Obviously, ear drops will not work because the eardrum prevents anything administered through the ear canal from getting to the eustachian tube which is located BEHIND the eardrum. Here's the long version, in case it helps anyone whose symptoms are similar. I went to him last week and he said that I should continue my nasal steroids for another 3 weeks and also use a nasal rinse once a day to help clear my sinus and he also gave me some Allerga-D for allergies.

Along with allergies, bad colds and several other types of upper respiratory infection, sinus infection and ear infection are among the main contributing factors towards developing Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Of note, fluid in the middle ears is treated the same way. I think that actually made this more difficult to diagnose. What is the Eustachian tube? Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Arthur Wu, MDArthur Wu, MD Board Certified Otolaryngologist and Fellowship-trained Rhinologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Fellow of the American Rhinologic Society www.beverlyhillssinus.com About the author: As the head of the Beverly Hills Sinus Institute, Dr. Wu has a passion for helping patients with nasal and sinus problems. The Eustachian tube is a narrow tube-like passageway that connects the thimble-sized space behind the eardrum (the middle ear) to the space behind the nose.Its purpose is to provide a way for air to move in or out of the middle ear so that the air pressure in the ear is always equal to the air pressure around us, even with changes in external air pressure. Obviously, ear drops will not work because the eardrum prevents anything administered through the ear canal from getting to the eustachian tube which is located BEHIND the eardrum.

The fact that your symptoms have improved a lot sounds to me like you and your doctor may be on the right track, and hopefully things will continue to get better.

Of note, fluid in the middle ears is treated the same way. Sinus infection and eustachian tube dysfunction are related in that sinus infection is one cause of ETD (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction). In addition, using neti pot and other similar saline rinses can cause dysfunction of the Eustachian tube, which goes from the back of the nose to the ear. What Is Eustachian Tube Dysfunction? Indeed, allergies or sinus problems are one of the more common causes of stuffy ears or "eustachian tube dysfunction."

At no time did I have any pain or fever or runny nose. Run a cloth under hot water and rest the wet cloth on the clogged ear. If this tube becomes plugged or infected, it can cause eustachian tube dysfunction. Assuming you thoroughly understand what eustachian tube dysfunction is, the question now becomes how does one use nasal sprays to correctly treat this disorder.