Post tube insertion for Eustachian tube dysfunction

@arcane Welcome to Mayo Connect, where people can share their health stories and talk about what helps.
I too was the adult recipient of "tubes" in my ears.
My ENT explained that there is often both liquid and sticky mucus in our ears. In my case, the liquid poured out immediately after the puncture, but it took a number of weeks for the rest to seep out and the crackling to stop.
As for the inability to clear your ears, there is now a hole in the eardrum, so forced air goes out through the stent, and does not create the air pressure to pop your ears.

So, based on my experience, your situation is typical. Just be cautious about water in your ears (I wore silicon ear plugs when swimming) which can cause an inner ear infection. And be aware of any bloody or puss-like discharge.

Thankyou so much! Did you also experience your own voice being muffled when you spoke? It’s weird because I feel like my hearing is completely normal except my own voice is muffled and I don’t know if I’m talking too loud or too quiet lol

I'm sor3, but it's been a while so I don't remember. I do remember my coworkers seeming very noisy in adjacent cubicles, and my girls' high-pitched screaming with their friends was painful - things I hadn't heard for a long time.

Thank you 🙂

My husband has the same thing. He got tubes due pain/pressure in his ear, and the CT scan showed fluid in the mastoid bone. The tubes did sort of help with the pain, and he had the tubes removed. But he continues to have air go through his ear, and experiences his voice being muffled when he talk, as well as a feeling of fullness in his ear. He was told this would clear up once the tubes were out, but it’s been 2 months with no improvement yet.

Thanks! Did he also notice any tinnitus as well?

He has no tinnitus, luckily. But at the time his ear first felt full, before the tubes, he suddenly started getting lots of mucus drainage. I ask him if it comes from his lungs or nose, and he can’t quite discern it. He coughs out a LOT of mucus every morning.

Replying to comment @arcayne: Hi, 19 months ago my ears clogged, like going up in an airplane. Sometimes they would pop on their own but wouldn't stay unclogged. The first two ENTs acted like they either didn't know what I was talking about or they didn't want to be bothered, just said I'm losing my hearing and I need hearing aids. I refused to let it go at that because I felt like there was something else going on. Sure, at 70 I'm willing to agree that my hearing is diminishing but I felt like there was more to it than that. Finally, the third ENT was willing to consider that I might need tubes in my ears to help keep the Eustachian tubes open. So, I thought that finally I might be getting help and answers to what was going on. I had the tubes put in April of this year. Even though they might have been helping the Eustachian tubes (wasn't sure yet) immediately I felt like I was talking in a tunnel. I called the office and they said that it would eventually go away. Well, its been 6 or so weeks and I do think that the tubes have helped my hearing like I can hear the t.v. better and generally all sounds around me. Voices are not as clear as I wish but that could be due to some beginnings of hearing loss. But the tunnel sounds have not changed! I have read comments on this website of people experiencing the same thing and that's why I'm here. Not only the feeling of talking in a tunnel but it seems like my tinnitus is a bit worse and different plus I'm hearing my heartbeat whooshing loader. I told my doc that I feel like I robbed Peter to pay Paul! But at least my Eustachian tubes are not collapsing and giving me that horrible pressure that was worse than the clogged feelings. All in all, that's my story and I'm just hoping that the tunnel thing gets better and that others can relate to what I've shared and maybe someone can shed some positive light that has had a similar experience.