March 29, 2024

Eustachian tube dysfunction in adults: from symptoms to treatment – spirehealthcare.com

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Treatments for Eustachian tube dysfunction

Your ENT surgeon may recommend Eustachian tube balloon dilatation, an innovative treatment introduced over the last few years. It involves inserting a balloon catheter into your nose ie a thin, inflatable tube. The balloon catheter is guided to your Eustachian tube where it is inflated and held for several minutes. It is effective in up to 70% of patients and can be performed under local or general anaesthesia. It is a quick…….

Treatments for Eustachian tube dysfunction

Your ENT surgeon may recommend Eustachian tube balloon dilatation, an innovative treatment introduced over the last few years. It involves inserting a balloon catheter into your nose ie a thin, inflatable tube. The balloon catheter is guided to your Eustachian tube where it is inflated and held for several minutes. It is effective in up to 70% of patients and can be performed under local or general anaesthesia. It is a quick day case procedure, with minimal complications, and you can return to work the next day. 

If balloon dilatation isn’t successful, your doctor may then recommend grommet surgery. This is a more invasive procedure where a thin, hollow plastic tube is inserted into your middle ear through your eardrum. This completely bypasses your Eustachian tube. 

Unlike in children, where grommet surgery to treat glue ear comes with a very low risk of complications, in adults, grommet surgery is more likely to cause problems. Sometimes, the resulting complications are worse than the symptoms of Eustachian tube dysfunction, which is why grommet surgery is usually only recommended when all other treatments have failed. 

Complications of grommet surgery in adults can include autophony, where your own voice sounds different to you than it did before surgery, tinnitus, or in some cases, a perceived reduction in hearing. 

Source: https://www.spirehealthcare.com/health-hub/specialties/ear-nose-and-throat/eustachian-tube-dysfunction-in-adults-from-symptoms-to-treatment/

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