Eustachian tube dysfunction : Does anyone have... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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Eustachian tube dysfunction

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Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to ease this? I have to breathe through my mouth all the time if I breathe through my nose all I can hear is my own breath and it's driving me bonkers! My ears often block up too which makes hearing difficult. I have also self-diagnosed hyperacusis and tinnitus and I assume it's all linked...

I've got some ear pain with it today too. I've done a bit more reading this morning and discovered lowering my head makes it vanish! Would explain why it's fine when I wake up but gets worse during the day.

I've seen the nurse about it before who prescribe a nasal spray which was useless.

There must be some sort of treatment for it, surely? I'd be grateful for any advice.

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14 Replies

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DippyDame4 years ago

Agree it is miserable!

Having found nasal sprays did not help my GP prescribed an antihistamine - Cetirizine Hydrochloride tablets 10mg . I take one daily and this has helped.I still think there is a link between ETD and hypo though, as this link suggests

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/247...

• in reply toDippyDame4 years ago

Yes, I'm certain there is a link, or at least there is for me! It's just so miserable. It feels really dramatic to say it's debilitating but it's just awful.

I tried an OTC antihistamine but it didn't make a difference but then I only took them rarely so perhaps I ought to try taking one every day.

At this point, I'd probably drink snake oil if I thought it would help!!

DippyDame• in reply to4 years ago

OTC antihistamine didn't work for me either but success with Cetirizine.humanbean makes a good point about food sensitivities though, for me, patch tests showed nothing.

Worth trying a daily antihistamine.... EDT was driving me crazy!

helvella• in reply toDippyDame4 years ago

Just for clarity in case anyone reads this in the future:

Cetirizine hydrochloride 10 milligram tablets are Over The Counter (OTC) - they are classified as General Sales List (GSL). For example, one randomly located product:

Benadryl Allergy One A Day 10mg Tablets

medicines.org.uk/emc/produc...

It can also be worth trying more than one OTC antihistamine. That is, if one doesn't do much, try another next time. There are several different active ingredients available.

DippyDame• in reply tohelvella4 years ago

Ah! I didn't realise they are also OTC....better tag Hidden

It was a different "mix" to any I had tried before and because prescribed, just assumed it's prescription only.

Hope it helps the OP.

• in reply toDippyDame4 years ago

Thank you both. I will trial an antihistamine a day! 🤞

humanbean4 years ago

I have this condition and have had it for at least 10 years, although it is intermittent rather than permanent. At least two GPs have diagnosed me with ETD in the past, and the nasal sprays were useless for me too. I saw an ENT consultant about the condition, but his response to my problem was completely moronic and utterly useless.

One thing I have realised recently is that if I binge on sugar my ears will block. High carb foods will do the same e.g. pasta, grain-based foods generally. I usually eat gluten-free, but that appears to make no difference to my ETD. Gluten or non-gluten grains seem to have the same effect.

It's possible that other people might have other food sensitivities that cause the problem for them.

• in reply tohumanbean4 years ago

I had considered it might be an allergy - but I could never pinpoint it to anything in particular... but I was feeling so rotten before I started Levo that I didn't have the energy to keep a food diet or anything.

I started about a week ago to keep a food diary so hopefully, I might see a pattern...

My ears are blocked as I type which also seems to make them hyper-sensitive, any noise seems to pe painful at the moment.

bantam124 years ago

Nothing has worked for me and pulsatile tinnitus is currently really bad, I'm talking to my GP again tomorrow and Cardiologist next month as it could be caused by blood vessels in the neck but im not hopeful there is anything that can be done.

• in reply tobantam124 years ago

I do hope you find some relief. I've got some 'Calmer' earbuds under the Christmas tree for me... I'm hoping they might bring some relief. Perhaps you could google them and see if they might be useful for you? They're made by Flare audio.

bantam12• in reply to4 years ago

Thanks they look very interesting, definitely worth a shot.GP is referring me to ENT but she said there's usually little they can do unless they find something that's fixable.

Good luck with the earbuds, I'm going to order some 🙂

Camdentown4 years ago

I’m hypothyroid with Hashimotos. If I eat gluten- no matter how small an amount- I know immediately because my right ear feels like it’s filled with treacle and I can hear nothing . It doesn’t affect my left ear, but it’s definitely intolerance related and self diagnosed over 15 years. The G.P. was utterly disinterested, but an ENT consultant was fascinated, and didn’t dismiss me as an oddball. Perhaps if you can pinpoint what foods may aggravate the condition you could use it as a starting point to trial your reaction. Good luck.

• in reply toCamdentown4 years ago

I started a food diary about a week ago so hopefully, there might be a glaring intolerance... I have a horrible feeling it's dairy but we'll see.

How strange that it's only one ear! Did the ENT consultant have any theories as to why it happened?

helvella4 years ago

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