3. Smoking can cause eustachian tube dysfunction.
Cilia are small hairs that take mucus from the middle ear to the back of the nose. The cilia become damaged when you smoke. Mucus gathers in the eustachian tubes when this occurs.
It is difficult to stop smoking. That is why when a person wants to stop smoking, their primary care physician can place them on a program to help him or her to slowly quit. Once a smoker stops smoking, the eustachian tubes are able to drain and they’ll begin to open. It may take a while for the eustachian tubes to heal because they are used to all of the nicotine that the body was given over the years.
Smokers can help clear the mucus in the tubes by pretending to blow their nose while gently pinching it. The mucus should drain out and over time the eustachian tubes will begin to open.