How Do You Clear Blocked Eustachian Tubes?

17 Jun.,2024

 

How Do You Clear Blocked Eustachian Tubes?

If you have chronically blocked eustachian tubes, your doctor may test your hearing, or look for underlying causes.

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Your doctor will do a physical exam to check for symptoms of blocked eustachian tubes. They will look for swelling and redness in your ears as well as your throat. They may also look for swollen adenoids, check your temperature, and ask about other symptoms like pain and pressure.

Treatments for blocked eustachian tubes

Eustachian tube treatment often isn&#;t needed as a blocked tube usually gets better on its own. However, there are steps you can take to help your symptoms.

Medications

Some over-the-counter medications may be helpful for blocked eustachian tube treatment. These may include:

  • Pain relievers
  • Decongestant

  • Antihistamines
  • Saline spray for the nose

Using antihistamines and saline spray in the nose may help clear up extra mucus and fluid from allergies, a cold, or sinus infection.

If you need additional help, your doctor may prescribe:

  • Antibiotics if an ear infection

    develops
  • Corticosteroids to help with swelling

Home care

The simplest way to manage a blocked eustachian tube is home treatment. You can equalize pressure, loosen fluid, and relieve pain with different methods. These may include:

  • Chewing gum
  • Swallowing and yawning
  • Blowing up a balloon
  • Closing your mouth, plugging your nose, and blowing air until the ear pops
  • Sucking on a candy
  • A warm washcloth on the ear

Do not give chewing gum or hard candies to children under age four.

If you have allergies, avoiding allergens may also help sinuses and chronic ear problems. You may need to talk to your doctor about other treatments that could help.

Surgery

Sometimes you may need surgery as part of eustachian tube treatment. Usually, this only happens if the problem is chronic and nothing helps. Children who have chronic ear infections may have a small ear tube inserted to help drain fluid. This will eventually fall out on its own after a few months.

Sometimes your doctor may also make a small cut in the eardrum and let the fluid drain out. If you have a deviated septum or a cleft palate that affects your eustachian tubes, they may want to do surgeries to correct these and relieve your symptoms.

Plugged ears: What is the remedy?

I'm just getting over a cold, and my ears feel plugged. What causes this? Is there any remedy for plugged ears?

Answer From Laura J. Orvidas, M.D.

With plugged ears, your eustachian tubes &#; which run between your middle ear and the back of your nose &#; become blocked. You may experience a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ears. You may also have ear pain, dizziness and muffled hearing. As swelling from the cold subsides, the blockage usually resolves.

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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.

Other options for clearing plugged ears include:

  • Nasal decongestants, but for no more than a few days
  • Topical nasal steroids, especially in people with allergies
  • Ventilation tubes, in severe cases, to drain fluid and relieve pressure

Call your health care provider if your symptoms are severe or last more than two weeks.

With

Laura J. Orvidas, M.D.

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  2. Ears and altitude (barotrauma). American Academy of Otolaryngology &#; Head and Neck Surgery. https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/ears-and-altitude-barotrauma/. Accessed Sept. 15, .
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