Under Water

[Liberton]

Hi Guys,

For the last couple of weeks I have had blocked ears. When I speak it sounds like I am under water. I keep swallowing and trying to clear them but as soon as they clear it is only for a few moments and then they are back as bad as ever.

Is anyone else with SLE suffering from this and if so what have you done to alleviate the annoying symptoms?

[Johnnyb10]

Hi Liberton,

I think the first thing to do is to see you GP and get him to check your ears, it might just be as simple as a build up of wax. I had similar prior to being diagnosed and just needed to be syringed

Johnny B

[Liberton in reply to Johnnyb10]

Hi Jonnyb10,

Thanks for your reply I will check with my GP.

Have a great day

Liberton

[Georgie-girl]

Hi. I have sjogrens and I have this a lot along with nose and throat symptoms. I have seen several ENT doctors but just told to use a nasal spray and something for dry mouth. To be honest i havent found anything much that helps so just have to wait for it to ease off. I use sterimar for my nose and it really helps the ears as well. The moisture seems to help somehow. Also leave a bowl of water near a radiator if you have central heating as this helps moisten the air so it doesn't dry you out any further. I believe it's inflammation in the tubes connecting ears nose and throat and that can cause eustachian tube dysfunction and/or a build up of pressure, so anything that helps one should ease all the symptoms a bit.

Good luck.

[Liberton in reply to Georgie-girl]

Hi Georgie-girl,

Thanks for taking the time to reply and also for your suggestions.

Have a great day

Liberton

[Bebe76 in reply to Georgie-girl]

I used to have the same problem - "Eustachian tube dysfunction". My doctor told me it was probably related to my dry mouth/throat from SLE/Sjogrens. After I got my lupus under control, this problem mostly went away, although I still have dryness issues.

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Libeton,

Have you spoken to your GP or rheumatologist about this?

According to The Lupus Encyclopedia, hearing can be decreased due to the build-up of wax that obstructs the ear canals. This can be treated with ear wax removal oil and ear wax removal treatment from your doctor.

A build-up of fluid or air pressure can cause ear pain and a feeling of fullness in the ear thus, decreasing hearing ability.

The NHS Choices' website provides a detailed overview of how earwax build-up can be treated: nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-bu...

Please let us know how you get on, wishing you all the best.