What conditions affect my eustachian tubes?
The most common issue is eustachian tube dysfunction, which may develop if your eustachian tubes swell. This can happen if you have:
These conditions may cause the following symptoms:
- A feeling of fullness in your ears.
- Muffled sounds or distorted hearing.
- Popping or clicking sensations.
- Ear pain on one or both sides that may feel like an ear infection.
- Ringing in your ears (tinnitus).
- Balance problems.
- Dizziness.
- Vertigo.
- A “tickling” sensation in your ears.
These symptoms may go away on their own. But you should contact a healthcare provider if you have symptoms that last for more than two weeks.
How are eustachian tube conditions diagnosed?
A healthcare provider will examine your eardrum for disease or damage. They may ask you to do a Valsalva maneuver, or to follow these steps to open your clogged eustachian tubes:
- Close your mouth.
- Pinch your nostrils closed.
- Breathe out as hard as you can.
They may do tests to see if your eustachian tubes open and close normally. Your eustachian tubes should only open when you do things like yawn, chew or swallow.
What home remedies open clogged eustachian tubes?
Eustachian tube massage is one home remedy. To do this, you:
- Use your finger to find a bony bump behind your ear lobe.
- Slide your finger down until you feel a groove between your earlobe and jaw.
- Using firm, steady pressure, trace the groove all the way down your neck to the collarbone.
- Repeat this process three times on each side of your head, three times a day.
Other home remedies are:
Chewing gum.
If home remedies don’t work, your provider may refer you to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist or ENT) for more tests and treatment. Procedures to treat your eustachian tubes include:
- Tympanostomy (ear tubes): Your surgeon places ear tubes into your eardrums and does a myringotomy.
- Eustachian tuboplasty (eustachian tube balloon dilation): This treatment involves expanding your eustachian tubes with a balloon.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Your ears aren’t always the reason why you have symptoms like ringing or fullness in your ears. Sometimes, your eustachian tubes are to blame. Your eustachian tubes help keep your middle ear healthy. Allergies, colds or infections can affect your eustachian tube and how they function.
Most of the time, eustachian tube issues go away on their own or by using home remedies like chewing gum or yawning. But you should schedule a visit with a healthcare provider if your symptoms last more than two weeks.
FAQs
The Eustachian tube is an opening that connects the middle ear with the nasal-sinus cavity. This tube helps to: Balance pressure in the middle ear (commonly felt as your ears popping) Drain fluid from the middle ear.
What is the eustachian tube quizlet? ›
the eustachian tube is a canal that establishes communication between the: middle ear and nasopharynx.
What is the fastest way to unblock eustachian tube? ›
If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.
How long will it take for blocked eustachian tubes to open? ›
Eustachian tube dysfunction usually resolves in a few days to two weeks without treatment. You can take certain actions to open up the tubes, such as swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. You can try the Valsalva maneuver at home by taking a deep breath, pinching your nostrils closed, and blowing with your mouth shut.
What does a blocked Eustachian tube feel like? ›
Blocked eustachian tubes can cause several symptoms. For example, your ears may hurt or feel full. You may have ringing or popping noises in your ears. Or you may have hearing problems or feel a little dizzy.
What vitamins are good for eustachian tube dysfunction? ›
“Vitamin A, C and E, along with some minerals like zinc have been touted for their potential benefits in maintaining ear health,” Dr. Jones said.
What is Eustachian tube in other words? ›
The auditory tube, more commonly known as the Eustachian tube, is a part bony, part fibrocartilaginous tube which connects the middle ear with the nasopharynx. It is also known as the pharyngotympanic tube.
Which of the following best describes the Eustachian tube? ›
The eustachian tubes are canals that run from the back of the nose and upper throat to the middle ear, helping keep the air pressure behind the eardrum the same as the pressure outside. They remain closed most of the time but will open as a person swallows, chews, or yawns.
What is the Eustachian tube to the throat? ›
Your eustachian (pronounced “you-stay-shee-un”) tubes connect your middle ears to the back of your throat. (Your middle ear is the air-filled chamber just behind your eardrum.) Your eustachian tubes equalize air pressure and help drain fluid from your ears.
What is the best position to sleep to drain eustachian tube? ›
Elevation (aka sleeping upright)
As long as you're upright enough to allow the ears to drain more successfully, you should notice an improvement in symptoms and be able to sleep much easier.
Close your mouth, hold your nose, and gently blow as if you are blowing your nose. Yawning and chewing gum also may help. You may hear or feel a "pop" when the tubes open.
How do you massage fluid out of an eustachian tube? ›
Perform a eustachian tube massage by running your finger from the bony bump behind your ear down the groove between your earlobe and your jaw, all the way down to your collarbone. If your eustachian tubes are blocked, try the valsalva maneuver: hold your nose shut and close your mouth.
What can be mistaken for Eustachian tube dysfunction? ›
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction - Patients can experience pain in the temporomandibular joint secondary to bruxism or clenching, resulting in otalgia (which can be mistaken for eustachian tube dysfunction)
How did I cured my Eustachian tube dysfunction naturally? ›
You can do exercises to open up the tubes. This includes swallowing, yawning, or chewing gum. You can help relieve the “full ear” feeling by taking a deep breath, pinching your nostrils closed, and “blowing” with your mouth shut. If you think your baby may have Eustachian tube dysfunction, feed him or her.
What is the best decongestant for Eustachian tube dysfunction? ›
Treatment of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Usually first-line treatment for the is condition is use of decongestants like Afrin or Sudafed for up to 3 days only, antihsitamines, and valsalva maneuvers to pop your ears.
How do you drain your Eustachian tube? ›
Chewing gum.
- Clearing clogged nasal passages with saline spray.
- Taking antihistamines or decongestants.
- Yawning.
- Swallowing.
- Valsalva maneuver.
They do. While the pairing of nose and throat is an intuitive one, you may not immediately think of your ears as connecting to your throat. The Eustachian tubes drain fluid from the ears into the throat by way of the nasopharynx, and for the most part, they do so without incident, even when you have a common cold.
What can be mistaken for eustachian tube dysfunction? ›
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction - Patients can experience pain in the temporomandibular joint secondary to bruxism or clenching, resulting in otalgia (which can be mistaken for eustachian tube dysfunction)
What is the best decongestant for eustachian tube dysfunction? ›
Treatment of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Usually first-line treatment for the is condition is use of decongestants like Afrin or Sudafed for up to 3 days only, antihsitamines, and valsalva maneuvers to pop your ears.
