What can cause Eustachian tube blockage?
The Eustachian tube can be blocked, or obstructed, for a variety of reasons to include: • The most common cause is a “cold” (upper respiratory infection). • Similarly, sinus infections and allergies may also cause swelling of the tissue lining the Eustachian tube. Simply put, a stuffy nose leads to stuffy ears. • Children are particularly prone to Eustachian tube blockage because their tubes are narrower in diameter, more horizontal in orientation, and closer at the nasal opening of the Eustachian tube to the adenoid. • The possibility of an enlarged adenoid obstructing the opening of the Eustachian tube is the reason that adenoid removal (adenoidectomy) is frequently recommended in children with chronic ear infections (chronic otitis media). • Rarely, masses or tumors in the skull base or nasopharynx can lead to Eustachian tube obstruction. Eustachian tube problems and the associated ear infections are among the most common problems seen by doctors. Many people have chronic problems r
