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.
- Clearing clogged nasal passages with saline spray.
- Taking antihistamines or decongestants.
- Yawning.
- Swallowing.
- Valsalva maneuver.
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.
