Strange feeling in ear/jaw area. Suddenly off balance and dizzy

[LouiseAndy]

So, basically I've been fighting health anxiety for the last year or so. I've gotten more most of my fears and issues...but this one won't shit. So please try and help me to understand this.

On the right side of my face is the main issue. It's mainly around my ear/jaw/cheek area. I keep getting this strange like fullness and pressure feeling in my ear that feels like it's spreads to my cheek and jaw. It also effect the shell, the outer drum of my ear. It feels swore. The whole area's I've listed are tender to push at. The worse area to touch tend to be the area just in front of my ear lobe and behind my ear. Like it hurts worse when I move my jaw...my ear pops a lot.

I could sit here and type all day about how strange and off putting it is. It's so distressing and I want to cry a lot whenever I think about it.

Tonight I tried using a like push water spray to help clear it out. It's been going on for months and I've used it a few times. I don't know if I was tense or something but I sudden got very dizzy while using it. Of course I panic and that made it worse!

I've gotten over/dealt with the rest of my anxiety or actually health issues. This thing has been with me for so long. Back on my birthday (1st July) I had already been dealing with this for awhile and broke down and went to urgent care. He looked into my ears, felt around a few places. Got me to open and close my jaw while he felt around. He said he didn't see any issues. My doctor has looked into my ears before. No one seems to notice anything but this is driving me crazy.

I think since a lot of my other worries have been solved this is my new drama of the day. I just want to move on. I don't want to go crying to the doctor about something I don't even know how to explain. My mind goes all over the place, to all sinister issues like cancers, tumors, some type of deadly infection etc. I've manged to stay away from google but the mind fills it all in

Like I've tried to reason with myself like I have done on other issues. This just seems to be like the last step. I wish I could move forward from this. I'm in therapy already. I tried taking meds before but I had issues with taking them and my gp decided that intensive therapy would be the best type of action for me.

I'm just scared I guess, that this is the last issues but it will end me. I'm bawling crying as I write this (There is some other personal issues as well, so it's been a hard day). I'm scared to go back to the doctor incase this starts more issues. Most my reports have been finished and I made peace with them yet this won't leave me be.

Sorry for the long post, I just need to vent and someone to give me a finally kick up the ass about this.

[jray23]

The first thing that comes to my mind is TMJ. The pain/pressure would be centered around that area but also can radiate through your cheek, jaw, temple area, behind the ear, and even into the neck sometimes. You mention jaw movement makes it worse which would be another key.

There's no need to fear the catastrophic things. However a visit to an ENT could help find a treatment for you.

One note on that water/dizzy episode you mentioned. I can't tell exactly how you got the water in your ear or how much or the temperature, but I wanted to let you know that in the course of my own inner ear problems I took a caloric test. Mine was with hot and cold air sent into my ears, but this test is often (and more accurately) done with hot and cold water. A normal result on this test would be that the patient becomes dizzy! So depending on what exactly you did, it's very possible that what happened was supposed to happen and not even a sign of a problem.

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[LouiseAndy]

The first thing that comes to my mind is TMJ. The pain/pressure would be centered around that area but also can radiate through your cheek, jaw, temple area, behind the ear, and even into the neck sometimes. You mention jaw movement makes it worse which would be another key.

There's no need to fear the catastrophic things. However a visit to an ENT could help find a treatment for you.

One note on that water/dizzy episode you mentioned. I can't tell exactly how you got the water in your ear or how much or the temperature, but I wanted to let you know that in the course of my own inner ear problems I took a caloric test. Mine was with hot and cold air sent into my ears, but this test is often (and more accurately) done with hot and cold water. A normal result on this test would be that the patient becomes dizzy! So depending on what exactly you did, it's very possible that what happened was supposed to happen and not even a sign of a problem.

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Thank you so much for the reply! That's actually really helpful to hear! I think the thing I was using to flush out my ear maybe wasn't the best. It was probably just the way I turned my head with the fluid in it caused the dizzness and the way I freaked out didn't help! Like I haven't felt dizzy since!

I would go to ENT but the waiting list here- even with private health care is super long. My brother had it and is on a waiting list with a (semi serious) issue and his been waiting over six months! I might go and put my name down for one

I think you might be right about the TMJ. Like it feels different and comes and goes over the last few months. Like if it was serious I would have lots of other issues now! Like maybe it's like...I have worked so many issues this one decided to hang on.

Hopefully I'm wrong about this, like I have been about so many things before!

[jray23]

Oh wow 6 months?? Are you in the UK? Since coming on these boards I'm starting to feel like maybe our USA healthcare system isn't so bad after all. So long as we have health insurance anyway.

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[LouiseAndy]

Oh wow 6 months?? Are you in the UK? Since coming on these boards I'm starting to feel like maybe our USA healthcare system isn't so bad after all. So long as we have health insurance anyway.

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No, actually I live in Ireland! It's bad I know. Like I've personal been waiting nearly a year and a half to have a female special appointment (not pressing, but a issue that needs to be fixed.) So, that's why I'm kinda slow to go on another waiting list tbh! Like I hope like I said before it's nothing to serious anyway :winks:

[Sleepy]

Hello Louise,
I get these symptoms from jaw-clenching, a side-effect of escitalopram, but also related to anxiety. I’ve seen an ENT and he confirmed there’s nothing he can do for me.

I’m also shocked at how long you are having to wait to see someone. When I decided to go privately about my ears etc, I had my appointment two days later!

Hope your problem resolves. Have you thought of trying something like lorazepam as an experiment to see if your symptoms abate when you relax?

[LouiseAndy]

Hello Louise,
I get these symptoms from jaw-clenching, a side-effect of escitalopram, but also related to anxiety. I’ve seen an ENT and he confirmed there’s nothing he can do for me.

I’m also shocked at how long you are having to wait to see someone. When I decided to go privately about my ears etc, I had my appointment two days later!

Hope your problem resolves. Have you thought of trying something like lorazepam as an experiment to see if your symptoms abate when you relax?

Thank you for taking the time to reply! I hope you get some refile from these issues yourself :)

Like, a private ENT could still take ages and you have to pay up like 400 euro...after seeing the gp which is another 60. In my own personal life at the moment and my family own issues there no way I could come up with that money. Yet sitting here feeling it and worrying about it is madding also. It's hard to when what to do :weep:

I've tried taking lorazepam before! As well as a few other types but they never really worked out for me even after long periods of time taking them. Therapy does work but I have to wait a bit till my next appointment.