There’s a rare physical disorder called Patulous Eustachian tube, and I think I have it.

I sometimes hear my own breathing in right ear– very loudly– along with my voice, when I speak.

Here’s the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patulous_Eustachian_tube

It describes my symptoms exactly.

The symptoms are intermittent, but I’m experiencing them right now. When it occurs, I hear my own breathing and voice directly in my ear.

It feels and sounds drier than normal congestion. All breaths echo in my eardrum, and they don’t seem muffled much. And external noises, including the voices of other people, are not muffled. Furthermore, there is no clogged feeling– although there is a “fullness” feeling in the ear– and no sinus pressure. No pain, either. And it’s only in my right ear, not my left.

Perhaps my case may not be too severe, which is why I never thought to Google it until now. And I seem to function okay, despite having the problem. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen too often. Most of the time, though, it’s caused by exercise. It is probably one of the major reasons why I don’t exercise more, though. And it is probably one of the reasons why I hated PE and I don’t like playing most sports.

So don’t get me wrong: it is a major annoyance, and I would like to take action to get rid of it.

I thought it was more common. In fact, I thought most people experience it. But Wikipedia claims it’s “rare.” Wikipedia says it’s even “frequently misdiagnosed” due to the “rarity of the disorder.”

Supposedly, weight loss could be a cause of the disorder because “fatty tissues hold the tube closed most of the time in healthy individuals.” I used to be slightly overweight. Because I didn’t like being fat, and was often made fun of due to my slight obesity, I decided to eat less. Once I started eating less, I discovered I felt a lot better when I ate less. I overcompensated. Now I’m underweight. I eat when I’m hungry, but my limit seems to be pretty stiff. After a certain point, I simply can’t eat any more. I’d get sick and have indigestion if I eat too much. But, apparently, I have to somehow eat more in order to gain weight.

One way to relieve symptoms, according to Wikipedia, is to place my head between my knees. I’d never heard of that before. I tried it just now. And it worked. My ear felt clear and I didn’t hear my breathing or voice. But it was temporary. Once I straighten up, the symptoms shortly return. I wonder why this treatment method even works at all.

“Depending on the underlying cause of the disorder, the individual may need to remove caffeine from their diet, reduce exercise, or gain weight.” It does seem that exercise aggravates my condition. But I already don’t exercise much, so that’s not too much of an option. Gaining weight might be possible, but it might require significant effort. Eating fattening foods just doesn’t sound very appealing to me anymore. And I’d be concerned about the negative effects of cholesterol.

Do you have any hearing disorders?

Can you relate to my experience of having a “full” feeling in one ear, and hearing your own breathing and voice?