Eustachian Tube Problems

Medical Author: John Mersch, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

• What is the Eustachian tube?
• What are the functions of the Eustachian tube
• What can cause Eustachian tube blockage?
• How do altitude changes or air travel affect Eustachian tube problems?
• How is Eustachian tube blockage treated?
• Eustachian Tube Problems At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Eustachian Tube Problems - Describe Your Experience

What is the Eustachian tube?

The Eustachian tube is a tube that originates in the back of the nose, runs a slightly uphill course, and ends in the middle ear space. The middle ear space is the hollowed out portion of the skull bone that contains the hearing apparatus and is covered on one side by the eardrum. In adults, the Eustachian tube is approximately 35 mm long (1.3 inches) and approximately 3 mm in diameter (less than 1/10 inch). Cartilage provides the supporting structure for the first two-thirds of the Eustachian tube, with the last third (the part closest to the middle ear space) being made of bone.

The tissue that lines the Eustachian tube is similar to that inside the nasal cavity and may respond the same way (swelling) when presented with similar stimuli. The Eustachian tube was named in honor of the 16th century Italian anatomiast Eustachius. Sources credit Almaceon of Sparta as the first to describe the structure in approximately 400 BC.

Eustachian Tube Problems - Describe Your Experience

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Please describe your experience with eustachian tube problems.

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