The Eustachian tube, running from the middle ear to the back of the nose, acts as a drainage tube and also regulates pressure in the middle ear. In Eustachian tube dysfunction, the tube is blocked or inflamed, causing symptoms such as impaired hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ear, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and sometimes dizziness.
Most commonly, Eustachian tube dysfunction is due to a nose, sinus, ear, or throat infection, or from an allergy, such as hay fever.
Children are particularly susceptible to problems of the Eustachian tubes because their tubes are shorter and narrower.
Often, mild Eustachian tube dysfunction clears up by itself in a few days. If symptoms persist or are severe, medication may be prescribed to relieve the inflammation and clear the blockage
