Brain tumor? I tried to be heroic before panicking :(

[bulan]

Hi Everyone, I'm back... it's been a while since I've had to visit, but here's my new worry:

I'm dealing with new, one-sided headaches, increased ringing in my ear, mild hearing loss, I can hear myself chewing on one side (kind of like when you have water lodged in your ear), and a feeling of fullness in one ear--all on the right side.

Has anyone else dealt with anything like this before?

And does anyone know of common causes for these symptoms?

Lastly: Any ideas on the questions I should raise with my doctor/ENT?

A little background: I'm in my mid-thirties, looking after a toddler, extremely sleep deprived over the last two years (my child doesn't sleep like normal kids his age), and have had a sore throat and congestion for the last four months. I thought the sore throat and congestion were causing some of my ear problems, but that doesn't explain the headaches on the same side (that I know of).

[paul78]

Hi bulan are ur throat ishu resolved or not. What ur ent said about it.

[bulan]

Thanks for asking, Paul. I'm making an appointment with my ENT today, to talk about the acid reflux treatment. So right now it's still unresolved.

[Serenity1990]

I'm dealing with new, one-sided headaches, increased ringing in my ear, mild hearing loss, I can hear myself chewing on one side (kind of like when you have water lodged in your ear), and a feeling of fullness in one ear--all on the right side.

Has anyone else dealt with anything like this before?

And does anyone know of common causes for these symptoms?



Those sound like classic mechanical neck issues, all the nerves that control those bits originate in the cervical spine. If so, GPs etc are notoriously bad at diagnosing and treating mechanical issues so it may be worth seeing an osteopath/physio/chiro to see if you've got any issues around that area.

[bulan]

Those sound like classic mechanical neck issues, all the nerves that control those bits originate in the cervical spine. If so, GPs etc are notoriously bad at diagnosing and treating mechanical issues so it may be worth seeing an osteopath/physio/chiro to see if you've got any issues around that area.

Thanks so much, Serenity! That makes a lot of sense, but I hadn't considered that idea. I'll give that a try!

[Female healthanxiety]

It sounds like you could be a bit run down Bulan.

I too have had a right sided headache, headache in my eye, above my eye and my cheek bone! My neck also feels stuff and have tried things like massage, hot baths, etc.

I was thinking maybe it could be my sinus even though I have never suffered before plus do not have a cold or my nose don't hurt?!

I too have the fullness in the ear you mentioned and when checked with an war bud nothing was really there!

Please keep me updated!

I'm on the verge of going boots and trying some sudafed as even nurofen express is not working and I can't take them for longer than 3 days

I hope you feel better soon and am glad you have made an appointment for the ENT

X

[bulan]

Thank you, FHA! :) And I'm sorry to hear about your symptoms too. Yeah, I feel like I've been flattened by a steamroller called toddlerhood. lol Please keep me updated on your situation too. :)

[LittleMissMadge]

awww ive had all of what you describe.I suffer with my sinus's a lot and get the fullness in one ear,ringing,headaches,ice pick headaches.It does go away eventually.I once had to have my ears syringed it got so bad.Damn problem always comes back though.Let us know how you go on x

[bulan]

Thank you, MissMadge! I was wondering about my sinuses, and so has my doctor. But when he checked them (he tapped on my cheeks just under my eyes), there was no pain, so he didn't suspect anything serious. At least, not acute sinus problems. I haven't had sinus problems before either, so I don't know how to recognize whether I suffer from it, especially if it's a mild case.

When I got pregnant, I developed nasal congestion that seemed to be permanent. I heard this is common during pregnancy, so while it was annoying, I waited it out. But about six months after giving birth, the congestion was still hanging around, so I saw an ENT who prescribed bioflavanoids and said the problem would disappear within a week.

Well, it didn't. And a couple years later, a pharmacist told me that bioflavanoids are a "gray area" in the research on treating congestion.

Just fantastic, I thought. :doh:

Anyway, I stopped noticing it after a while, until about four months ago when I got so run down that I developed what seemed like a perpetual cold, and I've been congested ever since.

Then came the plugged feeling in my one ear, which I've had for about three months. The headaches and ear aches on the same side began about a month ago. It's these three symptoms that scare me the most, which has me scrambling for answers... :blush:

[bulan]

After a night of very poor sleep, my symptoms seem to be worse. Let me say, though, how glad I am that I'm not paralyzed with fear like I have been in the past. Still, my symptoms are starting to get to me.

Part of my problem is confusion about what to do. I've Googled (I know), and it seems a lot of Drs don't know how to diagnose and treat symptoms like mine. The idea of living with a clogged ear indefinitely, or of letting the real diagnosis slip by unnoticed (esp. if serious) worries me.

