing even though I hear well I can’t understand some people. I’m a senior 75 y old.
Hi James:
Go to an upper cervical chiropractor. You can find one by going to http://www.upcspine.com/prac2.asp?rid=4 and clicking on your state/province and then choosing one near you. Read the listings and decide who you want to go to.
I don’t know anything about sinus implants/lifts so don’t know how they might affect things.
At 75, it is very common to lose some of your higher-frequency hearing. The result is that you can hear people talking just fine–you just have difficulty understanding what they are saying when there is any background noise around. You will understand men with lower-pitched voices better than women and children. Getting hearing aids typically can help with that problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doctor,
This morning I wake up and had that weird feeling of hearing my breathing in my right ear. First time I was startled and thought it was something else. But then througt the day it happened a couple more times. I have the add to the fact that I have been suffering from onset of vertigo three months ago. The vertigo subsided, but I am still suffering from dizziness at times. To this day, I don’t have an explanation for that dizziness. Also I have been doing intermittent fasting the last 3 weeks. I’m not overweight to beginning with. But through the process I know I have slimmed a little bit. It’s by no means a drastic weight lost. Do you think that my breathing through my ear is related to slight weight loss or could it be the vertigo and I have something really wrong with my ear.
I hope to hear a response from you. Thank you so much.
Hi Bea:
What happened in your life 3 months ago? What was different that might have resulted in the vertigo?
What kind of intermittent fasting are you doing–daily missing breakfast or supper? Or periodic full day fasting?
It’s always possible that it is due to your weight loss. When you bend over does it immediately stop? If so, it could be related to your weight loss.
Did you expose your ears to any really loud sounds recently?
Is your neck “tight”. Sometimes vertigo can be as simple as a result of your upper two vertebrae being out of proper alignment. An upper cervical spine chiropractor can fix this if that is the cause.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr,
So 3 months ago I had a violent vertigo episode that took me to the ER. They could not find anything wrong. 24hrs later it was gone. My Dr put it on the account of dehydration. But 1 month after the 1st episode, I got a second violent episode. That has subsided since, but then I am still lightheaded at times and suffer from dizziness. I cannot sleep on my left side for example, I get dizzy. Right before the second episode I had a bad tooth ache on the left side. I ignored it, but about 2 weeks after the onset of the tooth ache, I discovered I had a tooth infection on the root of my tooth. It manifested itself on the gum. I had it fixed just couple days ago. I’m not sure if these two are related. And no I haven’t exposed myself to loud music lately. But I do have very stiff neck in general and the anxiety from the tooth infection just made it worst because it just happened at the worst possible time. I was doing full day fasting but I didn’t try bending my head when the breathing in my ear happened. It hasn’t reoccurred since. I just got concerned thinking that my ears are getting bad or something
Bea
Hi Bea:
When you had the two episodes of vertigo, did they do the Epley maneuver on you. Did they mention anything about BPPV–Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo? That could have been the cause of your vertigo–and if they didn’t treat it appropriately, it could be why you still have lingering dizziness and can’t sleep on your left side.
That’s the first thing I’d get checked out if I were in your shoes.
Tooth infections especially on your upper molars can certainly affect your ears since the roots are so close to you ears. If that was the problem, now that you have it treated, it should go away.
If your neck is out, it can also cause vertigo as well as tinnitus, hearing loss and a feeling of fullness in your ear. If this is the case, then going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor would be the solution. You can find one at http://www.upcspine.com/prac2.asp?rid=4.
So there are several things that might be contributing to your ear symptoms.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi sir. I commented 3 years back on this blog and now i found it again. What i actually feel is i hear my own sound, i hear my own breathing, and i hear my own voice very loudly. I feel like something is opening inside my ears and then i start to hear all these. I also have very dry throat and lips. Also this gets worse in cold weather/ winter and gets little much better in June-August.
Plus for some time i feel i have pain in my back of neck. Like when i eat anything, my neck starts to pain.
In cold weather, when i breath through my nose, i feel so much cold inside my nose that I feel pain inside my nose. Same with ears, during cold my ears start to pain very much. From past one month, I also Started another annoying thing which is when i swallow, i hear it very loudly in my ears.
Thanks sir.
I have been suffering from this from past 6-7 years and it gets worse over time.
Hi Owais:
Something IS opening up inside your ears–your Eustachian tubes. They are supposed to be closed except when you yawn or swallow. But in your case, they are staying open when they shouldn’t. That is why you hear your breathing as much louder than normal. Ditto for hearing your own voice louder.
