Ear Pain, Pressure, and Fullness

[mick]

I'm curious about others experience with tinnitus associated ear pain, eustachian tube pressure,and fullness. When do these symptoms occur for you? Intensity? Any solutions for relieving? Any theories on cause? For those who have habituated, do these symptoms go away?

I get this often, but not always. When the pain and fullness are present, there is no question that my T is at its worst. I've yet to figure out any pattern, or anything to help relieve it. There are times, like now, where the ear pain is the worst thing - worse than the the T itself. I can voluntarily/on demand clear/open my eustachion tubes by flexing some muscle around my ears that evidently not everyone has control of. I know many people have to hold their nose and blow a little to do this. As a former scuba diver this was a handly ability to have. Now when I do it when ever the pain or fullness is present it creates a very loud double or triple clicking sound. Anyone have that experience? I know that it is possible for sticky fluid to build up in one's eustacian tubes and actually make the inside of tube to stick together like a smashed straw. The clicking sound that I hear kind of sounds like that may be what is happening. That is, it feels like as I expand the diameter of my eustachian tubes, the stuck together surfaces pull apart causing a clicking noise or two, then when I release the flex, the inner surfaces go back together creating another click or two. Opening my tubes like this doesn't worsen or improve my T. Does it help for anyone else?

 

[Karen]

Hi, Mick,
I haven't experienced much in the way of ear pain, but I can relate to the ear fullness and the clicking sound. For me, it's now been almost 3 years since my severe tinnitus started.

You'll be glad to know that the feeling of fullness, which I had off and on for quite awhile, is now virtually gone! I haven't heard the clicking sound in awhile, either. So, yes, it does get better with time. It's possible that it could be part of the habituation process. It is certainly a relief not to the have the feeling of fullness any more! Now, if I could just get rid of the ringing and pulsating.....

 

[jazz]

I'm curious about others experience with tinnitus associated ear pain, eustachian tube pressure,and fullness. When do these symptoms occur for you? Intensity? Any solutions for relieving? Any theories on cause? For those who have habituated, do these symptoms go away?

I get this often, but not always. When the pain and fullness are present, there is no question that my T is at its worst. I've yet to figure out any pattern, or anything to help relieve it. There are times, like now, where the ear pain is the worst thing - worse than the the T itself. I can voluntarily/on demand clear/open my eustachion tubes by flexing some muscle around my ears that evidently not everyone has control of. I know many people have to hold their nose and blow a little to do this. As a former scuba diver this was a handly ability to have. Now when I do it when ever the pain or fullness is present it creates a very loud double or triple clicking sound. Anyone have that experience? I know that it is possible for sticky fluid to build up in one's eustacian tubes and actually make the inside of tube to stick together like a smashed straw. The clicking sound that I hear kind of sounds like that may be what is happening. That is, it feels like as I expand the diameter of my eustachian tubes, the stuck together surfaces pull apart causing a clicking noise or two, then when I release the flex, the inner surfaces go back together creating another click or two. Opening my tubes like this doesn't worsen or improve my T. Does it help for anyone else?

mick,

I used to be able to modulate my tinnitus by moving my jaw. Watch it if you "pop" your ears. That's how I got tinnitus. I believe for some people--like myself--the fullness comes from pressure in your middle ear. Popping your ears--known as the valsalva maneuver--usually helps this pressure. If your pressure is great, however, the maneuver could backfire and put all that pressure into your inner ear. When I popped my ears last summer, I felt the pressure relieve then a heard a chime sound deep in my ear. (This was all within a second or so.) I now realize that was ear damage occurring. Shortly thereafter the tinnitus followed. Long story short, inhaled steroids--like Nasonex--keep my pressure normal. I no longer have fullness and my clicking (from the eustachian tubes opening and closing) is greatly reduced--but I still click when my nose is stuffy. That's another thing: if you have allergies, it will worsen the clicking and fullness feeling.

Inhaled steroids will also keep your eustachian tubes clear. You probably have a blockage. The eustachian tubes drain mucous from your ears. That's why when you get a cold, your ears will feel full. First, they get inflamed from your nose--it's the same tissue--then the inflammation prevents them from clearing mucous from your nose. The same inflammation response occur with allergies. This is the one thing a physician can cure with a prescription.

Good luck!!

 

[Asian]

The intermittent pain,pressure , fullness , fleeting T ,distorted hearing , clicking noises etc last for maybe 6-7 months in most cases in guess. It reduces a bunch after that and whats left behind is the chronic powerless noise

 

[Irish]

This is great and encouraging information, thanks everyone for your inputs.

@mick, you've described exactly what my symptoms are in recent times, the only difference is instead of having T like you, I have H (my T has subsided to being almost inaudible now after a few months).
And the same for me, my H is worse on days when the fullness is worse.
I was using the Valsalva method for a while but my audiologist said I should stop or at least lessen how often I used it as it could cause hyperelasticity of the eardrum, anyone else hear about that?

@Karen, I'm very glad to read that the ear fullness mostly resolved itself in your case, that's great to hear, I'm hoping the same will happen for me.

 

[Juliepen]

This is me. Please tell me how your symptoms have progressed since the last post. Anything else helped? And what does H mean?