I already know that my GP is prone to over-medicate, while my ENT (one of the better ones in the area) does quick assessments and shrugs off what he can't explain. So I've got anxiety due to lack of confidence in my doctors... :(

[RaverNeko]

I'm dealing with new, one-sided headaches, increased ringing in my ear, mild hearing loss, I can hear myself chewing on one side (kind of like when you have water lodged in your ear), and a feeling of fullness in one ear--all on the right side.

I deal with the exact same anxiety all the time. Some days it seems to be better than others, but ehh. Anyways, I'm 99% sure you probably have TMJ. I deal with the exact same things on a daily basis. You can read about a plethora of the TMJ symptoms here (http://www.school-for-champions.com/health/dental_tmj_symptoms.htm). When you go to the doctor, try to ask them if they know anything about TMJ and see if they can diagnose you with it and get you on the path to treatment.

Another user said neck issues. TMJ can actually cause you to have neck issues and can be aggravated by leaning over something for a long period of time, just like being on a computer for instance.

[bulan]

This was helpful, thanks RaverNeko. I'm not sure whether I have TMJ, because I don't have any of the main symptoms. But I have some of the secondary symptoms, so who knows... I'll have to see my doctor or dentist. Thanks again for the info!

I recently saw a doctor who said he found some congestion in my throat and ear. He prescribed Sudafed (an OTC anti-congestant) and a steroid-based nasal spray.

As I often do, I looked for a gentler, natural remedy at my health food store first, and I found ear drops to treat the ear congestion. I felt amazing for the first two days I used them, as my ear felt about 80% back to normal. Day three, though, I went back to the same old problem.

So while this didn't solve my problem completely, I feel more confident that what I'm really dealing with here is congestion. So my way forward is clearer.

---

On another note, do you (anyone reading this) find that pain and discomfort in your head/face is one of the most distracting kinds of pain? I find head/facial pain quite disconcerting, for some reason.

---------- Post added at 19:17 ---------- Previous post was at 18:46 ----------

Another quick note regarding anxiety, I've been trying very hard to keep the idea of a brain tumor out of my head. So to speak. :blush: The thought is still in the back of my mind regularly, but I still consider this a victory given that I'm not running to my doctor in panic and fear for my life.

[sarahsparkleshine]

Your ears can cause this. Use sweet oil, or a wax removal kit. It may not get it all with just one use.

[bulan]

Thank you, sarahsparkleshine! :) Do you mean, they can cause this if they're clogged with wax? About that, one doctor told me there was absolutely no wax in my ear.

Meanwhile, another one told me he saw 'congestion' in my ear. I have no idea what that looks like, or what it means. I know that the ears, nose, and throat are connected, but until now I've only heard of nasal and chest congestion. But ear congestion? That's a mystery to me. I just hope that's all it turns out to be.

[Dolphin8808]

Yup yup yup! I get all those too, I get the throbbing in my ear, fullness, headache (actually I get on both sides), etc. Can def be all allergies. Not symptoms of brain tumor at all :)

[Serenity1990]

I'd be cautious of asking a doctor to diagnose you with anything. The fact is whilst TMJD is quite common amongst anxiety sufferers issues in the neck or shoulders or other areas can cause the same symptoms. It's of vital importance that someone suitably qualified with musculoskeletal issues correctly diagnoses you, especially as unsuccessful treatment for incorrectly diagnosed TMJ might panic you into imagining you've got a brain tumour again.

[bulan]

Thanks, Dolphin. :)

---------- Post added at 09:40 ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 ----------


I'd be cautious of asking a doctor to diagnose you with anything. The fact is whilst TMJD is quite common amongst anxiety sufferers issues in the neck or shoulders or other areas can cause the same symptoms. It's of vital importance that someone suitably qualified with musculoskeletal issues correctly diagnoses you, especially as unsuccessful treatment for incorrectly diagnosed TMJ might panic you into imagining you've got a brain tumour again.

Good point, Serenity. I've heard that doctors aren't great at diagnosing muscular-skeletal issues, nor recommending the right treatments. Earlier this year I went to my MD with another problem, and while the topic of physiotherapy did come up, he didn't let me know that some physiotherapists actually specialize. He knew I was seeing a physiotherapist who also happened to be a chiropractor, but what I didn't know until later was that I really needed a pelvic floor physiotherapist to deal with my lower back/hip/pelvic pain issues. I found this out by chance from a registered massage therapist. So, yes, when it comes to TMJ I'll be sure to get a second and maybe a third opinion. Thank you! :)