bad breath (halitosis)

Q: I am a XX-year old woman in good health. All my life, I have had “large tonsils.” As a child, most of my colds involved a sore throat (pharyngitis) & often a strep infection, and, often what the doctor classified has “postnasal drip.”

For quite some time now, I have had halitosis. I practice good oral hygiene and have never had a cavity, but I can’t seem to get rid of my bad breath.

I was recently sick for about a month and a half with a bad cold/viral infection. During that time, I noticed that I had a thick, almost fuzzy whitish coating over my tongue and could do little to nothing to get rid of it. Ever since then, the coat has reappeared often in the mornings, but is easily brushed off when I brush my teeth, etc.

The reason I am writing is to see if you have any insight to add into WHY I have chronic halitosis, and even more importantly, HOW I can get rid of it. Is this an ear/nose/throat-related problem?

A friend of mine told me that halitosis can be caused by overly large tonsils, and something known as nasal concretions, which are basically pieces of rotting food trapped within the tonsils or sinus cavities. Is this information accurate?

treatment options for eustachian tube dysfunction

Q: I have been diagnosed with ETD, especially on the left side. It is a condition that I’ve had ever since I can remember (about 25 years now). Symptoms are a feeling of full ears, diminished hearing and occasional pain. When I have been examined, there is no outwardly visible sign that there is pressure in my ear(s), though a CT scan does show considerable sinus problems. My ENT suggested that we try either a FESS or placement of tubes in the eardrum. I have concerns about both procedures.

As I understand the condition, regardless of the etiology, ETD is the result of not being able to equalize pressure between the ambient air and the middle ear. My question is simple: is it possible either to enlarge the ET or make a hole into the middle ear without penetrating the eardrum itself?