Expert: Harriet B Jacobster, Au.D. - 10/27/2008

Question
hi i had tubes put in my ears in June and have had some are pain now and then.  i went back to my SENT who is great and it had gotten clogged he unclogged it.  now its been almost 5 months and i still get ear pain when i yawn and right now have an earache.  about a year ago i had dizziness and he said it was a clogged eustation tube.  i used nasal spray for a while and it seemed help till i had a nice nose bleed.  i still have the tubes and last night i had alittle dizziness it happens mainly when I'm laying down.  is any of this normal

Answer
Hi Leah,
Ear pain and dizziness are never normal. Up to your last statement I was in agreement with your ENT that your symptoms could be due to the blocked Eustachian tube.  However, when you stated that your dizziness occurs mainly when you're laying down, it sounds as if you may have something known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).  The test for this is very simple and your ENT can do it, as well as an audiologist.  If this is indeed the cause of your dizziness, there is an exercise that can be performed by the audiologist to help alleviate the symptoms. Here is an excellent website with more information:  http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html
I suggest you return to your ENT and have him check you for BPPV.As for the ear pain, if you occurs mainly when you yawn, it it possible you have something called Temporal Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ).  This is the joint of your jaw and it is right in front of your ear.  If this joint doesn't move properly, it can cause pain in the ear when you yawn.  Your ENT should be able to check for this as well as can your dentist. Here is an excellent source on TMJ: http://www.tmj.org/
Hope this helps.
Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified in Audiology