Since you’ve had this for a number of years, the things that cause temporary patulous Eustachian tubes probably don’t apply to you.
The one thing that comes to mind is that your vertebrae in your neck are out of proper alignment and thus pinching the nerve that controls your Eustachian tubes. Since you also have pain around your ears, it may be your trigeminal nerve that is pinched.
You could go to a good upper cervical chiropractor and makes sure your cervical vertebrae are all in proper alignment and see whether that makes a difference to your patulous Eustachian tubes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr,
I wanted to get your thoughts as I’ve had the following weird symptoms the past 30-60 days:
Most of these apply mostly to the right ear. I feel pressure and almost a wind sensation in both ears at times, my ears are constantly cracking when i yawn, eat. I feel a fluttering in right ear, and most strangely can hear a slight echo when i am talking loudly in otherwise silent rooms. I do NOT hear echo when any other source is talking or i am listening to music, etc.
What do you think this is? For additional context, I’ve also had bad visual symptoms as well as hyperacusis following the onset of migraines i had 5 months ago. This has made me sensitive to small sounds. I have some tinnitus but I am able to ignore it.
I also just tapered off and then finally quit clonazepam 15 days ago and am wondering if it’s thrown my system out of whack. I had a hearing test last week and everything came back normal. Interestingly, the noise toleration was slightly less on the right ear but not concerning to the audiologist.
Could PET be to blame here? Or diplacusis? Or just another form of ETD? Any advice would be much appreciated!
Hi Jeff:
It seems people come to me with the weird problems.
The pressure and wind sensation is almost certainly due to patulous Eustachian tubes.
The fluttering in your right ear is very likely Tonic Tensor Tympani syndrome (TTTS).
The echo you hear of your own voice is likely from the TTTS and PET and possibly hyperacusis/diplacusis.
Migraines are often associated with various forms of hyperacusis.
So you come by all these weird symptoms honestly.
How long were you on the Clonazepam and how long did you take to taper off it?
If you want to learn a lot more about these conditions, I highly recommend my book “Hypersensitive to Sound”. You can get it at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/.
It will answer a lot of your “weird” questions and help you understand what is going on with your ears. If you still have questions, I’d be glad to answer them.
Cordially,
Neil
Good day. I am from Poland and my doctors cannot help me. I was diagnosed with PET. Autophony, hearing the breath in the ear helps when I bring my head down or lie down. . The symptoms appeared in the 5th month of pregnancy. Doctors said that after pregnancy it would pass. I am 6 months after giving birth and 4 months after I am not breastfeeding and the symptoms are still there. A little less, but they are. Is there any chance it will pass
Hi Kate:
Good question. I think there is always a chance it will pass. The trick is to discover what is keeping your Eustachian tubes open. I’m certainly not an expert in this. The most common cause is gaining or losing weight. You gained weight with your pregnancy and this seemed to cause it. Are you down to your pre-pregnancy weight now? Have you gained or lost a lot of weight in the past 3 or 4 months? That could do it. Apart from that, I don’t know what could be causing this.
Cordially,
Neil
Good day. Thank you for your response. I gained 9 kg during pregnancy, so I think it’s not much. the weight was almost back on itself. i think my problem is related to hormones. I started taking pills so as not to get pregnant and the problem got much worse. when I stopped taking it it slowly started to decrease but unfortunately it still is. only 8 months after giving birth. I got the hormonal results and they are good .. especially since I do not know why it persists .. I am devastated. I have a TMJ problem on this side, but for years my lower jaw has been bouncing on this side and nothing else. without pain. And these PatulEnd drops? I read something about them. Can anything help? maybe you had a patient who was caused by hormones?
I want to add that often before opening my ear and hearing my voice and breathing, I feel pressure in the ear for an hour, two or three hours in that ear.
Hi Kate:
I’ve not heard of Patulous Eustachian tubes being caused by hormones or lack of them. So I can’t help you there. But TMJ problems can definitely cause Eustachian tube problems. So that is where I’d start and try to get your TMJ problems resolved. Then see whether your Eustachian tubes work properly again.
