Ear, Head, Throat Symptoms, and Undecided Doctors

[bulan]

Sometimes health anxiety becomes worse when different doctors give you different reasons for your symptoms... I've had several doctors explain my symptoms differently, all of them saying, "It could be <fill in the blank>" while none of them did tests to find a solid answer.

Taken altogether, my symptoms do seem confusing. Maybe someone here can shed some light on what I'm dealing with?

EAR (right only)

1) feeling of stuffiness in my right ear (right ear only)
- I could also describe it as a 'clogged' ear
- I have a deep, low sound way down in my ear when I scratch the area nearby or when it's bumped
- the doctor says there's absolutely no wax in my ear
- my hearing is fine otherwise

2) earache (right side only)

3) last week the doctor said my middle ear was very swollen
- she prescribed antibiotic ear drops
- today she says the swelling is completely down
- however, I still have earaches and headaches on the right side

HEAD

1) headaches on the right side
- around the right ear
- behind my right eye
- at the back of my head

NOSE

1) partly congested, but Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist didn't see anything wrong

FACE

1) pain occasionally in sinus area behind cheekbones

THROAT

1) burning and soreness
- last week the ENT found white spots and mucous at the back of my throat, but today another doctor found nothing like that
- last week a doctor found redness on my right tonsil, but later the ENT didn't see that
- soreness when I swallow
- soreness in what feels like the middle of my chest cavity... must be the esophagus?
- I've had a gastroscopy which found nothing
- the ENT did a scope down past my vocal chords
- all my ENT saw in my throat was redness; he believes I have acid reflux, and nothing more -- but that doesn't explain the pain in my right ear and head :(

2) tightness / constriction at the base of my throat
- it comes and goes
- sometimes it feels like food is almost getting stuck on the way down, but it manages to pass through after a while
- general aching at the base of my throat, near the thyroid
- while my ENT things I have acid reflux, my family physician thinks I either have anxiety or seasonal allergies and told me to try over-the-counter allergy meds :wacko:

3) hoarse / slowly losing my voice
- every morning seems a bit worse
- but because my voice is mostly back to normal by the time I see my doctors, they're not concerned

EYE (right only)

1) headache behind right eye

2) outside of right eye feels a bit swollen when I move my eye, but to look at my face, you wouldn't see anything abnormal

3) cataract
- I'm only 36, but my optometrist recently found a very small cataract on my right eye
- I see a glare whenever a bright light shines on my right eye from any angle; it's noticeably worse than my left eye

4) tearing up / watering
- comes and goes

5) some pain with eye movement

-------

So... I don't know if any of this makes sense to anyone. The one thing I haven't mentioned yet is my health anxiety... I'm afraid of the worst case scenario (naturally, right?)... a mass or tumor on the right side of my head.

And I'm wondering, what questions should I ask of my doctors so they'll be more likely to order a scan? How do I get to the bottom of this when my doctors disagree on the cause of my symptoms?

And, to anyone who's recovered from health anxiety about brain/head tumors, how did you recover (besides CBT)? Did it take a clear scan to bring you peace of mind?

---------- Post added at 22:54 ---------- Previous post was at 22:19 ----------

I forgot one of the most important points:

ALL of these symptoms have been going on for 3+ months.

Most advice I've read says to see a doctor if symptoms like mine persist for more than a week.

So, adding to the fact that my doctors can't agree on what's bothering me, the length of time I've had them is also adding to my anxiety.

Has anyone else gone through something like this before? :shrug:

[paul786]

I am suffering as u. Like some same problems. In which country ur liwving

[bulan]

Sorry to hear it, Paul. I'm in Canada.

[paul786]

Are u chacked by any ent after all these symptoms?

---------- Post added at 20:28 ---------- Previous post was at 20:21 ----------

I have all these at left side. My left tonsil is some bigger than other. Now i am feeling something stic at base of my tounge that side and sore throat from a month now.

[bulan]

Thanks for getting back to me, Paul. :)

Yes, I've been checked by an ENT, although his opinion differs from two other doctors (my family doctor, and another at a walk-in clinic).

So that's causing some confusion. :/

---------- Post added at 10:59 ---------- Previous post was at 10:58 ----------

Sorry to hear you're dealing with all of this too. Have you seen an ENT specialist yet?

[paul786]

Doctors are not feeling this bcz they have not any problems like us.

---------- Post added at 20:35 ---------- Previous post was at 20:31 ----------

Ent said its ur narve pain bcz previous drug addiction and soon will go away but now 3 months its going worse and worse i think its not just a narve pain and something elae

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 20:35 ----------

Are u did ay ct scan. My ent said it no need bcz u have no lump or bump any where.

[bulan]

Oh, I see. I'm sure my ENT would also say I don't need a scan.

[paul786]

Ok keep in touch with me and we may exchange our results with ents .i have private ent appintmemt tomorrow an i wiil suerly tell u what he may do with meabout my pains.

[p1ppa1]

Hiya.... I am very new to this and feel like ive found a plaufe where people would understand. Im am suffering major throat problems, headache and ear ache. Ive been given antibiotics but not cleared anything up. My throat is really red and I had a swab taken today. I am so worried and convinced I've got a major disease. Ive read the net and frightened myself to death and I think the worry and anxiety has made my symptoms worse. Today after my swab I was in a terrible state. My throat tightened and the neck and head tension was the worst ive had ever. So in saying all that. I do know how you feel and its bloody awful :'( take care......

[paul786]

Ok p1ppa1 how many time at least u have this problem. I have from many months. Now from one week i feel something is stic at base of my tounge one side are u feel this with ear an jaw pain at that side and how ur tounge look like and how ur tastebudds look like enlarged or not. How ur back wall of throat look like any lump at middle or not.

[bulan]

Paul, how did your ENT appointment go?

p1ppa1, sorry to hear you're dealing with these issues. Did you get the results of your swab? I've been searching the internet a *little* bit to figure out my ear problem, but I do so cautiously, because I know how it can inflame my anxiety.

My health situation has changed a bit since my original post... The most alarming is that my ear seems to be more plugged -- I can hear myself chew on the right side, in the same way that you can hear yourself talk when your ears are completely plugged. Except, my ears aren't completely plugged... it feels like they're clear up to my ear drum, but behind it (around my eustachian tube maybe?) it feels plugged and in pain.

At 36 years old, I've never had this problem as an adult (childhood ear infections are another story), so I'm quite concerned. (On a happy note, I'm not falling into my usual HA trap of fearing cancer! :) )

Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone?

[paul786]

I am defodona.i was booked appointment of dentist at same hospital by mistaken of his name . Dentist checked me and told me you have tmj joint problem but he said tmj not couse sore throat and white tounge. He said your oral tounge is ok or not bad but cannot say about throat and base of tounge.he told me to chacked out once by a ent doctor.
After all no clearance.
Now l will appoint with ent soon.

---------- Post added at 13:35 ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 ----------

I forgot to told u that he did an opg x ray of my jaw and told me about tm joint dislocate and he was not able to tell the reason of it. He told me to appoint an ent.

[paul786]

Bulan where are u?

[swgrl09]

Have you been tested for allergies or anything like that? Because I get a lot of symptoms similar to those when I get all congested. It turns out I am allergic to basically everything in nature and my pets.

[paul78]

How are u

[paul78]

Oh no i have this problem from some months not from years and i am living same nature from many years.