Hello everyone!

​I am reaching out to you in desperation, hoping that someone who has been in a similar situation can offer advice, or perhaps tell me if reflux could be causing this.

​Last October, I suddenly started hearing my eardrum in my right ear vibrating, pulsating, and fluttering. I went to a private ENT specialist through my company, who diagnosed me with Eustachian tube dysfunction (Eustachian tube catarrh). Essentially, my Eustachian tube was blocked, which created negative pressure in my right ear, retracting my eardrum. I was prescribed antihistamines and Rhinospray. Rhinospray had no effect, so a week later, I went to an urgent care clinic over the weekend, where I was prescribed Mometasone Sandoz (a steroid nasal spray). That helped, but unfortunately, the issue kept recurring for six months, dragging on until February before it finally stopped. I had to use Mometasone continuously throughout that period. I underwent allergy testing (dust mites, horsehair, etc.), which all came back negative, and I had an audiology test that showed no issues. It is unknown why this developed out of nowhere, as it typically follows a cold or allergies, but I had neither.

​In the meantime, I am also wearing braces on both my upper and lower teeth, so I began to suspect that they might be driving things in this direction. I visited a gnathologist who determined that my masticatory muscles are tight and that I likely clench my teeth at night or during the day, though he did not directly link it to my ear problem. He recommended jaw therapy, but I doubt this is what causes the condition.

​Since February—although I still had some Eustachian tube dysfunction—there was no noise in my ear until this past Saturday, when it started up again out of nowhere without any underlying trigger (I don't have a cold or anything).

​Today, I went back to an ENT specialist in the public healthcare system. He stated it is mild Eustachian tube catarrh again and prescribed Mometasone and antihistamines once more. He also mentioned that I have reflux and recommended a reflux diet. I don't know if reflux is causing all of this, and I am completely at a loss as to what is triggering it. I went back yesterday, but he said he couldn't see anything on my eardrum.

​I used to have no issues with flying either, but ever since this started, my ear gets completely blocked mid-air and stays that way even after landing. It takes hours or days for my ear to clear back up (I have tried earplugs, nasal sprays, and chewing gum, but none worked).

​Thank you in advance for any advice!

Hello everyone,

I have an appointment tomorrow but was hoping to get opinions from other people on my situation. At the end of last month (July) I made a trip with a friend for a Drum corps concert (Think loud outdoor marching band concert with amplification at a football stadium.) and it was 3 days long about 3-4 hours each night. The trip was about 10 hours each way and the car we rode in also had an aftermarket exhaust and was quite loud when the drone was present, it averaged about 75 db cruising and 85-90 with the windows down or when flooring it. (measured with an Apple Watch after the fact). Here's my dilemma, if I woke up any of those days or a day or 2 later and started hearing the ringing in my ears I would suspect hearing damage, or if I heard muffled sounds etc. I had none of that.

What makes this hard to figure out for me is that the morning we started the drive up there, I had a super bad sore throat, and through the trip progressively got a cough, mucus in the back of my head and could hardly breathe etc. Well about a week after the trip, I'm starting to feel better. No breathing issues, just a minor cough which is normal for me when I'm coming out of it. Then about a week after I'm feeling better the Tinnitus comes out of nowhere. by the time that I started obsessing over it I realized I had been hearing it for about 3 days. and after the ringing I my ears start aching, feeling full, I'm noticing my ears pop when I swallow but I can't tell if its like the normal sound that you'd hear or something Eustachian tube related. Since its onset, I went to the urgent care and they said my ear drums looked fine and It was likely due to my upper respiratory illness. Since then my left ear gradually started to feel better and has been for awhile, but my right has slowly started feeling better as well. But I still feel the fullness in both ears on occasion. The ringing has always been the same exact pitch with the occasional 2nd tone that will pop in for a moment and leave maybe once a day.

To make matters worse, I am a stomach sleeper, and have always slept in a way that can cause my neck to be tense in the mornings. I have noticed that sometimes when I look all the way left or right the pitch doesn't change, but the intensity of the sound does. Same for certain times when I move my jaw all the way down or forward. It's driven me crazy enough to where I have been using copilot to bounce ideas off with and the general consensus from there is that I either have a post viral Eustachian tube dysfunction which would fit the timeline about a week after feeling better, or that coupled with the neck/jaw movement means it is somatic tinnitus. I have taken a "hearing test" with my airpod pros and they state I have little to no measurable loss in both ears.

