Question

Your patient presents with ETD. find an article that explains what ETD is, describe how you would treat this, describe what the tympanic membrane looks like, and educate your patient on this disorder. Include the APA reference to the article you locate in your submission.

Answer 1

ETD- Eustachian tube dysfunction

Eustachian tubes are small tubes run between middle ears and upper throat. Main function is to equalize ear pressure and drain fluid from middle ear. They usually closed except during chewing, swallowing and yawning.

In this ETD there will be a block in Eustachian tube. The block may be due functional cause or anotamical cause.

Causes:

Common cold

Sinusitis

Altitude changes like hiking, traveling through mountains, flying on a plane and riding an elevator

Risk factors:

Obesity cause fat deposition around the Eustachian tube

Smoking damage protective hair cells in middle ear which cause mucus accumulation

Allergies cause inflammation and Increased mucus secretion

Symptoms

Fullness in the ear

Feeling like ears are plugged

Changes in hearing

Tinnitus ringing sound in the ear

Diagnostic studies:

Otoscopy reveals tympanic membrane retraction

Tympanogram indicating negative middle ear pressure

Rinne's test, Weber's test or pure tone audiometry to assess hearing acuity changes

Nasopharyngoscopy to visualize Eustachian tube

Treatment:

In case of allergies give Antihistamines like cetrizine

In case of infection give Antibiotics

For pain give Analgesics like paracetamol or ibubrufen

Patient education

Advice to avoid altitude changes

Advice to avoid allergens

Advice to treat common cold and sinusitis in correct time

If the ETD is not caused by illness teach to try, chewing gum, swallowing, yawning, breathing out with nostrils with mouth closed

Advice to to use normal saline nasal spray to clear the passage