Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

Hi all,

I have been suffering with neck, TMJ and tooth pain for many years. Been trying to fix it with mind body but haven't have any success. (all pain is right sided).

BUT... in february 2023 I got a sinus and ear infection (both ears). But still suffering with problems with my right ear. Something that is called ETD. I dont find any success stories about it or that it TMS.

The infection is gone but I have massive pain, clicking and popping into my eardrum it feels like my eardrum is gonna burst. Fullness, clogged ear, pain behind ear.

I have been to so many doctors, but they can't see the whole tube in my ear so I wondering if this is no cure like doctors says or if its TMS?

 

@miffybunny What do you think?

 

Hi. I had this for about 3 months. Felt like I was talking underwater. Doctors put me on an antibiotic, which did nothing. It is TMS. It may have started with your sinus issue, but you may be unconsciously over-popping your ears and also tensing that area near the top of your throat which keeps your Eustachian tube reacting.
This is what worked for me. I stopped "checking" it by unconsciously popping my ears. I also would tell myself: "I am 100% willing to believe this is psychological." (it is)
The other thing that helped me with tension in my head, neck, shoulders is the 10 minute stretching routine, free on YouTube. Look under "Yoga with Adriene" Her head, neck, shoulders video. She is a wonder.

Do your best to stop thinking about it and that area will begin to relax and whatever little bit of fluid that tension is pushing up there will drain down and leave.

best wishes,
Marcia

 

Hi @deny ,

It sounds like you have been checked thoroughly by the MDs and given your history, TMS makes the most sense here. @MWsunin12 gave you some great insights as to how the brain can generate tension, spasming, possible inflammation even in these smaller areas....visual, auditory, vertigo, facial pain, migraines, sinuses, teeth etc. are particularly distressing because they are "in our head" literally! They are also in that neurological category which generates a higher level of fear and distraction imo. Have you emailed or consulted with any of the mind body MDs? A confirmation from one of them could go a long way in removing lingering doubt. The long standing nature of your symptoms would indicate that doubt is dominating your mind at the moment.

 

Thank you for your reply Marcia.

The thing is that I dont pop it by myself. It pops just by walking, talking etc.

Hello Marcia! Thank you for writing.

This is what I have difficulty understanding. What I have been told by the doctors is that if it doesn't go away in 3 months, this will become chronic. I don't feel like I'm underwater anymore and I have no fluid left at all. The doctors see no fluid.

I also have a hard time understanding how my left ear can be healed but not my right ear? It pops and clicks in the ear without me doing anything I dont do any valsalva. Reading on facebook groups that people have the same problem and are suffering from this from years make my scared. The pain, clicking and popping is horrid. It feels like something is in my ear constant!

How can I know if its TMS for sure? I can’t go in a elevator without my ear totally shout down. I have heard from doctor that the tubes is collapsed or damage from the infection?

Thank you!

 

Deny,

My experience with doctors is that they will give you "some answer" if they don't have the answer. At least the Western medical system is set up for doctors to give an answer.

Can I suggest that, despite what your doctor said, you probably don't have permanent damage to your Eustachian tube? Think about how many people have had sinus infections, how many deep sea divers have accidentally burst their eardrums, astronauts leave the atmosphere, people have throat or jaw cancer and radiation pointed at their Eustachian tubes....and still, no permanent damage. I think your doctor has seen a whole lot of people with TMS who are unconsciously tensing or allowing their brains to produce the symptoms you have. In fact, your ear would only pop open if air is being transferred through your Eustachian tube.
TMJ is tension related. Tooth pain, without decay, is from tension blocking blood flow and relaxation of the nerve system in the jaws. I've had them both, too. I've had them go away by applying TMS principles. You have to break the habit of trying to prove that your symptoms are real.

Right now, in my life, I've got TMS in the form of tinnitus. If I googled this symptom, as I've done in the past, I would increase my stress and tension about it because of the bad news of permanent damage that is preached online. Instead, I'm going to follow what Dr. Sarno, Steve Ozanich, Alan Gordon, and the trusted TMS experts will say to do. Figure out the emotional reason WHY I have created tinnitus. It might be simple, it might be something else. But, as soon as I stop obsessing about it and tell myself that it's psychological and that I don't need for my body to create a distraction to face my emotional truths, then....it will go. How do I know? Because I've had it and lost it before. My brain will stop trying to create a symptom, when I stop constantly checking to see if I still have it.

