Ear Fullness and ES

Hi all,

For years I have suffered from a feeling of fullness in my right ear. It just never goes away, no matter what medications the doctors recommend. When I was diagnosed with right-side Eagle, I figured it was related. Has anyone else experienced this as a symptom of ES?

Thanks,

eAmator

Yes I have.

Yep all the time almost 20 years

Thanks for the replies. It is not a symptom that appears on any ES symptom lists, and my doctors have all been pretty skeptical. Nice to know that I'm not just making it up! Do you find anything helps with it? Decongestants seem to be mildly effective for me... they take the edge off the fullness a bit.

Yes, I have this same symptom, and my ENT said it was probably related to two things. One is Eagle syndrome. He said nothing could be done. The other is Sjogren's syndrome (due to dryness of the ear canal). He said he didn't have any good treatments for this that I haven't already tried (I've had a variety of responses to treatment that required discontinuation). He also mentioned my history of Eustachian tube dysfunction, but he felt this wasn't the case at this time. So basically, I went in with a symptom, and left with the same symptom, and no treatment options. Seems we could at least treat the symptom if we can't treat the cause!

Hang in there!

Kathy W.

Yes absolutely I do, even after my partial removal still have fullness

Hi- I get the fullness feeling all the time, both ears, drives me mad! My consultant is dubious about symptoms I have, thinks it doesn't sound like ES, but then he hasn't got it has he?!

jules

I trust you've had your ear completely examined to rule out anything actually wrong with the ear; that would be primary.

Yes. An integral part of what is often the case with Eagle's Syndrome is the compression of the Glossopharangeal Nerve bundle. Part of that bundle is the auricular branch which enervates the ear canal (not necessarily the inner ear). As we can probably all attest, nerve involvement can be chronic and uncomfortable.

I would add, mine feels feels like a stabbing in my ear canal and is relieved by counter pressure (literally putting my finger in my ear and pushing.) I still have it 3-months post-styloidectomy but not nearly as often or as severe as it was My guess is the insulted nerve is just slow in healing but only time will tell.

Yes, back before my diagnosis I had every test imaginable on that ear. I recently developed occasional stabbing pain in the ear as well - one of the things that finally pushed me toward getting surgery. But, what I'm talking about is eustachian tube dysfunction - the pressure in the inner ear will not equalize, and it feels and sounds like it is full of fluid. I hope your pain goes away. Nerves are slow to heal.

Alaska Eagle said:

I trust you've had your ear completely examined to rule out anything actually wrong with the ear; that would be primary.

Yes. An integral part of what is often the case with Eagle's Syndrome is the compression of the Glossopharangeal Nerve bundle. Part of that bundle is the auricular branch which enervates the ear canal (not necessarily the inner ear). As we can probably all attest, nerve involvement can be chronic and uncomfortable.

Hi.

After 19 days of my surgery to remove both styloids I realize that the nerves of the face are the most time consuming to heal. I feel numbness to touch the cheeks and ears. I also feel a strange shock or sting in the angle of the right jaw when I start eating (after chewing a bit this feeling passes). I think the nerves of each person responds differently after this type of surgery. But people say these discomforts will improve with time .... God grant!

Brazilian - google "First Bite Syndrome"

Yes! Every day of my life!

I agree with everyone else that commented so far. I had my right side surgery May 23rd of this year and I have much much less pain but the nerve damage lingers on, even in, and around, my ear. With me the neck is worse. Sigh

Absolutely ! It has improved after surgery.

Alaska, I checked on google. Wow, so it exists! Surely I am with this "First Bite Syndrome". Thanks for the tip.

Yes-It felt like water in the ear or like I just got off a plane and I would keep trying to pop my ears. My ENT said the pressure differential was 15 in my good side and 119 on the bad. My Eustachian tube was blocked by swelling or the styloid itself and wouldn't allow the pressure across the eardrum to equalize. The fullness moved into shear pain at times. Its very minimal after surgery.

Yes, sometimes. Now I have tinnitus and hyperacusis but before that I had fullness.

Yes! I had it in both ears. It was the first symptom I could notice was gone post surgery that and for the first time it was easy to breath through my nose.

Hello eAmator,

As an ES patient AND an audiologist, I would like to put in my two cents. The purpose of the Eustachian tube is to equalize pressure in the middle ear space. Anything that causes the Eustachian tube to not open normally will eventually cause negative pressure in the middle ear space. This typically results in a collection of fluid which may or may not become infected. Regardless, negative pressure and/or fluid may result in a feeling of fullness. This can be checked with a simple test called tympanometry or immittance testing which shows the status of the middle ear. That being said, I have the same feeling that you describe without negative pressure or fluid. I also have extremely stiff eardrums. After monitoring myself for many years, I am still unsure as to whether it a result of stiffening of the middle ear system or irritation of the nerves that innervate the middle ear. I just chalk it up to another one of those unexplained things that so many of us have that doctors tell you CAN'T POSSIBLY be from ES. I think by now we all know better.

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