Patulous Eustachian Tube (a pregnancy condition)

Here's the scoop. I've been sick for the past 3 weeks with a sinus infection. The infection started off as a cold/flu and then went into my eyes and ears causing conjunctivitis and an ear infection. For the past 2 weeks, I've been struggling with excess drainage in my sinuses and fullness in my ears. The doctors thought I originally just had a bacteria infection that causes my inner ear to fill up with fluid. This has been tortuous!

I haven't been able to sleep, eat or enjoy my life at all. I haven't gained any weight from the pregnancy. There has been many tears, many prayers, depression and panic attacks from this condition. After about 5 family practice doctor visits, 3 different antibiotics, nasal rinses, nasal decongestants, warm cloths and heating pads, sinus massage, a steroid to reduce the inflammation; my doctor decided to send me to an ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist this morning.

I was expecting to have the ENT find excess fluid in my ears and possibly a severe bacteria infection. I was expecting to have a TMP. This is where they basically stick a needle, an intentional perforation, in your ear drum to create a passage way for the fluid to drain out. They also may put tubes in your ears to help continually drain the fluid. I was so desperate for relief, that I was ready for this painful and invasive procedure.

Then the shocking news came. To my surprise, the ENT found NO fluid in my ears and a perfect looking ear canal. I thought he must be joking because I had been told for days that there was a fluid build up in my inner ear canal(Eustachian tube). I have been taking a steroid the past couple days to reduce the inflammation in my ear canal, so there's a possibility that any fluid in my ears may have drained because of this medicine. The prior doctors may have been seeing some normal puss build up from the sinus infection, that is supposed to drain fairly quickly. But I still had the fullness/pressure in my ears.

After a few tests, the ENT diagnosed me with Patulous Eustachian Tube. "This a rare physical disorder where the Eustachian tube, which is normally closed, instead stays intermittently open. When this occurs, the patient experiences autophony, the hearing of self-generated sounds. These sounds, such as one's own breathing, voice, and heartbeat, vibrate directly onto the ear drum and can create a "bucket on the head" effect. It causes an unpleasant fullness feeling in the middle ear and alters the auditory perception." This condition gets worse with pregnancy." This sinus infection I've had has also made it worse. The ENT called it a rare condition intensified by pregnancy. What a shocker! I had never heard of this condition and especially that my pregnancy caused this.

With Tucker's pregnancy (my first son), I now remember feeling a heartbeat sensation in my ear. My OB told me it was probably just another weird pregnancy symptom. So I didn't really think much of it since it wasn't too bothersome. But this sweet new baby is really making suffer during this pregnancy :)

Anyway, the severity of this condition has gone down dramatically since I started the low dose of steroids (Which is safe for my stage in pregnancy). Thank God I know now what's wrong with me and I can make proactive choices and actions to manage this rare condition. I'm so happy I decided to see a specialist! Oh the joys of pregnancy!