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Eustachian tube dysfunction and balloon dilation

Posted by jcj123 @jcj123, Oct 2, 2024

I lost my hearing to SNHL on left side 9 months ago. I tried everything possible including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This therapy messed up both my ears and my eustachian tubes did not open after treatment. So I am totally deaf in left ear but my right ear I can hear everyone else clearly but my own voice is muffled. Five days ago I had balloon dilation surgery to open my eustachian tubes in both ears. Here are my questions:
1. Why is my own voice muffled? ( I can't seem to get an answer to this)
2. It's only been 6 days since the surgery but I feel absolutely no better nor any improvement. Will this surgery work?
3. What would the next step be for me? I can't live with closed eustachian tubes, can I (I don't want to because I'm uncomfortable 24/7)
4. I can't seem to get any answers, it's like I'm the only one in the world that this is happening to. I do have appt with surgeon tom for follow up so I'll ask her but she was against tubes because she said I only had one good ear and she didn't want to risk anything happening to it and losing my hearing in that ear too. So what would the next step be?
Every place I ask on line, I get no response. So thank you if you can help.

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Mentor
Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | 2 days ago
In reply to @sgbelverta "I've had ear tubes for 40+ years. Right now, the ear tubes are inside my middle..." + (show)
@sgbelverta

I've had ear tubes for 40+ years. Right now, the ear tubes are inside my middle ear, but have left a chronic opening. That's good because my ears constantly drain. My sleeping ear plugs are wet every morning. Last year I had an episode where fluid was draining out of the ear and down my neck. I can blow air through the tubes/hole, and the whistling sound can be heard across the room. One of the ENT providers I've seen did a head CT and said my eustachian tubes were fine. Since eustachian tubes move fluid and air, I'm not sure how a single pass with a CT could tell the doctor they are functioning OK. I take anithistomines daily, I do have GERD well controlled, I've only had some hearing loss. I've had nasal reconstruction, including T&A, turbinate resection, and ethmoidectomy. I can breath great, just have drippy ears. What could be generating that much fluid that it drips down my neck? I feel like the doctors treat the symptoms and are not trying to find the cause of the fluid. Looking foward to replies to this posting.

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Thank you for sharing your experience. I hope you'll received some responses. You may want to post this in the ENT discussion group too.

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