Question: Good evening, one week ago today I was due to have grommets fitted in both ears after years of pressure discomfort felt in both ears. Just to note that I have post nasal drip, allergic rhinitis and also reflux which is controlled with esomeprazole. I also have problems flying and suffer with excrutiating pain, so much so that our last family holiday was going to be the last time I would fly, however after being diagnosed with a ETD, trialing lots of different medications I was offered grommets as the solution. Being that children have great response to this I booked a holiday for August time. When undergoing the grommet insertion under local aneasthetic, the surgeon made the cut and inserted the first grommet (procedure not too painful). What I noticed as soon as he made the cut and inserted the grommet was that my hearing changed. Everything sounded to be echoing (apart from voices, mainly the hospital fan, doors and distant noises seemed very amplified) almost like being under water, or how I described to my husband - like one of those teenage boys pulling up next to you with his top of the range music system on full blast with his windows shut! The surgeon asked me how I was, so I told him, everyone in theatre pulled up a chair and could not offer me any reassurance as to why this was happening, consequently inserting the other grommet was postponed and I go back in approx a weeks time to see if it has settled. I would say after a week there is marginal improvement, I was wearing a cotton ball in the grommet ear to take away the echoing, now I seem to manage without, although it is troublesome to say the least. GP thinks that this may settle and it's early days. I on the other hand am uncertain of what I should do with regards to having the other grommet done. The funny thing is the pressure I feel seems to be on the side that does not have the grommet fitted, as does the echoing noise. The pressure that was initially present in the grommet ear subsided (maybe inflammation settled from initial surgery). My concern is that I am flying mid august (but not like this). Also I don't want to live with this - do you thing that this will subside? The other query is that if I have the other ear done could it be that I will have this echoing across both ears as oppose to the one I have now? GP thinks it may be a blockage somewhere in the middle ear as the grommet side has healed nicely with no acute surgical complications. I've tried 5 days of sudafed, antihistamines (fexofenadine) and also usual meds ezomeprazole. Can you offer me any reassurance? I've looked up patulous ETD but the fact my ear feels full seems to contradict this? Perhaps having the other ear done will equal up the pressure felt, but I am scared? Any help would be great recieved thank you :)

Many thanks for your reply. Do you think going ahead with the insertion of the other grommet would perhaps help the echoing and fullness in that particular ear? My fear is that when I fly all of the pressure will be in the ear that has no grommet therefore giving me very little relief.