SC Connecticut News

• Eustachian tubes are small tubes that run between your middle ears and upper throat.
• Blocked eustachian tubes can cause pain, hearing difficulties and a feeling of fullness in the ears.
• One possible treatment for eustachian tube dysfunction is balloon dilation.

Sinus infections can cause blockage in the eustachian tube, which can lead to temporary hearing loss that might feel like being underwater or wearing earplugs.

Eustachian tubes are small tubes that run between your middle ears and upper throat. They are responsible for equalizing ear pressure and draining fluid from the middle ear, the part of the ear behind the eardrum. The eustachian tubes are usually closed, except for when you chew, swallow or yawn, according to Healthline.

These passageways are small in size and can get plugged for a variety of reasons. Blocked eustachian tubes can cause pain, hearing difficulties, and a feeling of fullness in the ears. Such a phenomenon is referred to as eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). ETD is a relatively common condition.

Depending on the cause, it may resolve on its own or through simple at-home treatment measures, such as chewing gum, yawning or using a saline nasal spray. Severe or recurring cases may require a visit to the doctor.

One possible treatment for ETD is balloon dilation, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. This procedure is minimally invasive and relatively new. A study of 126 children who underwent balloon dilation to treat ETD found that there were no reported complications, and symptoms improved in 80% of patients.

Dr. Robert Weiss of CT ENT Sinus Center said sinus infections can cause blockage in the eustachian tube, which can lead to temporary hearing loss and painful ear symptoms. 

"Anything that will cause swelling and inflammation inside your nose and sinuses will affect your eustachian tube," Weiss told SC Connecticut News. "So many of our patients come in with the typical allergy symptoms and sinus symptoms, but they can also complain of a lot of ear symptoms, clogging fullness and hearing loss. I mentioned the balloon sinus dilation for sinuses, but we can use the same balloon in the eustachian tube. We've had many patients that have benefited. It was, in a way, life changing for them because they had to fly a lot for their work, and they had had horrible experiences every time they flew, despite taking decongestants. When we fix their eustachian tube, it's made quite a difference."

For more information about the symptoms of sinusitis and ETD, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.