Why Do I Feel A Pull In The Ear Drum When I Breathe With Less Hearing In One Ear?

Posted on Thu, 26 Dec 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 Answered on

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi when I breather through my right nostril, I feel a pull in my right ear drum. I feel like something is blocked, not 100% but 10-20%. I have less hearing in my right ear also and sometimes feel ticking sound when I swallow.

Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (24 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Points to the Eustachian tube dysfunction Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for the query. Your symptoms suggest a Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction. Please chew a chewing gum daily and this helps in better functioning of the ET opening. Also take steam regularly and use nasal decongestant drops for few days. Use of mucolytics also help. If the things do not improve, see an ENT and get a complete examination done. An impedence and a pure tone audiometry may be required if your ENT thinks so. Feel free to ask another query. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Prahlad Duggal (10 minutes later)

Hi, Thanks for your quick reply. I will follow your advices and hope the problem gets fixed. Do you think it would require a surgery? My ears are also sensitive to noise, do you think the problems are inter-related? Is there any solution for sensitive ears apart from using an ear plug? Thanks you, XXXX

Answered by Dr. Prahlad Duggal (9 hours later)

Brief Answer: Less often a surgery is required Detailed Answer: Thanks for the query. Usually no surgery is required for this until and unless the ENT finds a reason especially in nose for ET dysfunction. Use of intra nasal steroid sprays for few months usually soles that problem also. Only sometimes as surgical procedure is required and myringotomy with grommet insertion which is a very small OPD/day care procedure may be required. ET dysfunction can make ears somewhat sensitive to sound but not always. Grommet insertion helps in few of the patients but usually medical treatment suffices. Feel free to ask another query. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar