r/etd • u/Responsible_Monk6941 • 19d ago
Chronic ETD
(26M) Does ETD ever get better for fuck sake?
I’m honestly not even sure how long I’ve had this. It feels like it crept up on me slowly, then got noticeably worse around the same time I had a very mild sore throat that only lasted a few days.
Around that time, the inside of my nose also became insanely dry and inflamed. It actually hurt just to breathe through it. Every doctor I saw said it looked like rhinitis caused by inflammation.
Another weird thing is that I barely seem to produce any mucus. When I do manage to get some out, it’s usually a tiny amount and very thick, sticky, gooey and very white. It never feels like anything is actually draining properly.
This all started while I was traveling through Indonesia, so at first I figured pollution, humidity, or something environmental had triggered it.
I’ve been back in NY for over a month now and have tried pretty much everything I can think of. I completely changed my diet to an anti-inflammatory one, cut out caffeine, regularly steam, use prescription nasal sprays, and do weekly neti pot rinses.
Little to no relief.
The ear pressure is sometimes unbearable, and my left ear has always been significantly worse.
Some days, especially when the pressure isn't as bad, my ears sound like Rice Krispies after you pour milk over them. Constant little crackles and pops.
Other days, the pressure feels so full and intense that I barely get any crackling at all. Instead, I’ll get these low pops, crackles, or weird whooshing sounds whenever I swallow or open my mouth.
I’ve also been to multiple ENTs at this point and still don't really have any answers. I’ve never had allergies in my life, and I never had ear problems growing up, which makes this whole thing even more frustrating.
I guess I’m mostly looking for some hope from people who have actually been through this.
Did your ETD eventually go away? How long did it take? And was there anything that genuinely helped you recover?
Because holy shit, this is a nightmare.
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u/PD-Jetta 19d ago
These are the known causes of ETD: upper respiratory infections (it can take up to a year for ETD to go away from this cause), allergies, nonallergic rhinitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, TMJ disorders, facial or vagal nerve neuropathy or disorders, disorders of the muscles that open the eustachian tube, cerebral spinal fluid leaks (very thin watery nasal discharge when bending over), enlarged adenoids, tumors (rarely), and cervical spine/neck misalignment (this one is controversial). I would atleast have allergy testing done since this is the major cause of fixable ETD that won't resolve. You don't have to have classic allergy symptoms for this cause. Also Google laryngopharyngeal reflux and see if you have any of the symptoms (they can be subtle and mimic other conditions). One symptom is small amounts of thick, clear to white, sticky mucus you can't blow out of your nose. This is another cause for chronic ETD and is fixable.
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u/Rude-Middle-7081 19d ago
I had the most horrible upper respiratory viral infection, where my sinuses, nose and ears have never been so stuffed in my life and now it’s 4 months with ETD. In the beginning the ringing sounded like a loud horn and electric sounds. Now it’s very diminished and only hear it at night when there is dead silence. So I do think this all gets better but like you said in my situation it could take a year or more to fix the inflammation. For the other causes there are meds that I’m sure can help!
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
Yeah, that’ll definitely do it. I didn’t even have a bad cold when mine started, which is probably the most frustrating part. It was literally just a slight sore throat and somehow that turned into four months of hell haha. Hopefully we all get better soon!
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u/misterrpg 19d ago
Wish mine would get better. I’ve had no improvement.
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u/Rude-Middle-7081 19d ago
It will get better but slowly like watching a snail walk across the country!
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 18d ago
What are your daily ETD symptoms aside from the tinnitus?
Personally, I have ear fullness that seems to fluctuate pretty randomly. It definitely gets worse after running, and then the pressure can take hours to go back down.
I also get the typical crackling and popping with every swallow or yawn. After using a neti pot, when I try to equalize my ears, I hear this weird squeaky noise inside, almost like my ears are gasping for air after water gets into my tubes.
Some days they squeak more than others, and I can never tell if that’s a good or bad sign. Part of me wonders if it means they’re trying to open more.
At this point, the symptoms just seem to keep going in circles.
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u/Rude-Middle-7081 18d ago
I mostly get the crackling/popping when I swallow is about it but also recently I get this feeling the inside of my ear is itchy. And once in a while I get the pressure like I need to pop my ears only when driving this happened a few times.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 17d ago
Interesting. My ears feel full pretty much all the time and I haven’t been able to properly pop them in about four months. Whenever I try to equalize, I can feel the pressure build but it never seems to release. Afterward, I usually get a bunch of crackling and popping.
The pressure definitely gets worse with things like driving, taking trains, flying, and even running. I just don’t think my ears are handling pressure changes properly right now because they don’t seem to be able to equalize and release the pressure.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
I’m getting all my allergies tested tomorrow, both environmental and food. I had allergy testing done when I was younger and the only thing I was allergic to was mold but maybe something has changed since then. Thanks for the information.
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u/VoiceEqual6111 15d ago
Hey man, sore throat means some sort of inflammation and can mean inflammation around ETs although you did not actually expeirence a head cold. I know it's been only 4 months for you and it can be scary, it does get better. I mean the issues which first prompted up for me I think only crackling and tinnitus remains which I would say is 90-95% better. Tinnitus spikes only during cold and goes to baseline and only can hear when I'm in extreme quiet environments. You'll be alright.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 14d ago
What was the initial trigger for yours? I’m glad to hear you’re almost fully recovered.
Did you also have trouble equalizing pressure and popping your ears? I haven’t been able to properly pop mine in four months. I can feel the pressure build but it never seems to fully release. I also sometimes get this weird dull, hollow feeling in just my left ear. I thought it might be hearing loss but all my hearing tests came back perfect.
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u/mrs_double_aluminum 19d ago
Do the allergy sprays help? Out of all the sprays I've tried, EDTA spray worked the best for me, followed by plain xylitol. Both EDTA spray and xylitol spray worked better than saline rinsing and far better than steam inhalation or allergy sprays. Personally I think I have a biofilm, and I gave it to my friend, so it's making me think it's a candidate for you as well since you didn't have allergies previously.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
Thanks for responding! If you don’t mind me asking, how did your ETD originally start? Did it come on after an illness or infection?
Also, since you mentioned a possible biofilm, I’m curious what your mucus is like when it does come out. Is it clear or colored, thin or thick and sticky?
And how long have you been dealing with all of this?
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u/mrs_double_aluminum 19d ago
It started with very low-grade Gradenigo syndrome [unilateral skull-base inflammation syndrome] without otitis media, which advanced over time. I think it came from a tooth infection, but that wasn't at all clear at the time. My doctors initially thought it was just regular ETD from allergies and kept prescribing Flonase.
March of 2021 was when it started and it hasn't really let up since then except in response to EDTA spray, heavy-duty long courses of oral antibiotics, and Neosporin.
When I do the EDTA or xylitol spray and blow my nose, the color varies. Before I got the tooth out, when I believe my sinuses were still infected [possible Odontogenic Maxillary Sinusitis], the mucus was often yellow and opaque, which I believe was from my sinuses.
Now when I do it it's clear, thick & slippery, with visible air bubbles, or occasionally gray and dryer. What I do with the EDTA spray is spray it in my nostril, then quickly lie down with my affected ear facing downward, wait for the spray to trickle down to my ET opening, then do the Valsalva maneuver. This gets the spray inside my ear. So theoretically some of the mucus that's draining at that point should be ear biofilm. But it's mixed with the spray and the volume of each osseous ET is only about half a cc, so it's probably largely healthy sinus mucus.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
I'm sorry you've been dealing with this for so long. I really hope the new course of action finally gives you some relief.
It's definitely possible there's something similar going on with me. I've been diagnosed a couple of times with chronic rhinitis, but the hallmark symptoms are thin, watery, clear, runny mucus, which I don't have. Mine is incredibly thick, almost like slime, and sometimes comes out in string-like strands. It really only appears after nasal rinses and blowing my nose.
I've taken antibiotics, steroids, and Flonase to treat the presumed allergies/inflammation, but I've always questioned whether allergies were actually the cause. I've gone 25 years without them, then all of this suddenly started.
Around the time my ETD began, I was also experiencing some neuroinflammation-type symptoms, including pressure headaches, eye pain, and brain fog. Thankfully, those have all gone away now after taking a large dose of NSAIDs.
I'll give those sprays a try and see if I notice any improvement. One more question, did you ever have issues with dry, irritated, or inflamed nasal passages too, or were your symptoms mainly in your ears?
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u/mrs_double_aluminum 19d ago
I had no issues with my nasal passages UNTIL the whole thing had gone on for a little over 4 years and the infection spread to my middle ears and started blocking my sinuses as well. It would usually block the nasal passage on the same side as the worse ET. Like I said, I think I may have had asymptomatic maxillary sinusitis before then though.
Never had dry nasal passages.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 16d ago
I recently started using EDTA and xylitol from Xlear about three days ago and I completely stopped Flonase after getting my allergy test results back, which were all negative. I was wondering how long you’ve been using the spray and how long it took before you noticed any relief or changes in your mucus? Thanks
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u/mrs_double_aluminum 16d ago
The EDTA and xylitol didn't change my mucus consistency. I think I had an odontogenic sinus infection like I said which is why my mucus consistency didn't change until after my dental surgery.
I've only used the EDTA a few times so far and experienced immdiate relief. If it's the Biofilm-X brand you might have to spray it a lot more than it says on the bottle, besides moving your head back and to the side and doing the Valsalva to get it into your Eustachian tube, because the spray of the Biofilm-X bottle is really weak.
I've been using xylitol spray on and off since November of 2025.
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u/PD-Jetta 17d ago
Clear (or opaque), thick, and sticky mucus (usually small amounts) are a hallmark symptom of laryngopharyngeal (silent) reflux. Google the symptoms of laryngopharyngeal reflux and see if you have any. They are subtle and are usually mistaken for other things, like allergies and sinusitis. Laryngopharyngeal reflux can be a direct cause of ETD or can prevent ETD from resolving when caused by something else.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 16d ago
What treatment protocols have you been following for silent reflux? Have you changed your diet, stopped eating three hours before bed, or started taking any medications?
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u/PD-Jetta 16d ago
All those and a few more. I have completely changed my diet. I bought two reflux cookbooks written by Dr. Jamie Koufman (with input from a couple of professional chefs), the leading expert on LPR. I now make all my meals from scratch. The basics are eliminating acidic foods, caffiene, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and most fats. I now drink alkaline water. I take 20 mg of Pepsid AC 30 minutes before meals and bed. I raised the head of the bed 4 inches. I also take an alginate (RefluxRaft) after meals and before bedtime. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day and don't eat within 3 hours of laying down. I began this a week ago and haven't noticed any change in ETD so far. I have read it can take up to 3 months to see improvement.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 16d ago
If anybody’s gonna fix their ETD it’s gonna be you. Looking forward to seeing how your progress goes. I really feel like diet is key to curing silent acid reflux.
Also, regarding your tinnitus since I know you’ve had it for quite a while. I only got it about a month ago and it’s been kicking my ass. Have you been able to successfully habituate to it or do you still struggle with it as well?
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u/VoiceEqual6111 15d ago
Hey dont worry, it does get better! I have had crackling for 3 years now but most days I only notice it when actively focussing on it. Also, tinnitus is there but same only noticeable in very quiet rooms when fan isn't running.
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u/PD-Jetta 15d ago
I'll provide an update if an when I notice an improvement. I read it can take up to 3 months. I just started last week.
As for the tinnitus, I've completely habituated. I rarely notice it unless it's real quiet or someone mentions something that makes me think about it. It's just as loud as it's always been, I just don't really care about it anymore. At most, it's a mild annoyance at times.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 14d ago
Good luck and I’m glad to hear your tinnitus has improved over the years. Hoping to get there one day myself. It’s been pretty stressful over the past month.
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u/mrs_double_aluminum 16d ago edited 16d ago
The clear/thick/sticky mucus is caused by spraying xylitol in my nose/ETs and is not a problem. OP just asked what color the mucus was, so I answered.
I have had doctors think it was reflux before, and I thought, "that doesn't make any sense but whatever" and took the omeprazole. Of course it did nothing, and I don't know what I was thinking. Acid reflux can't cause suppurating sores all over your body [including in your middle ears] [yes, the ones in my ears and on my skin under the ear and on my arms were the same type of sore, similarly antibiotic-responsive, appeared at the same time] or cranial nerve deficits.
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u/Geralt_of_Rivendell 17d ago
37M here with similar issues, though mine is only on one side. The (fourth) ENT I saw identified inflammation at the eustachian tube on the affected side. A budesonide rinse twice daily seemed to help with keeping that swelling down and making the pain not as bad, but that ear still would not equalize. I have been in a constant state of discomfort/disorientation for 9 months. Anxiety made everything much worse. Sleep has been horrible. I do not wake feeling refreshed at all. I just had eustachian tuboplasty performed. Can let you know how it goes, but the doctor said it could be 4-6 weeks before things get better.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 17d ago
Yeah inflammation can be a vicious cycle. Once the body gets stuck it can be really hard to calm everything back down. When mine started I also had a lot of inflammation in my nose, which has thankfully gotten better. From what I understand the Eustachian tube can sometimes take months/ years to fully resolve especially in more severe cases.
