I’m struggling to swallow and treatment isn’t working – is there anything else that can help?

Q: I AM 60 and suffer from eustachian tube dysfunction. I saw an ear, nose and throat  surgeon recently who inserted a camera into my nose to look at my throat, as I had an upper respiratory tract infection. 

I still struggle to swallow and there is still mucus there. 

The surgeon gave me a nasal spray that my GP had already given me but it made no difference. 

I’ve had this since January and it is getting me down. Is there anything you can advise?

A: The eustachian tube connects the ears and throat. It can get inflamed or swollen and therefore will not drain fluid properly.

It’s reassuring that you’ve been checked over by an ENT specialist, but I understand that the symptoms are still uncomfortable.

The thing about steroid sprays is that they can be highly effective but do take a long time to work, and often people make the mistake of stopping them too soon.

They can take up to four weeks to be effective.

My advice would be to go back to using the spray – which can be bought over the counter – but  persist with it for longer.

If you have been using the spray since January as instructed, speak to your pharmacist as there may be a stronger one you can use.

Please be sure to stick with them for at least eight weeks to see how effective it is.

Sometimes the cause of chronic ETD – lasting months – is not found.

A specialist may be able to offer additional treatments, now that symptoms have become chronic. So it may be worth revisiting the ENT surgeon if all else fails.