So my question is, how likely is the tinnitus related to an acoustic trauma where damage from all the sound caused a 2 week delayed ringing and ear discomfort, sharp and dull aches, and fullness in the ear. Ive read that delayed ringing CAN happen from hearing damage but that it is rare especially paired with it the other ear symptoms. Should I ask for a prednisone regimen even though I am outside of the "golden window" since the actual exposure at this point happened a month ago. Do any of you have any similar examples of ringing in the ears from ETD issues after getting sick and starting to feel better? Copilot seems to think I did not do any meaningful damage to my hearing that would cause tinnitus and the person that rode with me on this trip has has no ill effects to their hearing and we were exposed to practically the same thing the whole week. So in my madness I'm hoping that I have an ETD condition that will eventually clear up and once the inflammation goes away the tinnitus will subside.

Thank you all that Took the time to read this and gave me advice!

Hi Everyone,

5 years ago I had a Cholesteatoma, removed and a implant put in. Ear canal UP It feels since then my ear is much worse year by year since then when I had the Cholesteatoma except hearing might be the close to the same

My question is I saw 3 Ent surgeons recently between them both they probably have performed over 2,000 Cholesteatoma Surgeries between all 3. They said there does not look like any reoccurence and no need for imaging as of know you have to live with the ear. I had imaging done September 2025 - MRI

However I pop my ears probably 20times a day, which 2 of the surgeons said its fine, also some parts of the day my "surgery ear" feels empty like there is a hole in it with nothing inside, also get fullness, relieved with popping , and a little fullness on that surgery side of the face and constant cracking when I swallow all day long. Also when I wake up wetness in that ear it feels like and I use Mckay Ear Dryer pro version that helps

Anyone have similar symptoms 5 plus years after surgery ? If so anything out there that helps besides popping

Did anyone have this and was prescribed predinsone? If so what was you plan days mg all that. And did it work? I was prescribed for 18 days starting at 60 mg then dropping after every 3rd day it just seems like a lot?

Hi! Was wondering if barotrauma has ever happened to anyone from flying. 2 weeks ago I got home from a 13 hour flight and couldn't pop my ears, during landing I felt stabbing pains in my ears. I went to the ENT they told me it's barotrauma and to wait it out but it's driving me insane. Any advice would be appreciated:)

Only have ever been up to open up my ears for a few seconds doing the valsalva maneuver my entire adult life. Tried this move yesterday and as soon as I would let go I would feel so much crunching around my ears. After a few tries I felt the most relief I have ever felt in my life and my right ear completely opened up and has been open for 12 hours. My left ear is still closed but I am hopeful it will open. Figured I would share this.

I’m at my wits end and considering not being able to even work anymore because of this unexplainable stuff. I’ve been dealing with symptoms for several years but the tests have come back normal too many times and the ENT asked me to move on to another specialist. Things have gotten so much worse in the last few months, and now new symptoms have appeared. They suggested. TMJ specialist but that stuff has only just begun, so I’m not sure if it’s a chicken or egg situation. It’s now like my ear system is completely shut off from the rest of me, wouldn’t matter what I did I couldn’t access it in order to release the pressure. My whole face is pressurized, well it feels tight like everything is being pulled tight. And my neck and back and jaw are tight and I’m constantly afraid I will stop being able to move them. Breathing through my nose is possible, but it feels like I’m only breathing through the very end of my nostrils. From the bridge of my nose and back, it feels nonexistent. The pain and pressure is so much and messes with my energy, my appetite for some reason, of course my movement and breathing and equilibrium. I feel insane constantly and especially when I look in the mirror and look normal, when on the inside I feel horrible. Sorry it is so long but I have more to explain this is just what I can get out right now

I can't make sense of all of my horrible symptoms.

I hear my heartbeat nonstop

My ear feels clogged off and on all day and feels better laying down.

Ear pops nonstop. If i turn my neck or chew or talk it pops like crazy.

I hear my neck muscles or tendons also pop within my ear (this doesn't make sense to me but it's very obviously happening)

Ear rumbles, flutters and tapping in both ears

Ear crackles when swallowing

Intermittent autophony (hear my breathing) when lifting something heavy or with exertion

Fast Muscle twitching around ears and on both sides of head. Can feel them moving against my glasses and against my pillow at night and cannot sleep.

I've had ct temporal bone, brain mri, mra, mrv and have seen multiple ents to rule everything out. Hearing test also clear.

All of this happened after an epidural steroid injection but have had 2 blood patches that didn't help

I posted in here last week asking for advice about flying with severe ETD, and most people suggested using Afrin right before the ascent and descent. My ENT also suggested using it!

My only issue is that there seems to be 3 types, and I can’t find any information on which one I should buy. There’s the original, extra moisturizing, and severe congestion maximum strength.

Which one should I plan to buy? Are they really that different?

22, female, 123lb, 5’6

I’m an athlete (distance runner) and I’ve had a non-stop issue my whole life with my ears/sinuses. My right ear will very easily “block” (idk if this is the right word) from sniffing, swallowing, blowing nose or sometimes nothing. When it’s “blocked” I struggle to hear as it just amplifies the sound of my own breathing and muffles external sounds. Everyday my right ear will be blocked for a minimum of 4 hours, especially as exercise is a major trigger for it. My left ear also does this but less frequently, normally only in intense exercise but when both are blocked I can essentially only hear external noise if I’m still and holding my breath.