Cordially,
Neil
Over the last 2 or 3 years I have had a very annoying problem with my ears feeling clogged up whenever I’m in a noisy environment (restaurant etc.) or if I’m doing a lot of talking. I can “pop” my ears and it’ll help for a minute or two, then they’ll clog up again. I have recently had a hearing test and it showed no signs of hearing loss. That appointment was immediately followed by an ENT and he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but my ears where not clogging up while I was there. I am scheduled to see someone about Eustachian tube dilation, but it isn’t for another 2 months. Any advise or suggestions? I literally hate going out to public events because I have to continuously “pop” my ears and it’ embarrassing an basically ineffective.
Hi Laura:
Think back to before this happened the first time. What had happened in your life to cause this? Did you experience any sudden loud sound, or where you in a motor vehicle accident? Or did you go to a concert or to some other loud venue? Is your neck/shoulders “tight”? Do you have TMJ issues? Etc. etc.
Once I know what caused your problem, it is easier to figure out what the solution is. I wouldn’t rush to have Eustachian tube dilation done until you investigate what might have caused this.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for your quick response. I do have TMJ issues and use a mouth guard when sleeping. It’s mostly controlled but occasionally I will still get the excruciating cramp/pain in my jaw when chewing. I also used to go to a lot of loud concerts when I was much younger, but not in the last 10 years or more. No car accidents or trauma of any kind. My neck and shoulders feel fine. I do quite a bit of air travel and have noticed that clearing my ears on a plane is quite painful.
I am disappointed with the ENT I saw as he didn’t offer any possible causes or diagnosis and didn’t seem to want to find out. Instead, just recommended me to another specialist for the possible dilation. The more I’m reading, I don’t think that my problem is caused by my Eustachian tubes being closed, but rather the opposite. I will certainly get a second opinion before agreeing to any procedure.
Hi Laura:
You didn’t answer my main question–what happened 2 or 3 years ago to bring on this Eustachian tube problem?
If you have TMJ issues, that could also affect your Eustachian tube.
If your Eustachian tubes were open, then you’d hear your breathing as a rushing/roaring sound with every breath. Also, your voice would sound louder in your ears.
Is this problem in one ear or both ears?
Cordially,
Neil
Hello. There really is nothing that happened 2-3 years ago that was distinct with this problem becoming more noticeable. I do have a lot of post nasal drainage, especially with seasonal allergies, but that is something I’ve dealt with my whole adult life.
The problem is in both ears. My breathing nor my voice sound excessively loud when this is happening. It’s more like I’m talking into a pillow. This seems to be a rare problem. I just hope to be able to find out what this is and what I can do to help it. Thank you, for your time!
Hi Laura:
One of the branches of your fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve controls your Eustachian tubes. If this nerve becomes hyperactivated or otherwise “messed up”, it won’t control your Eustachian tubes properly. The same nerve also controls the tensor tympani muscle than pulls your hammer bone away from your eardrum in response to loud sounds (the startle reflex) which momentarily lowers your hearing to prevent damage to your inner ear.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is where you problem lies. If this is your problem, the trick is to calm down your trigeminal nerve and get it working properly again.
Cordially,
Neil
Good morning. Thank you for your response. I gained 9 kg during pregnancy so I don’t think it’s much. the weight is almost back to itself. my problem I think is related to the hormones. I started taking pills so as not to get pregnant and the problem got much worse. when I stopped taking it slowly it started to decrease but unfortunately it still is. just 8 months after giving birth. I did the hormone results And they are good .. even more so I do not know why it persists .. I am devastated. I have a problem with TMJ on this side but it has been jumping the lower jaw on this side for years and nothing else. no pain. And these PatulEnd drops? I read something about them. Can anything help? maybe you had a patient whose hormones caused this?
Hi Neil,
Could it be that xylometazoline causes PET? I was experiencing fullness / pressure on my ears and my doctor prescribed this. After using this for about 4 days, 2 weeks later I developed autophony. And if this could indeed be a cause, will this disappear again? (Now I am nearly a month further after taking it.) Or is it likelier related to something else like stress / anxiety?
Hi Rob:
I suppose it may be possible. I have no information on this one way or another. You might want to ask your doctor about this as he might know more about the chemistry of this drug and how it could affect your Eustachian tubes.
Was there anything else going on around the time you developed PET? Were you taking any other drugs? Did you have any change in your weight?
I don’t really think PET is a result of anxiety or stress.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much for the fast reply. Well, my doctor did not have a clear answer. Only that the effects should wear out after 4 weeks. (Which is now.) No other drugs were taken nor did I lose weight. Would you happen to know if it did affect my ET, if it resolves itself on its own again?
