Crackling & Squishing in Middle Ear ...

[turnitaround]

@MNEK18

I have been struck down with a virus and Otitis media

Kirsty, this has bothered me ever since you posted it.

How did they diagnose your Otitis Media?

Do you see an ENT? Have they ever discussed a potential relationship between Otitis Media and your MAV? Just seems odd that you have both MAV and Otitis Media since both are pretty rare. Could they be part of the same condition?

Having mostly recovered from MAV, my main remaining physical symptom is an apparent semi-periodic “stickiness” of (I’m guessing) my Eustachian Tube. If I move my jaw enough it occasionally ‘unsticks’ with a snap or crackle and then I can get a squishiness for a little while as if there is a small amount of bubbly fluid inside. Can you relate to that? Do you get this and did you get it worse when you were diagnosed with Otitis Media? I’ve had doctors look at my ear drum and they’ve done a pressure test and never said I’ve had Otitis Media even though I definitely have something really weird happening on my left side of my face, something which sadly hasn’t improved much in the last few years (despite almost everything else bar tinnitus improving).

Very very very occasionally I get a similar symptom on the healthy side of my face, so I know it’s not completely unnatural. But the left side “sticking together” so often is not something I’ve experienced before in my life until MAV struck, so it’s definitely related.

I’ve also noticed a potential improvement to my tinnitus after ‘unsticking’ whatever is stuck inside the left side of my face.

(I may move this Post and related replies so we remain on Topic here).

[MNEK18]

Hey James

Hope you’re well?

I was diagnosed by the GP with Otitis Media as the ear drum appeared to have green fluid inside but this kept happening. Before this though I had Eustachian tube dysfunction twice in a matter of months and yes I did have the crackling with the otitis media but not entirely as my right ear always has a bit of a crackle.

So I do think there is an ear issue (although I’ve seen ENT before to no avail) I am going to see them again at a different hospital in March. The only issue is if Otitis media isn’t present at the time they will probably fob me off having had normal pressure in them in the past the did the same thing. I’m using a Saline nasal spray off the counter at boots to try and keep my tubes clear daily. I think this is helping as I’m not having as much crackle right now.

Migraines are off the scale though the ven is well and truly in my system and wreaking havoc!! Trying to hang in there

[turnitaround]

Thanks for your reply, so sorry you are having a rough one again

@MNEK18

I was diagnosed by the GP with Otitis Media as the ear drum appeared to have green fluid inside but this kept happening.

Eeek, poor you, not pleasant!

I had my ears looked at on more than one occasion and they could never see this fluid (nor could I when they had a camera) but I know it’s there and it dries up for sure, maybe it’s lower down than the drum for me?

@MNEK18

The only issue is if Otitis media isn’t present at the time they will probably fob me off having had normal pressure in them in the past the did the same thing.

Yeah, my pressure test was normal too. But I think it’s not normal and that’s what causes the tinnitus…

@MNEK18

I’m using a Saline nasal spray off the counter at boots to try and keep my tubes clear daily. I think this is helping as I’m not having as much crackle right now.

Thanks Kirsty. A musician friend of mine does that and swears by it.

[MNEK18]

James - I need to say this to you…

My migraine symptoms have started to get worse for just over a week now and as of two days ago my right (bad ear) has started aching, fullness and pressure. I wonder if either the otitis media has some back and that’s why I’m having such a crap time again…. Last time I was so bad then too. I’m going to have to have it investigated again. I’m trying to say this might not be the Venlafaxine alone…

Let’s hope it is the ear issue and it can be fixed

[turnitaround]

Sure it will Kirsty, hang in there, and get the help you deserve!

[turnitaround]

I’m going to see if sweating helps any of this by doing a bigger workout more regularly.

I recall my ear blocking up a bit when sweating but know that sweating can condition skin (and Eustachian Tubes?!!) very nicely (it’s an excellent cure for eczema I’ve found)

Perhaps the steam room or sauna are also helpful?

If anyone has experience of this I’m all ears!

[turnitaround]

Continuing the discussion from Migraine Symptom Tracker App:

@MissMigraine

as I was repeatedly misdiagnosed with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and wasn’t taken seriously by doctors

Funny you should say that, and I don’t wish to influence your own opinion in any way, but just to state that I wouldn’t be too hard on the doctors here.

I have now got to a point where I get zero (touch wood! ) neurological symptoms, let alone migraine symptoms.

However, I still have “sticky tube” syndrome (invented that myself ) whereby I seem to have something building up in my anatomy near my ear and it is only “freed” when I move my jaw and jaw muscles to an extreme. Then I get a cracking and a feeling of “freeing up”. Then sometimes (but not every time) I get a squishy sensation when I move my jaw for an hour or two.

I notice also that when my tinnitus is at its worst, this set of manoeuvres is most likely to cause a cracking.

It seems to be worst after a nights sleep when it is potentially at its most “stuck”.

Now it’s hard to say exactly what this is, but I bet this is mucus build up in the Eustachian tube.

I have other evidence this might be the case:

When I do a lot of exercise, I can get a blockage in my left ear which can clear soon after - it’s almost like there is fluid or “sweat” that can’t escape down the ET. It is a temporary feeling of “fullness” and clears soon after.

I would theorise this could cause the pressure in the Eustachian tube to be incorrectly managed and that could apply air pressure onto the windows of the inner ear and cause hear high frequency hearing loss (as a result of damping) and also irritate the vestibular senses (due to lack of correlation in the pressure to movement).

I could imagine acute changes due to drying or “sticking” might also cause the volume to shrink and cause vertigo?

Just some ideas.

Of course I have no idea why this is happening, but my physiology has never felt right there since the two months leading up to and at the beginning of MAV.

I will probably visit an ENT some day and raise this with them, but I fear they will just say “there’s nothing we can do” or “go visit your dentist” and offer nothing pro-active as a solution …

Maybe moving country to a more humid place would help?!

Would love to hear if anyone has a similar set of symptoms!