Differential Diagnosis for Pooping and Hissing in Left Ear When Blowing
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Eustachian tube dysfunction: This condition is characterized by the inability of the Eustachian tube to properly regulate air pressure in the ear, leading to symptoms such as a feeling of fullness, hearing loss, and unusual sounds like hissing or popping when blowing the nose or changing altitude. The chronic nature of the symptoms over eight months supports this diagnosis.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Middle ear effusion: Fluid accumulation in the middle ear can cause a range of symptoms including fullness, hearing loss, and unusual sounds due to the movement of fluid when blowing the nose or changing ear pressure.
- Patulous Eustachian tube: This condition involves the Eustachian tube staying open, leading to autophony (hearing one's own breathing sounds) and potentially other unusual sounds like hissing when blowing the nose.
- Earwax impaction: Although less likely to cause hissing sounds, significant earwax buildup can lead to a feeling of fullness and hearing changes, and might be associated with unusual sounds in some cases.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Although rare, this type of cancer can cause Eustachian tube obstruction leading to middle ear symptoms. It's crucial to rule out this diagnosis due to its severe implications.
- Temporal bone fractures or trauma: Trauma to the temporal bone can affect the middle and inner ear, leading to a variety of symptoms including unusual sounds. Given the potential for serious complications, this diagnosis should not be overlooked.
Rare Diagnoses
- Superior canal dehiscence syndrome: This rare condition involves an abnormal opening in the bone overlying the superior canal of the inner ear, leading to a variety of auditory and vestibular symptoms, including autophony.
- Otosclerosis: A condition characterized by abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, which can cause hearing loss and might be associated with unusual sounds in some cases, although it's less directly linked to the specific symptom of hissing when blowing the nose.