Can a Blocked Eustachian Tube Lead to Ear Infection?

[Suzerman]

Hello everyone, my eustachian tubes crackles, and my ears won't pop, and I think it's due to my TMD, because the muscles are probably pressing my eustachian tube shut.

I would like to know though if despite this being probably TMJ related (and they also couldn't see fluid in my ears every time I went to see the doctor), whether it could still cause ear infections to occur. I am getting a bit worried because I have a terrible cold right now and hoping phlegm doesn't get into my ears somehow because of it.

 

[glynis]

If you have a cold and nose full of mucous it can get into your eustation tubes and can lead to a secondary infection in your ears.
Steam inhalation and taking Sudafed can help clear your tubes.
Love glynis

 

[billie48]

If you haven't tried this yet, give it a go to see if the blocked ET can be drained.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...because-of-fullness-in-ear.25745/#post-296634

 

[Aaron44126]

Yes, a messed up Eustachian tube can help facilitate infection. If fluid gets stuck in there for an extended period of time, then bacteria can hang out in there and grow. This is why young children who get frequent ear infections have tubes put in — it is often because of the Eustachian tubes not functioning properly, but this normally resolves itself as they grow bigger. (They do this for adults too, for people who have long-term ET problems...)

You can't observe fluid in the Eustachian tube at a normal doctor visit, it is in the middle ear which is blocked by your ear drum.

There are some techniques to open the tubes and drain out the gunk (suggested by others above). I found Sudafed to be helpful — the "real" kind, not Sudafed PE.

If you're worried about it, you could have an audiologist or ENT perform a tympanometry. It's a quick test and a "not normal" result is a possible sign of fluid in the middle ear.