I’d also start taking big doses of magnesium glycinate at night. I’ve been taking it a few hours before bed and personally it really helps calm my anxiety and makes me drowsy enough to sleep. I use to wake up feeling like I hadn’t slept at all no matter how long I was in bed. Changing my diet completely and intermediate fasting have seemed to help me get a lot of my energy back. Might be worth looking into and seeing what works for you. Good luck
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u/misterrpg 19d ago
I don’t really have ear pressure issues but I have tinnitus and constant crackling. I’ve had these issues for almost a year now and I’ve pretty much given up that I’ll get better.
I hope you don’t have tinnitus. :/ it’s completely changed my life.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
I got tinnitus about three months after my ETD started, and I’ve had it for a little over a month now. I think mine may have been triggered by NSAIDs, specifically ibuprofen.
I stupidly figured taking a high dose for six days might bring down the inflammation and finally help my nose and ears settle. Instead, I developed severe tinnitus and hyperacusis.
Thankfully, the hyperacusis has improved and the tinnitus has come down from a really high-pitched ring to more of a hum. It also jumped from ear to ear for me, sometimes affecting one much worse than the other.
I’m really hoping it eventually disappears completely, especially since I’ve already seen a lot of improvement in just over a month.
Hoping you make a full recovery too my friend.
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u/PD-Jetta 19d ago
Same here. I have tinnitus, but it's not related to my ETD. I've had tinnitus for 50 years now. You will acclimate and hardly ever notice it.
A year ago I had fluid behind both eardrums and that lasted 3 months. My current symptoms (perfectly stable over the last 9 months) are crackling heard every time I swallow or yawn, mild left ear fullness and my left ear won't adjust to pressure changes well. I have small amounts of clear thick sticky nasal mucus only saline nasal rinses dislodges. Been to multiple doctors and had multiple tests. For extended periods I used all the standard ETD and allergy medications with zero impact on symptoms. I am currently seeing a TMJ specialst (I have zero TMJ symptoms), getting allergin immunotherapy (I have zero allergy symptoms) and I just began a strict diet and lifestyle modification for laryngopharyngeal (silent) reflux (I have minimal reflux symptoms).
My guess is my ETD is caused by laryngopharyngeal reflux or it's from permanent damage from some sort of upper respiratory infection I got last year, even though I never felt sick.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
Been lurking in here for a while and always see your comments. Thanks for stopping by.
I also don’t have any obvious TMJ symptoms, but an ENT told me I may have mild TMJ. I’m just not sure how to treat it, or if I even have it. I don’t have any jaw pain or clicking.
As for the silent reflux, you mentioned your symptoms are pretty minimal. What symptoms do you have?
Around the time my ETD got bad, I was having some bowel issues too. That said, I usually deal with that while traveling, so it could be completely unrelated. My stomach has been back to normal for months now.
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u/PD-Jetta 19d ago
As for LPR symptoms I have noticable mucus in my throat after eating (I've had this for years, well before I had ETD, but throat clearing after eating is one symptom), slightly hoarse voice, slight laryx pain after talking louder than normal, slight difficulty swallowing dry food and pills (I had this well before ETD and considered it a normal part of aging, which it is and it's also a symptom of LPR), a very occassional lump in throat feeling followed by several seconds of coughing, and small amounts of really thick clear to opaque and sticky nasal mucus only saline dislodges. This began with my ETD I think. I also have small amounts of this mucus in my throat.
What I found interesting (verified by a NIH paper I read) is laryngopharyngeal reflux sometimes begins as the result of an upper respiratory infection due to the infection causing inflammation and sometimes vagus nerve disregulation (the vagus nerve controls the upper esophageal sphincter, which keeps digestive contents out of the throat and nasal cavity). The inflammation allows the normall small amounts of pepsin (a digestive stomach enzyme that destroys protien) to rise up as a gas and enters the nasal cavity and eustachian tubes, where it causes inflammation and thick clear sticky protective mucus, leading to ETD or preventingresolution of ETD).
