East Hillsborough 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.

Dr. Mariah Pate of Tampa Bay Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers discussed how sinus infections can impact eustachian tubes in an interview with East Hillsborough News.

"Eustachian tube dysfunction is a condition that leads to ear fullness, pressure, popping and crackling, difficulty when equalizing on airplanes or going over into a high altitude," Pate said. "This condition is very common and really goes hand in hand with sinus and allergies. I'm sure you have friends or family members who can never clear their ears. Some of the dysfunction is very common, and it does affect many people. It leads to having decreased hearing, pressure, fullness and popping throughout the day. This condition can be difficult to treat. It can be caused by many different problems, but many times it is due to sinus and allergies and is very closely related to those problems."

Healthline reports that eustachian tubes are small tubes that run between your middle ears and the upper throat. They're in charge of equalizing ear pressure and draining fluid from the middle ear, which lies behind the eardrum. The tubes tend to be closed, unless you're chewing, swallowing or yawning.

Sinus infections are a significant cause of blockages in the eustachian tubes, which can lead to temporary hearing loss that feels similar to being underwater or wearing earplugs. Blocked tubes can also cause pain and a sense of fullness in the ears. The condition is known as eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), and it's a fairly common phenomenon.

Depending on its severity and the cause, it may resolve itself on its own or through simple, at-home treatments including chewing gum, yawning or the use of a saline nasal spray. However, severe or recurring cases may need the assessment of a medical professional.

One possible ETD treatment is balloon dilation, which is minimally invasive and relatively new. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a study of 126 children who had the procedure to treat their ETD found that 80% of patients saw their symptoms improve, and no complications were reported.

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