Bad blogger. Bad, bad blogger.
Human nature, specifically MY human nature, appalls me. I create this site, feed it with lots of articles to boost traffic, then promptly ignore it (even though I still get dozens of searches daily leading people here). People ask questions and 9/10 of the time, WordPress doesn’t bother to give me an email letting me know. When I do get an email, I discover dozens of posts awaiting approval. Those folks probably gave up on me long ago.
I don’t have much excuse aside from the usual one — it’s difficult to juggle work, family, and sanity with projects like this one. Rest assured I’m here, not often, but I am still here. I have a great job here in Bakersfield and my commute is now a very reasonable 20-25 minutes.
Oy, maybe it’s like weight loss. I just need to do it.
D.
Hi,
I have an important query which i’m really concerned about and feeling quite lost, confused and hopeless about it, could you reply to my email as i’d like to ask in private?
Kindest Regards
Chantelle
Unfortunately, Chantelle objected to my unusual email address and refused to tell me about her problem. Some people . . .
I hope you can give me some guidance. Middle aged guy with a history of ETD. No fluid, no ear infections…ever. Just a rotten ET that doesn’t respond to pressure. My daily life is fine, usually can adjust the pressure thru yawning, etc. But flying…nada. Upon descent I have pain that is beyond description, and then I cannot hear for several hours. Tried everything. The only thing that worked was ear tubes a few years ago. But, as you know, they do come out and mine did in 6 months. Now, I am looking for a new job and my inability to fly is crushing my job prospects. I could get new tubes, but I’d have to get them over and over and over, which I’m not sure is a good idea. My ENT said I could get T-tubes, but he said they often cause more issues than solutions in people like me without fluid…including hearing changes (clanky tin can like noises). I need to do something, and already have ENTs in my area, but wanted your take to see if repeated temporary tubes is a bad idea and if T-tubes are problematic.
Thanks
Hi Jason. Difficult problem, and as you’ve discovered, there are no ideal solutions. I can only share with you my own opinion, and you know what they say — “your mileage may vary.” Do what you’re doing — talk to people, gather information, talk to your doc. I don’t have a crystal ball and there’s no way I can know what would work best for you.
First off, I am assuming that your ENT has exhausted the various medical tricks we employ to improve Eustachian tube function — such as nasal steroids, oral and spray decongestants, etc. prior to flight. There are also ear plugs called “Ear Planes” that some of my patients have raved about. Not too expensive, likely worth a try. I would try everything before moving onto the surgical options.
If it were me, assuming I had exhausted all other options, I would take the temporary tubes and get them replaced periodically. The only problem with this plan is the inconvenience and the risk of cumulative scarring to the ear drum, but such scarring is (usually) a gradual process and I would likely have some warning that it was happening. Scarring (again, usually) has to be pretty bad before it affects the hearing.
The chief problem with T-tubes is that they are more likely to leave a permanent hole behind in the ear drum when they finally do fall out. If this is a small hole, then it’s not such a bad thing — it’s like having a permanent tube, after all. But if it’s a big hole, then it really can mess with your hearing.
Hope this helps.