The eustachian tubes connect the back of your nose to your ear, and are the ones that you use to pop your ears or swallow to equalise middle ear pressure when driving down a hill or landing in an airplane.  There is increased ease of airflow in a patulous eustachian tube, with patients characteristically having an abnormally loud perception of their voice and nasal breathing in the affected ear.  Other symptoms can include tinnitus (noises in the ear), ear fullness and dizziness.  It can be very distressing to some patients.  Symptoms may sometimes be affected by the postioning of one's head whether upright or lying down.  Swimming in chlorinated pools can sometimes improve symptoms.  The ear drum can be seen to move in and out with nasal breathing, which is abnormal:

Alternative causes for the above symptoms can include Middle Ear Effusion (Glue Ear) or Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence syndrome.