Eustachian Tube Dilation
We now offer treatment for eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), which is the inability of the eustachian tube to adequately perform and failure of the valve of the eustachian tube to open and or close properly. The eustachian tube is the structure that links the nose and the middle ear. When functioning normally, it is a closed tube that opens when we swallow, yawn, or chew. The eustachian tube exists to protect the middle ear from disease, ventilate the middle ear, and help secretions away from the middle ear.
Symptoms of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction:• Fullness of the ear
• Pain in the ear
• Muffled hearing
Complications from Untreated ETD:
• Otitis media
• Damage to the middle ear and eardrum
• Perforation of the eardrum
• Collapse of the eardrum into the middle ear.
Treatment: The physician uses a small balloon through the patient’s nose and into the Eustachian tube. Once inflated, the balloon opens up a pathway for mucus and air to flow through the Eustachian tube and restore function. After the tube is dilated, the balloon is then removed.
