Pressure in my right ear
in Health ·
Back at the start of 2009, out of nowhere, I started dealing with this really strange sensation—it was almost like my body decided to throw a curveball at me without any warning. Every few days, I’d get this intense pressure building up in my right ear, usually lasting about ten minutes or so. What was actually quite unsettling wasn't just the pressure itself, but the fact that it would often trigger a bout of vertigo; while I was walking around, I’d suddenly feel like I was standing on a boat tossed about in choppy water. It was a very disorienting feeling, to say the least! The odd thing was, there wasn't any actual pain involved—just that weird, tilting sensation and the pressure. This went on for several months before I finally decided to go see an ENT specialist to figure out what on earth was happening. After a thorough look-over, they prescribed me a regimen consisting of Flonase spray, Lostop, and Chymoral, and also suggested I try the Valsalva maneuver to help clear things out. Honestly, once I started following that treatment plan, the whole issue vanished completely. It was such a relief to finally have my steady footing back!
Back in October of last year—so, 2011—I woke up one morning feeling this strange, nagging pressure building up in my right ear. At first, I didn't think much of it; I just assumed it was some lingering congestion from a common cold and went about my day. But after about ten days of that constant discomfort, I realized the situation wasn't going to just resolve itself—it felt like the joke was on me! I decided to head over to my primary care physician, who suggested I try a course of Esbesul tablets along with some Neosporin ear drops. I followed the treatment plan to the letter, but after a full week, I still hadn't felt even a hint of improvement. That’s when I knew it was time to stop playing around and go see an ENT specialist.
So, I just got my latest test results back, and here is the breakdown of what the doctor noted: Otoscopy shows that my ear canals are clear and the eardrums look intact—though, interestingly enough, the right side seems retracted and isn't responding to the Valsalva maneuver at all. As for the nasal passages, they’re clear with no significant congestion or discharge, but the diagnosis points toward some middle ear congestion (specifically *Catharus tubotympanicus*) on the right side. To get ahead of this, my treatment plan this time around includes an Operil spray, Flonidan tablets, and Chymoral. Fingers crossed this does the trick!
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster—after finishing my initial round of treatment, I felt like I was finally back to normal, only for everything to come crashing back just a few days later. It’s incredibly frustrating when you think you've turned a corner! I just got my latest exam results back, and they're confirming why I'm feeling so poorly again. The report mentions that my mucous membranes are slightly edematous—basically swollen—and there's some spiderweb-like secretion present. It definitely explains that heavy, congested feeling I've been dealing with. To get ahead of this flare-up, my doctor has pivoted my treatment plan. I'll be starting a new regimen consisting of Chymoral and a Flonase nasal spray. Hopefully, this combination does the trick and keeps the symptoms at bay for good this time!
It was actually quite encouraging to see some real progress while I was sticking strictly to the prescribed regimen—you know, finishing every single day of both the tablets and the nasal spray exactly as directed. For a moment there, I truly felt like I was turning a corner! However, as soon as I wrapped up the full course of treatment, those pesky symptoms decided to make a comeback, which was a bit of a letdown, to be honest. I headed back to my ENT specialist to discuss this setback, and I made sure to mention that my hearing feels noticeably muffled lately—likely due to that persistent pressure buildup. After our consultation, the doctor decided that the best way forward is to extend my use of Flonase for a bit longer. On top of that, I’ve been given a referral for an audiovestibular test just to get a clearer picture of what's happening with my hearing and balance. Fingers crossed this next step provides some much-needed clarity!
So, I finally got my results back from the audiologist, and honestly? It was such a relief! They told me my hearing tests were actually excellent—which, given how much I’ve been struggling lately, felt like a huge win. I went back to see my ENT specialist to discuss the next steps, and he basically recommended that I stick with the Flonase spray for now. He was quite candid, too—he admitted he’s running a bit low on new ideas regarding a specific treatment plan. His take is that the root of the issue isn't actually my ears themselves, but rather something going on in my nose—likely an issue with the Eustachian tubes preventing proper pressure equalization. It's one of those things where everything seems fine on paper, yet the physical sensation just won't quit!