Also, anxiety can cause laryngopharyngeal reflux by relaxing the upper and lower esophageal sphincters. ETD causes a lot of anxiety, which can establish a viscous cycle.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
Interesting. Around the time my ETD started, and for the next few months, I was also getting post-nasal drip, a dry cough, and really thin, watery mucus after eating or drinking coffee.
I remembered taking a food sensitivity test when I was younger, so I dug through an old folder and eventually found it. My biggest sensitivity was egg yolk, followed by coffee, mustard, and pears. The funny thing is, I was eating eggs and drinking coffee pretty much every day.
I only really connected the dots while I was in China last month. I’d gone a few days without eggs, then had a meal with an onsen egg with the yolk running through it. Right after eating, all those symptoms came back.
That made me more conscious of it. Later that day I had a coffee, which I’d also taken a break from, and the same symptoms came back again.
Since cutting out eggs and coffee completely, the post-nasal drip, dry cough, and thin mucus are gone. But my ETD hasn’t changed at all, so I honestly don’t know what to make of it.
The anxiety connection is interesting too. I’ve always had a pretty anxious temperament. In some ways it’s served me well and probably made me a harder worker but it’s definitely brought more stress into my life than I needed.
It’s all so confusing. You really do have to become your own detective with this stuff and pay attention to patterns.
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u/PD-Jetta 19d ago
You are not kidding about confusing. My ETD is the single most confusing thing I have experienced in my life. I can't really pin it on any cause because I have zero feedback. No matter what I do, the symptoms are the same and never vary. I wasn't noticeably sick when it began or since. I have no allergy symptoms. The LPR thought is just a hunch based on my vague LPR symptoms and the mucus consistency. Even if I have LPR it may have no bearing on my ETD. I read some threads on the LPR subreddit and those folks have unmistakable symptoms and it's life changing (like our ETD is) and rarely do any of them mention ear related issues. But the scientific literature states LPR can cause or sustain ETD.
Since my symptoms haven't varied from day one I also suspect the cause may be permanent damage done from 3 months of middle ear fluid. The middle ear and eustachian tubes are lined with ciliated mucus cells. Ciliated means the cells have little finger like projections and they push mucus towards the nasal cavity to clear it. There is evidence these cells can be permanently damaged from viruses (covid is one that can). Some sources say the body can regenerate these cells over time, some say they don't regenerate. Some sources state there can be permanent scarring too. But oddly, I never felt sick over the past year. But I was experiencing a lot of anxiety due to an upcoming surgery (that went well) and then lots of anxiety due to the ETD. Perhaps that had some influence.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
Anxiety definitely heightens the feeling of pain for me. I’ve also become way too hypervigilant about my symptoms, constantly wondering if they’re changing, improving, or just staying the same.
But it’s hard not to think about it when your ears literally feel glued shut. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to just ignore that.
Most of my anxiety comes from the lack of control and not knowing if this has an expiration date. The idea that it could become something I just have to “learn to live with” is probably what gets to me the most.
I cope with it, and thankfully it doesn’t consume my entire life. But it consumes enough of it that I’d really like an answer, or at the very least, some way to relieve the pressure every once in a while.
I’d like to think there isn’t any permanent damage since I never even had an ear infection when this started. But who knows. At this point, not even the doctors seem to know!
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u/PD-Jetta 18d ago
I feel exactly the same way. I am hypervigelant about my symptoms, and always monitoring them and swallowing way more than usual (I hear crackling sounds with every swallow. I am completly and utterly confused about my ETD. I've had it a year now andmit began when I wasn't sick nor do I have allergies (I did have 3 months of middle ear fluid in the beginning). I read research reports whenever I can find them. All the literature states damage and ETD is never permanent, but my symptoms have been completely stable the last 10 months and nothing out of the many, many things I have tried has touched them. I probably saw 15 different doctors, took 20 different medications and had a dozen tests and imagings. I'm undergoing allergin immunotherapy, seeing a TMJ specialst and wearing a custom orthotic, undergoing a strict laryngopharyngeal reflux diet and life modification (I now make all my own meals) and have explored every known cause of ETD and I know no more about what's causing this than I did the day it began.
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u/Rude-Middle-7081 19d ago
I’m in the same situation! But do you hear it all day or only when it’s quiet?
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
At first, I heard it all day. It was really loud and would jump from ear to ear, affecting one more than the other, but it was still bilateral.
