So I have bad eustachian tubes. ETD I guess. From the last 2 years, my only (but horrible) symptoms where ear crackling, which started not very strong, on the left ear, and over time it has been much more pronounced. When I swallow, yawn, blowing my nose (I have constant mucus for years) etc, or at random times. It is a very strong crackling. As of these last months, it has also affected my right ear, and sometimes the crackling is pretty painful. I had no other symptoms until now. Long story short, a couple months ago I had such a sore throat that I could barely speak, and my crackling and Etd symptoms where almost completely gone. When my throat got better, my symptoms came back with a vengeance. A few weeks ago I had a cold, and my crackling and everything else was COMPLETELY gone for weeks (except a couple times where I had them for a couple minutes, one after a strong blowing of the nose). I could swallow, blow my nose, etc, as I have always done. But my cold went out, and the crackling is back, pretty strong. Also, for the first time, I notice at times that I have lost hearing in my right ear (I have tinnitus and reactive tinnitus and had it before in that ear if that matters), but if I tilt my head and turn my bad ear onto the floor, the muffling disappears.
Any advice/idea on what all of this is? How could my symptoms improve twice on a cold and sore throat, also?
Thanks.