I decided to stick with the Flonase spray until I completely ran out of the bottle—I figured it was best to see the course through. Once I finally finished up with the spray, I headed over to my dentist to get a quick fix on a tooth that had been acting up. It wasn't actually causing me any pain, but it needed some work regardless. It was my lower right wisdom tooth—the same side as the ear that’s been bothering me. Interestingly enough, just two days after that dental appointment, that annoying pressure in my ear vanished completely!
To be perfectly honest, I’m still scratching my head a little over what actually did the trick—was it the Flonase spray, that dental work I had done, or did my blood pressure just decide to settle down on its own? It's hard to say! From that very first appointment through the entire treatment process until all the symptoms finally vanished, it took about a month and a half of careful management.
I’ve also noticed something interesting during those periods when my ears feel pressurized—if I quickly rotate my head from side to side along a horizontal axis (you know, where you tilt your left ear toward your left shoulder, then swing over to bring the right ear toward the right shoulder, repeating that motion a few times), I get this distinct sensation of intense pressure deep inside. It isn't just in the ear canal itself, but rather "deeper in"—almost like there is a physical object, maybe something small like a marble, pressing against something else from the inner side of the ear. The moment I stop rotating my head, that localized pressure immediately subsides.
During that stretch from December until about ten days ago—when I wasn't actually dealing with any ear pressure at all—I would still get this sensation of tightness whenever I turned my head a certain way. It was definitely there, but it felt significantly milder than what I’m experiencing now.
However, about a week ago, everything started creeping back up on me—though this time, it wasn't an overnight hit, but more of a slow build. For those first two days, the pressure felt relatively mild, but then it gradually ramped up. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster, honestly; there were stretches where it would vanish entirely—usually in the evening—only to come roaring back with full intensity the moment I rolled out of bed in the morning. Through all three phases, I haven't dealt with any actual ear pain, which I suppose is a plus, but that constant, nagging pressure is incredibly irritating. It makes it nearly impossible to stay focused on work or just get through my daily to-do list without feeling completely distracted.
It looks like I’ll be heading back to the ENT specialist soon—though, this time around, I’m definitely going to push for a second opinion from a different doctor. I’ve spent quite a bit of time scouring the internet lately, digging through various health forums to see if anyone else has dealt with these specific ear issues, but honestly? I haven't come across anything that matches what I'm experiencing. It's a bit frustrating, really—I was hoping to find some shared experiences to make sense of it all, but so far, it's just radio silence on my particular set of symptoms.
I would absolutely love to hear any thoughts, advice, or even just a quick recommendation from everyone here at 😁
Back in October of last year—so, 2011—I woke up one morning feeling this strange, nagging pressure building up in my right ear. At first, I didn't think much of it; I just assumed it was some lingering congestion from a common cold and went about my day. But after about ten days of that constant discomfort, I realized the situation wasn't going to just resolve itself—it felt like the joke was on me! I decided to head over to my primary care physician, who suggested I try a course of Esbesul tablets along with some Neosporin ear drops. I followed the treatment plan to the letter, but after a full week, I still hadn't felt even a hint of improvement. That’s when I knew it was time to stop playing around and go see an ENT specialist.
So, I just got my latest test results back, and here is the breakdown of what the doctor noted: Otoscopy shows that my ear canals are clear and the eardrums look intact—though, interestingly enough, the right side seems retracted and isn't responding to the Valsalva maneuver at all. As for the nasal passages, they’re clear with no significant congestion or discharge, but the diagnosis points toward some middle ear congestion (specifically *Catharus tubotympanicus*) on the right side. To get ahead of this, my treatment plan this time around includes an Operil spray, Flonidan tablets, and Chymoral. Fingers crossed this does the trick!
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster—after finishing my initial round of treatment, I felt like I was finally back to normal, only for everything to come crashing back just a few days later. It’s incredibly frustrating when you think you've turned a corner! I just got my latest exam results back, and they're confirming why I'm feeling so poorly again. The report mentions that my mucous membranes are slightly edematous—basically swollen—and there's some spiderweb-like secretion present. It definitely explains that heavy, congested feeling I've been dealing with. To get ahead of this flare-up, my doctor has pivoted my treatment plan. I'll be starting a new regimen consisting of Chymoral and a Flonase nasal spray. Hopefully, this combination does the trick and keeps the symptoms at bay for good this time!
