The Eustachian Tube
The Eustachian tube is a tube that runs from the middle ear to the back of your nose and throat. The Palatini muscles are responsible for opening and closing the Eustachian tubes to drain fluid from the middle ear and to balance the pressure on either side of the eardrum. With poor tongue posture, the Palatini muscles are not activated due to a lack of pressure on the 2/3rds of the palate. As a result, the Eustachian tubes have trouble draining, which can lead to a chronic ear infection. If it's common for your child to get ear infections, here is a simple tongue exercise: Place the tip of your tongue against the hard palate, on the roof of your mouth just above your top teeth. Using suction, pull the rest of your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth. Allow your mouth to close. Hold it there, breathing normally (if possible). Hold for 30-45 seconds. Using a mouthguard that addresses tongue posture can triple the therapeutic effects. If you want to learn more about how the jaw affects posture and how to fix it, check out the jaw and body connection online course and get 20% off until October 30th.