Please help! Funny vision, pain, tinnitus!!!

[Jo3016]

I am sitting here crying and panicking!! Since last Thursday, I have had a strange sensation in my left eye like I have stared at a bright light and looked away. I think originally, I had seen lots of bright lights in town and I panicked about not being able to see properly. Since then, I have not been able to think of anything else. I spend my whole time looking through one eye, then the other and the muscles round both my eyes are really tight. When I look at myself in the mirror, I am really frowning and screwing my eyes up.. Everything seems really bright and unreal. I have pain all the way round that eye, particularly in my temple, cheekbone and the corner of my eye. I have loud tinnitus on that side (which I have had for many years!!)

I had my eyes tested last Thursday when it started. The optician spent ages looking round my eye - he even took a photo of the back of my eye and showed me that they they both looked healthy and that there were no signs of hypertension, ms, diabetes or any pressure on the optic nerve.

I am still in a real panic. I have a tight pressure round my head, especially over the left side and my vision is still really strained. It is always better when I wake up and then gets worse. My glands feel swollen.

I keep thinking I have a brain tumor!! No-one is listening to me! Everyone just says "Come on, you always get like this around this time of year! It is fine", but it doesn't feel fine. I want to feel better. Please help, I can't stop crying and feel very alone!!

[Krakers]

Hi Jo - Opticians do what they do best - test eyes.

Doctors do what they do best - diagnose potential problems.

75% of human germs live in your ears, nose and throat. Most sit there happily not causing any problems, but once in a while we may get a problem that the doc is the best one to diagnose.

It sounds like you've got a touch of HA too (although please don't take that as read, because pigeon holing really doesn't help).

Why not pop to your docs and explain what you are currently experiencing. Could be anything including a few days in bed or antibiotics to sort things out.

When I go to my docs with multiple symptoms (and I've been a good few times) I find it handy to write a list. That way you always come away with the answers and are never sat in the car park wishing you'd mentioned something.

I had similar symptoms once which is one of the reasons I'm replying. Turned out to be an absess with a tooth (and again, please don't instantly assume this is the case). My teeth felt fine to me, everything else was out of kilter. One 15 min visit to the dentists and all was well.

Bottom line is see your doc. They are the best person to help.

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Krakers.

[june]

Hi Jo3016
These 3 brief passages i took from "symptoms" om the left of this page:)
There is quite a bit more to each section - but i just wanted you to see that there are some symptoms soooo common to health anxiety. do have a look because it just might put your mind at rest:blush:

Eyes, Blurred vision, Eyes sensitive to light, Dry, watery or itchy eyes
What you feel:

You may see stars or movements out of the corner of your eyes that don't exist. You may also see flashing lights in your eyes or your vision may seem almost kaleidoscope-like. Sometimes you may feel that there is a dark object or something just on the outside edge of your vision, or that your vision is narrowing.

It seems your vision is blurry or out of focus, and it's more apparent now than before.

There are times when your eyes seem more sensitive to light than at others, even to a point of regular light being too bright so that you have to wear sunglasses or squint.

In your Ears, Ringing
What you feel:
You hear a ringing or low rumbling in one or both ears. And when things are quiet, these sounds are a lot louder. You may also experience something like a plugged ear or fullness in one or both ears. The condition seems to come and go, however, when it comes it may last a long time. Sometimes, it only affects only one ear, and the same one over and over again.
Muscles become taut straining , can temporarily affect the balance architecture within the ear leading to further dizziness.

Muscles, muscle tension, stiffness, muscle twitching, tight scalp or neck
You may feel that your scalp is sore, has shooting pains, or that the back of your neck and head are very tense. Even though there is no apparent reason for this, they continue to.:blush:
You also mention "the tight band around your head" ===== that is very very common to "neck tension"
I hope this helps
June

[nickieb]

I get the whole array hun.

Burning scalp
tight band
ringing in ears
nausea
shooting head pains
bad painful neck
chest pain
acid
blurred vision its awful.....

Even as a nurse i am never convinced or do i ever believe that mine is anxiety....

[Hercy]

Hi Jo,

I have very similar symptoms, have had them for 10 months. Please go to the doctor with all your symptoms and get checked out and most importantly try to relax. It's easier said then done I know but I don't want you to end up like me still in a panic a year on.

I was told by 4 doctors that I had a viral infection, but I never believed them because my illness never had a 'name' and so I carried on working when really I should have taken a break.

I hope you feel better soon!

Jo x

[Jo3016]

Hi all

I am still feeling wierd today - eyes still playing up!! But I did go to the doctors as suggested. I explained everything. The doctor said that an optician would have picked up anything actually wrong with my eye or the optic nerve.

He has diagnosed sinus problems again (I have had long term problems with this, including the eye related problem before). He has given me a steroid nasal spray and told me to rest (easier said than done with 3 kids!!!).

I guess the main thing is that it has alayed my fears for now, especially as he said that the optician would have spotted anything sinister and I have a history of sinus and ear problems on that side of my face. My panic always makes things so much worse!!

Thank you all for your replies yesterday.