I had another diagnosis recently...(another ENT surgeon) the guy said that I had some large areas of swollen flesh around the entrance to my ETs on both sides. The right ear has always been worse and he said that the right hand side was the biggest. It seems that this swells up and blocks the end of the tube.
He said it was to do with long term allergies and sinus issues.....the fluid that drains out of my sinuses and down the back of my throat is quite sticky and doesn't drain very fast. As such, it gets infected with bacteria and when it eventually does drain out, the persistent mild infection causes the whole area to swell up.
I have been trying saline washes for ages but he recommended something I hadn't seen before....basically just a plastic bottle you can fill with solution and get up your hooter. It seems to get a greater volume of water up there and because it is under a bit of pressure, it might be more effective than just using one of these neti pots.
Neilmed sinus rinse kit.
Maybe getting the infection out will reduce the swelling?
He suggested operating to reduce the size of these swollen areas....I am planning to try aggressive saline washing first to see if that works!!
Last edited by Bad medicine; 17th Dec 2008 at 19:33.
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