Role of Patulous Eustachian Tube (& Eustachian Tube Dysfunction in General) in Hyperacusis

Hi everyone,

I was researching Eustachian Tube issues a while back & noticed that the symptoms of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction & Patulous Eustachian Tube seem to overlap with those experienced by people with hyperacusis. I found Patulous Eustachian Tube particularly interesting, since people describe having trouble with their own voice, chewing, footsteps, etc. Then I came across a story where the individual developed Patulous Eustachian Tube before developing pain hyperacusis. Arnaud Norena also mentions that TTTS can cause issues with the Eustachian Tube.

All of this makes me wonder to what extent this contributes to some of the symptoms we experience. Thoughts?

Cheers,
Maddy

 

I agree. I've had issues with my Eustachian tubes for years.

When I was a kid, I had constant middle ear infections, so much so that I needed to get ear tubes. My ear that got the most frequent infections, my right one, has the middle ear noxacusis in it. So it's really interesting to see who else on here has issues with their Eustachian tubes, and if that leads to middle ear more than inner ear noxacusis.

 

They are definitely connected. The tensor and levatoe veil palatini muscles open the Eustachian tube. I developed Eustachian tube dysfunction along with my TTTS and hyperacusis.

Before the acoustic trauma I could control my Eustachian tube and hold it open on command, and then when I talked, it temporarily caused autophonia (hearing your own voice very loudly since the voice travels from your mouth to the ear since Eustachian tubes end in the throat) - what people with Patulous Eustachian Tube complain about. Of course, it went back to normal when I “released” my Eustachian tubes and let them close.

I’d say, people definitely can find it distressing and your voice feels very loud when you have Eustachian tubes that won’t close properly, but it’s not like having hyperacusis (at least for me), although the complains of symptoms and how people verbalize things are similar.

 

You can read about my experience with ETD, the leading cause of my tinnitus. It has wreaked havoc on me every day and night for eight years. I have profound hearing loss in my right ear and tinnitus in my good ear (left). I don't experience trouble with my voice or chewing etc.

 

@MadeleineHope, I just got it confirmed that my Eustachian tubes are dysfunctional. They do not open or close correctly at the right times.

I have had tinnitus permanently since 2019 and hyperacusis since June this year.

 

I have a problem with my Eustachian tubes in addition to my pain hyperacusis and tinnitus.

I've noticed that my somatic tinnitus is reactive to Eustachian tube cracking, which has become chronic. I think that my pain hyperacusis (contraction of the tensor tympani muscle) also increases with this Eustachian tube dysfunction.

I was wondering whether the Eustachian tubes can be activated during chewing, contractions of the masseter muscles, TMJ dysfunction, as well as during sleep and more particularly when teeth are clenched?

I've read that the tensor palatine muscle also plays a role, along with the Eustachian tubes and the tensor tympani muscle. Does this muscle also depend on the factors mentioned above?