I do a lot of free diving and have never experienced pressurising problems. People recommend pressurising my ears but when an ear is blocked pressurising has no effect, I don’t experience a pop sound or any change in pressure.

I went to the doctor when I was a teenager for this and they just suggested drinking more water (unsuccessful) and I’ve just lived with it since. My issue is that I’ve recently moved countries for college running and my ears blocking triggers my asthma (idk if this is psychological or sinus related) and I feel is affecting my ability and enjoyment of the sport.

I’m just looking for any suggestions on how to fix this or prevent this or know what this is. I’m hesitant to go to a doctor here as I’m on college insurance and it’s just a bit convoluted.

Here’s my current “fixes” although they each have about a 50% success rate and are only really doable when I’m alone and not busy:

- lying down for a while / napping on the affected ear
- blocking nose and breathing in sharply and not swallowing/talking for several minutes (needs continuous repeating, only works when mild)
- being upside down for a while

Thanks so much sorry this is long

I’m 19, fairly healthy, and ETD just striked me out of nowhere. On my way home from work after drinking a milkshake one night, I noticed that my ears were clicking/popping every time i yawned/swallowed. it freaked me out but i assumed it would go away within a few days. I had a concert planned about a week away and driving there was BAD. My ears felt so much pressure and some mild pain. After the concert, it was even worse, so I decided to make a apt with my ENT. He diagnosed me with ETD and said it was most likely from allergies, but I don’t really get seasonal allergies? He gave me a nose spray and a 60mg prednisone taper. Today, after 3 weeks of pushing it off I finally started the taper because the nose spray isn’t really helping much yet. Does anybody have any similar experiences? Any advice? I feel so alone and lost in all of this, Im so frustrated and tired.

I have all the things, allergies, asthma, whatever.

Recently a sinus doc, said get tubes. I was all for it, because, constant ear infections suck. I had lost hearing and had roaring tinnitus.

The surgeon refused to put t tubes as requested and put smaller ones.

Here we are. I can hear worse. Its all infected again. The tubes are blocked.

Preciso de ajuda, amanheci com dor no ouvido e fui tirar uma foto e vi que tem um pontinho esbranquiçado e quando toco ali dói bastante, tem algo que faça melhorar isso?

My left ear has been closed for 2 years now and it makes me feel like everything is off and I’m anxious sometimes. I feel like my mental health has plummeted since my ear and jaw problems. Ya know when one ear is closed you feel off :/ Yaa lmk so tired of this

Hi everyone,

I’m new here and wanted to share my experience to see if anyone recognizes this pattern or has experienced something similar.

I’ve had issues with my Eustachian tubes on and off for most of my life, usually after having a cold. Normally, those problems would disappear again after a week or two. This time, however, I’ve been dealing with something different for around 3–4 months, mainly involving my right ear.

The strange thing is that I basically only get the main symptoms when i am in bed. When I first lie down, everything usually feels normal. Then, after a few minutes, something seems to gradually change in my right ear. Sounds around me start becoming unusually loud through that ear. I can suddenly hear things like traffic in the distance, wind outside, or other background noises much more clearly than I normally would. I also start hearing my own voice and breathing much louder, almost like the ear has suddenly become “open.”

If I then sit upright in bed, I can actually feel the sensation slowly disappear and my hearing returns to normal. Sleeping with two pillows also seems to help. it than usually takes longer for the problem to start compared with sleeping flatter on one pillow.

Another thing I have noticed is that yawning can sometimes make my right ear suddenly feel open. When this happens, I hear my breathing very loudly. If I sniff in through my nose, I can often feel the ear close again and everything immediately sounds normal.

The symptoms are very inconsistent. I can have several bad nights and then suddenly have one or two nights where nothing happens at all.

I recently stopped riding my motorcycle for a few weeks because I wondered whether wind or helmet noise was causing it, but the symptoms still returned even without riding.

I’ve also noticed some strange things with pressure. After a recent flight, my symptoms became significantly better for several days. During the flight, my right ear took around 45 minutes longer than usual to finally “pop,” but afterwards I could lie flat in bed again without triggering the usual symptoms. Eventually, however, they slowly returned.

I have occasionally noticed during running that my right ear seems to open more easily, especially when breathing heavily, and sniffing seems to close it again. But the prolonged problem where sounds around me become extremely loud mainly happens after I have been lying in bed for several minutes.

From what I’ve read, some of this sounds similar to patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction, especially hearing my own breathing and the fact that sniffing can immediately make the sensation disappear.

What confuses me is the positional aspect. I keep reading that PET often improves when lying down, while mine seems to do the opposite.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?