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Feeling Blockage In Ear And Hearing Echo Sound. How To Cure This?
Question: Dear Doctor,
I am asking this question on behalf of my husband.
He sometimes hear a tingling/echo sound when he listen to other person. It goes off after sometime and then everything is back to normal.
There is no pain, but a feel/sense his right ear is blocked by flem/sinus.He tried his hearing capabilities, both the ears are fine.
Please let me know the reasons and also how to cure this.
Regards,
XXXXXX
I am asking this question on behalf of my husband.
He sometimes hear a tingling/echo sound when he listen to other person. It goes off after sometime and then everything is back to normal.
There is no pain, but a feel/sense his right ear is blocked by flem/sinus.He tried his hearing capabilities, both the ears are fine.
Please let me know the reasons and also how to cure this.
Regards,
XXXXXX
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting the query
After going through the history, I am of the opinion that your husband could be having Eustachian tube dysfunction.
The Eustachian tube is a passage that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose. Its chief function is to equalize the air pressure between the middle ear and the nose.
Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) occurs when the tube fails to function normally, such as during opening of the mouth, swallowing or yawning. This results in a mismatch of the air pressure between inside and outside of the middle ear causing discomfort in the ear and temporary hearing problems.
The feeling of fluid build up inside the middle ear, echoing, noise in the ear are noticed only when there is the blockage of the tube and once it gets relieved everything will become normal. Usually, this is not very troublesome so as to incapacitate an individual from performing the routine work. Seldom, it can cause hearing and pressure related problems.
I am sorry, there is no permanent cure for this problem as the actual cause of the dysfunction is not known. Eventhough, there are various theories postulated regarding the dysfunction, none of them have been confirmed yet.
Secondly, as this is a transient phenomenon, even the audiological investigations will not be able to pick up the signs of dysfunction.
I would suggest him to get an audiological investigation such as impedance matching done as soon as he gets this problem and to repeat the same when he is feeling normal. This can be the only way to confirm the diagnosis.
Finally, if he is having this problem very frequently, he can use a steroid nasal spray such as fluticasone or momentasone once a day, early in the morning, for few months. Steroid spray helps in decongestion of the mucosa around the Eustachian tube and relieves the block. Also, he should avoid smoking if he is doing so.
I hope this answer was beneficial to you. Revert back to me if you have any further queries.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Thanks for posting the query
After going through the history, I am of the opinion that your husband could be having Eustachian tube dysfunction.
The Eustachian tube is a passage that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose. Its chief function is to equalize the air pressure between the middle ear and the nose.
Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) occurs when the tube fails to function normally, such as during opening of the mouth, swallowing or yawning. This results in a mismatch of the air pressure between inside and outside of the middle ear causing discomfort in the ear and temporary hearing problems.
The feeling of fluid build up inside the middle ear, echoing, noise in the ear are noticed only when there is the blockage of the tube and once it gets relieved everything will become normal. Usually, this is not very troublesome so as to incapacitate an individual from performing the routine work. Seldom, it can cause hearing and pressure related problems.
I am sorry, there is no permanent cure for this problem as the actual cause of the dysfunction is not known. Eventhough, there are various theories postulated regarding the dysfunction, none of them have been confirmed yet.
Secondly, as this is a transient phenomenon, even the audiological investigations will not be able to pick up the signs of dysfunction.
I would suggest him to get an audiological investigation such as impedance matching done as soon as he gets this problem and to repeat the same when he is feeling normal. This can be the only way to confirm the diagnosis.
Finally, if he is having this problem very frequently, he can use a steroid nasal spray such as fluticasone or momentasone once a day, early in the morning, for few months. Steroid spray helps in decongestion of the mucosa around the Eustachian tube and relieves the block. Also, he should avoid smoking if he is doing so.
I hope this answer was beneficial to you. Revert back to me if you have any further queries.
Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Dr. Naveen Kumar Nanjasetty
Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist
Practicing since :2001
Answered : 2540 Questions
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