The Medical Consumer's Advocate
My ear constantly feels wet inside: more info
on Eustachian tube dysfunction and ear pain.
Q: 
I have recently been told that the pain
I have been experiencing in my right ear is due to the
fact that my Eustachian tube is not equalising pressure.
After being advised by my doctor to learn what I can
about this problem and what I can do to help it, I read
your article on a site for The Medical Consumer's
Advocate.
Unfortunately, it only
re-emphasized what I already know. But I do have a
question that I was not able to get answered. I have all
the symptoms described in your article, but I have one
more recurring symptom that my doctor does not
understand.
My ear constantly feels wet
inside. After I wash my hair, if any water gets in my
ear, it stays there for days. I find that when I yawn or
move my head in certain ways, I hear it in my ear, which
can be rather disturbing. According to my doctor, who is
super in that she explains everything, has said that when
she examined my ear she did not see any signs that fluid
was passing from inner ear to outer ear. As I live in a
hot climate, is it possible that my ears sweat? or do you
know of any reason ears may be constantly damp despite not
being near water?
Thank you very much for your
time and help.
A: First of all, are you sure it's Eustachian
tube dysfunction? The only symptom you mentioned, ear pain, could be due to
many different
things and ETD is only one of many possibilities.
The
patient's history and physical examination of the ear can
strongly suggest ETD. "Physical examination of the
ear" ideally means examination under an operating
microscope, using a special rubber bulb to puff air against
the ear drum. Examination using a hand-held scope is almost
as good. Finally, a tympanogram is a special test which gives
great information about middle ear pressure. If your doctor
did most or all of these things, her diagnosis of ETD is most
likely accurate.
Regarding water getting trapped in your ear canal: is
this really water from the outside world? Do you ever notice
this problem other than after a shower? If you are indeed trapping water,
you could have one of a handful of possible problems: ear wax, shed skin,
bony growths (exostoses -- common in surfers, divers, and other cold water
swimmers), or narrow ear canals.
Your ENT should be able to figure this out just by taking a
look with an otoscope.
Here another good possibility: some folks
have a condition known as swimmer's ear. When
they get water in their ears, they develop a painful swelling
of the skin of the ear canal. Often, the canal skin
"weeps" fluid due to the inflammation. This very painful condition
is also known as otitis
externa. The hallmarks are pain, drainage from the ear, and
decreased hearing. It can be readily diagnosed by a simple exam; it is
treated by meticulous cleaning of the ear canal, appropriate antibiotic ear
drops, pain medicine (if necessary), and oral antibiotics in severe cases.
Chronic otitis externa lasts much longer than acute otitis externa. It
is not as painful as acute otitis externa; itching is often the main
symptom, as well as a 'plugged ear' sensation. Lastly, ear canal eczema is a
condition in which the opening of the ear canal becomes inflamed and weepy.
In canal eczema, the deeper portion of the ear canal is typically normal.
Both of these problems are treatable, although they may recur.
Please discuss these possibilities with your ENT and see
what she thinks. Let me know how things turn out.