Montgomery News

• Eustachian tubes are small tubes that run between your middle ears and upper throat.
• Blocked eustachian tubes can cause pain, hearing difficulties and a feeling of fullness in the ears.
• One possible treatment for eustachian tube dysfunction is balloon dilation.

You may be able to tell when you have a sinus infection, but sinusitis can cause auditory issues as well, usually by creating a blockage in the eustachian tube that can lead to temporary hearing loss or ear discomfort.

Eustachian tubes run between your middle ears and upper throat. They are responsible for equalizing ear pressure and draining fluid from the middle ear, the part of the ear behind the eardrum. The eustachian tubes are usually closed, except for when you chew, swallow or yawn, according to Healthline. 

“The eustachian tube has a few functions: one is to help equalize the pressure in our middle ears. Another function is to help drain the middle ear if there's fluid or mucus secretions,” Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Montgomery News.

These small passageways can get plugged for a variety of reasons. Blocked eustachian tubes can cause pain, hearing difficulties and a feeling of fullness in the ears. The problem is sometimes referred to as "eustachian tube dysfunction" (ETD), and it is a fairly common condition. Depending on what causes it, it may resolve on its own or through simple at-home treatment measures, such as chewing gum, yawning or using a saline nasal spray. Severe or recurring cases might require a doctor's visit, according to Healthline.

“A properly functioning eustachian tube can help prevent that buildup and allow things to drain properly,” Khanna said. “And it also protects our ear, in a sense, from our nasal secretions, from all the things that we breathe in through our nose. When the eustachian tube is partially closed, it can help prevent bacteria-thick secretions from getting into the middle ear. It's got multiple functions."

One possible treatment for ETD is balloon dilation, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. This procedure is minimally invasive and relatively new. A study of 126 children who underwent balloon dilation to treat ETD found that there were no reported complications, and symptoms improved in 80% of patients. 

If you're interested in learning more about ETD and sinusitis symptoms, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.