You can do this. Start loving yourself enough to not accept your doctor's prognosis. He/she doesn't live in your body. You do.

Everything you've listed can be gone. Fan the flame of belief. Reread Sarno's words.

 

Hi Marcia,

Yes that sounds realistic, but when you read and hear doctors says its no cure you believe that. I also have constant pain since 2015 with no stop. Its constant. I also have nerve and TMJ pain on the same side as the infection was and I wondering so much is it got dysfunction after that. Nothing I do make this side relax. Im so scared Marcia that this ETD is for life. Its the only thing everyone says it the groups. I suffering so much! What can I do? <3

 

Hi Deny, been with Eustachian tube dysfunction for a yesr and what I can say is you’re not alone. I just decided that my symptoms are TMS and we can walk this path together, but choose to believe, I hope everything gers better

 

Hi! Im sorry to hear that.

can you contact me privately? I want to speak with you. My namn is Denice Thunberg on Facebook or instagram. Please contact me if you see this!

 

i Marcia,

Yes that sounds realistic, but when you read and hear doctors says its no cure you believe that. I also have constant pain since 2015 with no stop. Its constant. I also have nerve and TMJ pain on the same side as the infection was and I wondering so much is it got dysfunction after that. Nothing I do make this side relax. Im so scaredMarcia that this ETD is for life. Its the only thing everyone says it the groups. I suffering so much! What can I do? <

 

Deny,

The groups start a wildfire of bad news. You must keep in mind that you rarely hear success stories in those types of groups. I know that the fear and anxiety is the worst, but it sends a message to your brain that there is something really dangerous to be afraid of. Try this for the next three days: put your hand on your heart area and look at yourself in the mirror and say: "I really am safe." "I will be kind to myself about this." "I will release my mind from swirling thoughts about what to do, knowing that this is not life threatening." "I will let my brain know that it's not in danger by telling myself that I am safe." "I am safe." Also, Dan Buglio with "Pain Free You" posts a YouTube hopeful message every day. Look through his videos and watch the ones you feel speak to how you are feeling. Okay?

 

Hi Marcia,

Yes, I know. You're right on that part. I try to listen to Dan every day because I he make me feel calmer.

The reason Im so scared its ofc for my suffering, but I speaked with a TMS therapist that say that ETD is not TMS and now I feeling soo so low so I actually can't function.

 

Hi Jan,

Thank you for this! I know you're right.

The reason Im so scared its ofc for my suffering, but I speaked with a TMS therapist that say that ETD is not TMS and now I feeling soo so low so I actually can't function. I have never feeling this sad in my whole life.

 

Have you checked with an MD like Dr. Schubiner? A therapist isn't qualified to make that determination.

 

Yes, he said is TMS. But every doctor and every people I speak with say they have for so many years.

 

You have confirmation from the very top and the correct info. They don’t. So the question is what do you choose to believe? Behind curtain # 1 is : this is all anxiety and reversible, behind curtain # 2 is: you are stuck with this so have fun coping . The choice is yours. Do you want to get back to your life or remain a victim to a label? Stop giving credence to practitioners who are clueless and in the dark. Stop swapping stories with people who have had it for many years who just ply you with more doubt and fear. If you sincerely want to get better, stop comparing yourself and allowing their experience to determine your life. Stop going on messsage boards and toxic fb groups. Stop googling. Stop talking about symptoms. Stop buying into the fear based story in your head. Believe you are ok because you are.

 

Deny,

My ETD became TMS. After the natural healing time, my nervous system stayed on high alert and prolonged it for months. People on this forum have healed from horrendous medically diagnosed illnesses. Like what Miffy and Jan both say, please stop giving your power away. to doctors and people on forums who see you for 10 to 15 minutes and then give you some prognosis.

But, for TMS healing to be successful, you must decide that you have searched everywhere else and now you will give 115% to not wavering back and forth between medical diagnosis and letting yourself truly know that the mind can create very troublesome symptoms and that the mind will eventually release those symptoms if YOU can proceed with trust and less fear.

Many many people on this forum are here because they tremble with fear and feeling vulnerable. I was and sometimes still can be one of them. But, some of them heal because they know that they are unintentionally doing it to themselves. That's the bottom line. You have to be willing to understand that the choice is ultimately yours.

best wishes.