It was actually quite encouraging to see some real progress while I was sticking strictly to the prescribed regimen—you know, finishing every single day of both the tablets and the nasal spray exactly as directed. For a moment there, I truly felt like I was turning a corner! However, as soon as I wrapped up the full course of treatment, those pesky symptoms decided to make a comeback, which was a bit of a letdown, to be honest. I headed back to my ENT specialist to discuss this setback, and I made sure to mention that my hearing feels noticeably muffled lately—likely due to that persistent pressure buildup. After our consultation, the doctor decided that the best way forward is to extend my use of Flonase for a bit longer. On top of that, I’ve been given a referral for an audiovestibular test just to get a clearer picture of what's happening with my hearing and balance. Fingers crossed this next step provides some much-needed clarity!
So, I finally got my results back from the audiologist, and honestly? It was such a relief! They told me my hearing tests were actually excellent—which, given how much I’ve been struggling lately, felt like a huge win. I went back to see my ENT specialist to discuss the next steps, and he basically recommended that I stick with the Flonase spray for now. He was quite candid, too—he admitted he’s running a bit low on new ideas regarding a specific treatment plan. His take is that the root of the issue isn't actually my ears themselves, but rather something going on in my nose—likely an issue with the Eustachian tubes preventing proper pressure equalization. It's one of those things where everything seems fine on paper, yet the physical sensation just won't quit!
I decided to stick with the Flonase spray until I completely ran out of the bottle—I figured it was best to see the course through. Once I finally finished up with the spray, I headed over to my dentist to get a quick fix on a tooth that had been acting up. It wasn't actually causing me any pain, but it needed some work regardless. It was my lower right wisdom tooth—the same side as the ear that’s been bothering me. Interestingly enough, just two days after that dental appointment, that annoying pressure in my ear vanished completely!
To be perfectly honest, I’m still scratching my head a little over what actually did the trick—was it the Flonase spray, that dental work I had done, or did my blood pressure just decide to settle down on its own? It's hard to say! From that very first appointment through the entire treatment process until all the symptoms finally vanished, it took about a month and a half of careful management.
I’ve also noticed something interesting during those periods when my ears feel pressurized—if I quickly rotate my head from side to side along a horizontal axis (you know, where you tilt your left ear toward your left shoulder, then swing over to bring the right ear toward the right shoulder, repeating that motion a few times), I get this distinct sensation of intense pressure deep inside. It isn't just in the ear canal itself, but rather "deeper in"—almost like there is a physical object, maybe something small like a marble, pressing against something else from the inner side of the ear. The moment I stop rotating my head, that localized pressure immediately subsides.
During that stretch from December until about ten days ago—when I wasn't actually dealing with any ear pressure at all—I would still get this sensation of tightness whenever I turned my head a certain way. It was definitely there, but it felt significantly milder than what I’m experiencing now.
However, about a week ago, everything started creeping back up on me—though this time, it wasn't an overnight hit, but more of a slow build. For those first two days, the pressure felt relatively mild, but then it gradually ramped up. It’s been a bit of a roller coaster, honestly; there were stretches where it would vanish entirely—usually in the evening—only to come roaring back with full intensity the moment I rolled out of bed in the morning. Through all three phases, I haven't dealt with any actual ear pain, which I suppose is a plus, but that constant, nagging pressure is incredibly irritating. It makes it nearly impossible to stay focused on work or just get through my daily to-do list without feeling completely distracted.
It looks like I’ll be heading back to the ENT specialist soon—though, this time around, I’m definitely going to push for a second opinion from a different doctor. I’ve spent quite a bit of time scouring the internet lately, digging through various health forums to see if anyone else has dealt with these specific ear issues, but honestly? I haven't come across anything that matches what I'm experiencing. It's a bit frustrating, really—I was hoping to find some shared experiences to make sense of it all, but so far, it's just radio silence on my particular set of symptoms.
I would absolutely love to hear any thoughts, advice, or even just a quick recommendation from everyone here at 😁