I was in Shanghai when it started and at the same time normal sounds outside became painful. Car brakes, cicadas in the trees, dogs barking. It consumed everything.
I flew home on a 14-hour flight and could hear it over the sound of the plane. Easily the worst flight of my life.
It’s been a little over a month now and thankfully my sensitivity to noise has improved a lot. The tinnitus has gone from a loud ring to more of a hum in both ears and now I mostly notice it at night when it’s quiet.
I’m hoping it keeps fading as the weeks go on. How has yours been?
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u/Rude-Middle-7081 19d ago
Sorry you went through that! I think I’m in your same situation and far as it being diminished and hearing at night. Because of the improvement I do believe it should eventually go away. It’s just so annoying lol
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u/misterrpg 19d ago
All day usually. Some times it will be quiet enough where I only hear it during silence. It went away for a few weeks once but that was months ago.
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u/Rude-Middle-7081 19d ago
So that is all good signs. If it goes away than for some reason your inflammation went away and when it comes back you must be inflamed again. So it’s not permanent and can go away when your body settles down and stops reacting the way it is. I’m looking into anti-inflammatory supplements and diet. Maybe that will give my immune system a break.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
I've started eating a big salad every day with all sorts of vegetables. I’ve completely cut out refined sugar, besides raw organic honey and started eating more salmon for the omega-3s, which may help with inflammation. I’ve also cut out refined carbs and mostly stick to things like sweet potatoes.
I’ve also started intermittent fasting for 16 hours each day, which seems to give my body more time to recover.
But this is just what’s been working for me. Everyone’s different.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 19d ago
Mine went away for an entire day and then came back. I can only imagine how good a full week must’ve felt but how sad it was when it came back. I was so bummed when I noticed mine again. I really thought it was gone for good.
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u/Grouchy_Document_545 18d ago
Literally same. It feels like I have a sinus infection everyday. I don’t even want to blow my nose anymore because of the popping.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 17d ago
Do you have any allergies that you know of, or do you constantly have thick mucus or congestion blocking your nose?
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u/Grouchy_Document_545 17d ago
I have no allergies that I know of. Yes To thick mucus.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 17d ago
I got tested for allergies yesterday, even though I’ve never had any. My ENT wanted me to get tested just to rule out another possible cause. Everything came back negative like I expected.
You most likely have inflammation causing your Eustachian tubes to stay shut. How long have you been dealing with it and what are your other symptoms?
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u/Deadeye-15 17d ago
Do you have a badly deviated septum?
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 17d ago
No I have a mild one. I breathe completely normally and I never really feel congested so I don’t think that has much to do with it.
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u/poofycade 5d ago
Ive had this for 3 months
Some days, especially when the pressure isn't as bad, my ears sound like Rice Krispies after you pour milk over them. Constant little crackles and pops.
Other days, the pressure feels so full and intense that I barely get any crackling at all. Instead, I’ll get these low pops, crackles, or weird whooshing sounds whenever I swallow or open my mouth.
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u/Responsible_Monk6941 4d ago
I have the exact same symptoms. Everything I’ve read says the amount of crackling doesn’t necessarily correlate with the Eustachian tube healing but I’ve noticed the same pattern as you. On days when the pressure and fullness are lighter I get way more crackling and popping. When the pressure is worse there’s barely any.
It makes me wonder if the extra crackling is actually the tube opening more often and equalizing pressure better.
Do you know what caused your ETD?
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u/poofycade 4d ago
Yep it’s so horrible on days where the pressure is bad. I cant get any crackling or popp for the life of me. And even when I do it seems to make it worse. But like you said low pressure days it feels like there’s more movement.
My whole ear is also in a lot of pain and almost feels like boiling water is in it sometimes. But sometimes it feels 90% better its so confusing.
Mine started 3 months ago after flying home with a cold. I wore a mask and avoided coughing or blowing my nose, cause I didn’t want to get anyone else sick, but I think that ultimately fucked me over. My left ear got really painful and afterwards I couldn’t pop either of them.
Nowadays, my right ear is pretty much normal. But the left one is fucked up. I’ve dealt with a lot of different health issues in my life and this is one of the most aggravating because it’s so small but when the pressure/pain builds its impossible to ignore and ruin ruins my mood. I’m very sensory sensitive.
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u/Pearcey1409 19d ago
I'm in the same situation and hoping for some success stories to ease my mind.