I had nose reconstruction 6 months ago. Straight after surgery, I was feeling a pressure under my right eye, and I felt paid in my right eye.
(Breathing in my right nostril is bad after surgery)
Now 6 month after the surgery, my right ear is muffles. I sometimes hear my own breathing when I swallow, and the its gone, but its very disturbing.
What it might be and how can I treat it?
Can it be caused because of breathing issue on right side
Do I need another surgery to fix breathing on right side?
Hi Kate:
It does sound like you have a patulous Eustachian tube, plus you may have other issues. Is the muffled feeling because you ear is blocked, or because you have some degree of hearing loss? A complete audiological evaluation should be able to answer those questions. You need to ask your ENT about your nose/breathing issues. He should be able to help you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doctor. I have a question for you about noise exposure through the nose.
Ok, so I have a noisy job. I work at a ship yard with lots of loud bangs and noisy work. I have tinnitus and some hyperacusis due to noise trauma. Because of this I always wear both ear muffs and plugs to be safe. This works well and the plugs alone have been tested to attenuate about 40 dB for me. This provides highest possible protection under normal conditions.
But some times I experience some extra noise coming through. This typically happens when I move my jaw a certain way, or yawn, or even tighten certain muscles in my head. This happened the other day when I made a closed mouth yawn just as a colleauge made a banging noise. Because of this I assumed that the movement caused a minor leak in the hearing protection. However now I belive the sound might actually travel through my open estauchian tube through my nose! I belive I might have some palutos eustachian tube disfunction, although my ENT said he could not see it when he did his test, but said it might come and go.
If I listen to a steady sound with ear plugs and recreate the sensation I can hear a difference in volume. Not as much as without them but it is a noticeable difference. When pinch my nose and close my mouth I can actually feel a reduction in noise level.
So my question is, know of any info of how many decibels can actually travel to the ear from the nose through an open estauchian tube and if noise exposure through the nose actually can be dangerous?
Hi Gard:
This is the first time anyone has asked me this question. I tend to think you are correct in your assumption that the sound is entering your middle ear via your open Eustachian tube. Whenever you yawn (whether open or closed-mouth), your Eustachian tubes momentarily open. They may also open with other muscle movements–I don’t know.
Since your Eustachian tubes are controlled by your trigeminal nerve, if it is hyperactivated, it’s possible to could leave your Eustachian tube open for a bit–perhaps triggered by a sudden sound you weren’t expecting.
When they open, theoretically sounds could travel via your nose to the back of your throat and from there up your momentarily open Eustachian tube to your middle ear where you would hear the sound louder than you would otherwise.
I doubt that the increase in sound is harmful to your ears. You just say the sound is louder, but you don’t indicate that it is a LOT louder. Thus I think it is only a few dB louder and nothing to worry about.
It’s an intriguing question though.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much for your response! And thank you for providing your knowldege and insights about these subjects through your site. Good information is hard to come by, and your knowledge is most apreciated!
I have an other question in regards to open eustuchian tubes. I occationally use Corsodyl. I dont know if its called that in other countries, but it is basically a chlorexidrine 2mg/ml mouthwash. Now it is strongly advised against using chlorexidrine antiseptec in ears due to it’s known ototoxixity. However, is it possible that gargling this with head tilted backwards may cause the mouthwash to get from the throat and in to the open eustuchian tube and thereby reach the inner ear and cause damage?
Best greetings,
Gard
Hi Gard:
Chlorhexidine is indeed ototoxic and can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, ataxia and dizziness among other things. It is particularly harmful to hearing if it get absorbed into the middle ear or through a perforated eardrum.
However, I’ve not heard of it getting absorbed through your Eustachian tubes. I think this could only happen if you had negative pressure in your middle ears AND swallowed with the mouthwash in the back of our throat at the same time. It seems to me if you are worried about this that the simple way to avoid this would be to swallow just before you use the mouthwash. This would neutralize any pressure differences in your middle ears so it should not get sucked into your Eustachian tubes when you then gargle.
Cordially,
Neil
I hear my saliva swishing in my mouth, and swallowing????
Also, as a senior, could my upper denture be pushing on my TMJ Nerve, with my right ear problems?
Hi Jim:
Aren’t those sounds normal, or are you meaning that they are much louder than normal?
I can’t answer that question. That is one for your dentist–about your denture pushing against your TMJ nerve.
Cordially,
Neil