To be honest, I think most people (I know I do) are less aware of any kind of ailment if their mind is diverted elsewhere.
As I’ve posted many times in other discussions, Ear Candles are the WRONG circuit for ET issues. Not only that, but they’re illegal in Canada and I know people who’ve burnt their eardrums with them. One of the most
comprehensive ENT sites on the ‘web has a warning about them on EVERY page… (BTW – that link has videos of myringotomies and the like – not for the squeamish, but worth checking out if you want to know about that kind of thing).
I tried acupuncture a few years back for stress. It worked, but to be honest, I think it was the meditative aspect – not the treatment itself. Maybe I should try it again. What worries me is that I’ve become fervently cynical about alternative therapies since then, and if you don’t believe, it’s unlikely to work…
I now take a 30-minute cross-country run every week day – so far it hasn’t done a lot apart from temporary relief, which I suspect is due to general endorphin production from exercise.
I drink an average of 3 litres of water a day, more if it’s hot.
The chiropractor is a good suggestion. I definitely am guilty of poor posture and I suspect that years of abuse could have taken its toll.
One thing I will say is that I have found that the valsalva manoeuvre is lacking in 3 ways:
You risk ear drum damage if you blow too hard
It can push crud / infected tissue further into the ear
It doesn’t do anything to exercise the muscles around the ETs
Considering divers put more stress on their ETs than pilots, I’m inclined to think they’re a good source of advice for ET exercises and the like. Having said that, only an idiot takes everything they read on the Internet on face value – caveat emptor and all that. Do
thorough research before trying anything, preferably with the advice of a pro before attempting any scheme.
Interestingly, my MRI report says I have “marked mucosal thickening in the maxillary antra – and minor mucosal thickening in the anterior and posterior ethmoid cells”. The plan is to eliminate dairy and wheat (very difficult in the latter case) and use an inhaler for hot water / eucalyptus oil once or twice a day.
BTW – The link between acid reflux and ETD is conclusive. It’s uncommon, but there’s no doubt of the connection – worth investigating if you have any kind of heartburn / excess acid issues.