Patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction following rapid weight loss associated with semaglutide use: A case report
James R Burmeister, Malik Jawad, Ismail Zazay, Aaron Kobernick · 2026
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Description
James Burmeister and co-authors report an ear disorder that followed dramatic weight loss on a popular diabetes drug, in a 2026 case report. The Eustachian tube vents the middle ear; when it stays abnormally open, patients hear their own voice booming and feel fullness. Fat padding normally helps it stay closed, so rapid slimming is a known trigger. A seventy-nine-year-old man arrived with intermittent fullness and popping in both ears.
He had intentionally lost about two hundred pounds after starting semaglutide. His ear examination and pressure tests were normal, ruling out the blocked-tube variant and pointing to the open-tube diagnosis. He was managed gently, with hydration and a nasal approach rather than surgery. The authors warn that as weight-loss drugs spread, this under-recognised complication will appear more often in clinics.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | James R Burmeister, Malik Jawad, Ismail Zazay, Aaron Kobernick |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 15 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |