Eustachian tubes "sticking" open after hard workout (Read 7575 times)

After a very hard workout (HIIT on the elliptical or heavy weight lifting days) my eustachian tubes stay "stuck" open for up to a 1/2 hour or so. It's very aggravating, feeling the negative pressure everytime I breathe in and hearing my own voice echo loudly in my ears. I can't get them to close for anything, no matter how much yawning and jaw stretching I do. Anyone else experience this or have any idea what might be the cause or cure?

Ok, well, I thought there was a teeny tiny muscle that opened and closed the end of them in your throat at different times to equalize the pressure, like when you purposely yawn when going up and down hills in the car, or when flying. I feel something along those lines when I yawn or stretch my jaw down and out, whether it's something actually opening or not. The effect I'm describing is like having my jaw in this position all the time. I can hear my own voice from the inside of my ear, and I can feel the pull of negative pressure on my eardrums each time I inhale. Does that clear anything up?

Eustachian tubes are tiny mucosal tubes that connect the back of your nose to your ears. Here is a picture: They do not have any muscles around them that open or close them. They close when you get nasal congestion for whatever reason (cold temperature, viral infections, allergies, running, etc). When they swell shut, an air space between your Eustachian tube and your tympanic membrane (i.e., your ear drum) gets closed off. When this occurs, the air space can get a pressure buildup. This is the ear pressure or pain you feel on airplanes. The reason yawning cures your symptom is that it temporarily opens your Eustachian tube and allows the pressure to equalize. The symptom YOU are feeling is likely the same Eustachian tube swelling and dysfunction. Rather than pain, you have a sensation of transmitted biologic sounds, such as pulse and breathing. You may also have developed a fluid buildup in the closed space behind your tympanic membrane, which can accentuate the sounds even more. The failure is of your Eustachian tubes' opening (or rather, remaining open), not closing.

sigh. PET is a relatively uncommon disorder. MOST folks have tubes that open and close with swallowing and with normal barometric changes. Most folks with disordered tubes have a disorder where they do not open and air pressure or fluid builds up in the ear, between the ET and the TM. But google is your friend and eMedicine is a good resource. And SOMEBODY out there has to get the rare disease for it to exist.

Is that lifetime incidence? And what is the duration of illness? Let's say it is lifetime incidence and duration is a couple of weeks, perhaps a month. Average life span is some 70 years. That means an incidence of 5% translates to a prevalence of about 1 in 16 800. Not very common. You do, I assume, know the difference between incidence and prevalence.

I agree with my colleague, Trent. It's either that, or stick a rusty trombone in your ear(s). From anecdotal research, I've found that it can cure a number of ills.

) From anecdotal research, I've found that it can cure a number of ills.

Just so that there's no confusion, the original anecdotal research was conducted by Dr.Johnson Dilligaf in Farquad, Iowa in 1969. I assume Scout's research picks up where his left off.

There is no difference between incidence and prevalence when the issue is how many people have suffered, not how many people are suffering. How many people here right now are experiencing PET symptoms? I don't know. But from the information supplied we have an idea that somewhere between 3 in 1000 and 6+ in 100 have experienced it. So, again, it's not surprising that you might have run into a couple of them here. It'd be surprising if there weren't more.