Eustachian Tube in Spanish

Where is the eustachian tube?

NIDCD explains that the ear has three major parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The middle ear is located between the eardrum and the inner ear, and the eustachian tube connects the upper part of the throat to the middle ear. Adenoids are small pads of tissue located behind the back of the nose, above the throat, and near the eustachian tubes.

Open or blocked

MedlinePlus uses the term eustachian tube patency for how much the eustachian tube is open, and says the tube is normally open, or patent. NIDCD notes that if the eustachian tubes are swollen or blocked with mucus due to a cold or other respiratory illness, fluid may not be able to drain. MedlinePlus adds that if the tube becomes blocked, the pressure in the middle ear will go up and fluid may accumulate in it.

What it means

The eustachian tube is a small passageway that connects the upper part of the throat to the middle ear. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), its job is to supply fresh air to the middle ear, drain fluid, and keep air pressure at a steady level between the nose and the ear. MedlinePlus describes it as running between the middle ear and the throat and controlling the pressure behind the eardrum in the middle ear space. NIDCD notes that eustachian tubes are smaller and more level in children than they are in adults, which makes it difficult for fluid to drain out of the ear. Conditions such as ear infections, upper respiratory infections and altitude changes can cause the tube to become blocked.

Spanish term: Trompa de Eustaquio
Gender and article: feminine: la trompa de Eustaquio (plural: las trompas de Eustaquio)
Pronunciation: TROHM-pah deh eh-oos-TAH-kyoh

Trompa de Eustaquio is the term in the Real Academia Española dictionary, which enters it under trompa as a feminine anatomical term for the duct that connects the middle ear with the pharynx. The NIDCD's Spanish page uses the same name with a capital letter in Eustaquio, and its plural is las trompas de Eustaquio. The MedlinePlus en español article prints the name both ways, trompa de eustaquio and trompa de Eustaquio.

The word trompa alone can mislead. In the same dictionary entry, the anatomical sense of trompa by itself points to the trompa de Falopio (fallopian tube), and the first sense listed is a musical wind instrument. Words the sources use alongside the term are oído medio (middle ear), tímpano (eardrum), garganta (throat), adenoides (adenoids) and permeabilidad, the word in the MedlinePlus en español title for patency, which that article explains as how open the tube is.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My ears feel blocked, and I notice a click when I swallow.	Siento los oídos tapados y noto un chasquido cuando trago.
Clinician	Have you had a cold or a sore throat recently?	¿Ha tenido un resfriado o dolor de garganta recientemente?
Patient	Yes, I had a cold last week, and then I flew on an airplane.	Sí, tuve un resfriado la semana pasada, y después viajé en avión.
Clinician	I am going to look at your eardrum with this instrument.	Voy a mirarle el tímpano con este instrumento.
Clinician	Your eustachian tube may be blocked, so fluid is not draining from the middle ear.	Es posible que tenga la trompa de Eustaquio bloqueada, y por eso no drena el líquido del oído medio.
Patient	Everything sounds muffled in my right ear.	Oigo todo apagado por el oído derecho.
Patient	My son keeps getting ear infections. Is it because of his eustachian tubes?	Mi hijo sigue teniendo infecciones de oído. ¿Es por sus trompas de Eustaquio?
Patient	Does the report say the tube is open or blocked?	¿El informe dice que la trompa está abierta o bloqueada?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Eustachian Tube
Spanish (Español)	Trompa de Eustaquio
Chinese (中文)	耳咽管
Korean (한국어)	유스타키오관
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Vòi nhĩ
Filipino (Tagalog)	Tubo ng Eustachio
Portuguese (Português)	Tuba de Eustáquio
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ท่อยูสเตเชียน
Japanese (日本語)	耳管

Where you'll see it

chartdischarge summarymedical recordsurgical report

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Eyes and ears

All terms in this area: Eyes and ears — Ojos y oídos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.