My Ear Problems - Hospital Appt tomorrow

[crazyhayz]

Hey everyone

Well the 1st June 2010 has arrived (almost lol).

I am seeing an ENT specialist at 2pm tomorrow, regarding my ear troubles ive had.

Back in February I was in hospital with severe dizziness and sharp head pains and blurred vision. CT scan was 'All Clear' and everything completely disappeared within minutes of hearing the consultant say those 2 words This was when i realised that the mind was a seriously powerful thing..

I did however have a hearing test and it showed 'Negative Pressure and Slight Hearing Loss' in my right ear, and the audiologist said my eardrum wasnt moving properly. Im 22 so these sort of symptoms such as hearing loss are nopt considered 'normal' at my age, so they booked me in for a follow up 3months later (tomorrow!) . The wait has been agonising, as im sooo desperate (but anxious) about what could be causing this.

I suffer with the following (just ear symptoms):

* Hearing loss in right ear (and left sometimes)
* Pain & fullness in right ear
* When i bite down or open my mouth wide, I get a sort of 'wind' or 'sand whifting' sound from within my right ear, like air is blowing out of my ear. It feels like something is being released out of my ear. When i google this, it seems that what im feeling is 'pressure being released from behind my eardrum', which is giving off the sound that air or something is blowing out of my ear.
*Dizziness and balance problems. Sudden strong dizziness that makes me spin-out for a few seconds, which is the most scariest symptom i must say.

So basically i think i have a problem from within my middle ear. I have had at least 8 ear-drum perforations in my lifetime and cannot go out in the wind or get water in my ears. It hurts like hell and i immediatley get an ear infection/earache for DAYS after. What im hoping is someone to FINALLY give me a diagnosis and not just fob me off out the door.. doctors have been utter rubbish i must say

Anyway, so tomorrow il be finding out what is causing these ear problems, and whether or not i have to have an MRI scan. (ENT doc at hospital in Feb said if they cant find a logical explanation then a MRI scan will be given)

Wish me luck anyway guys, il be online to update u all tomorrow around dinner time.

PS. Chest pains & ectopics have been almost completely non-existent today, but now im sat here worryhing about tomorrow, i can feel it creeping in (Dull ache in centre of chest and weird pinching sensation under left breast) Im putting it down to anxiety and am guna stop moaning to u all about it LOL

Sorry for the long post..

Thanks

Hayz xx

[Lauz]

Good LUCK!!!

I feel your pain and frustration, I grew up living in the ENT doc's room growing up.
Like yourself constant ear aches, pressure, pain, dizzyness you name it.
From memory I believe it was because my ear wasn't draining the liquid properly in my ears, so two lots of ear tubes later through my childhood and I think I am all good.
I used to get so scared my ear tests used to read negative 400 ... which is MASSIVE ... once I actually didn't get any reading that's how bad one of my ears were haha.
But it seems to be something that I have grown out of as well.

I wish you all the best as I know how painful it can be when the wind or water enters the ears!

Keep us posted on how you go!

[ann01]

Just wanted to wish you the very best of luck today

[crazyhayz]

Thanks guys, Haha yes my right ear has never had ANY reading atall, just completely negative lol. Left ear is ok, not as bad.

Anywayyyy, am updating u all, so here goes.....

Appt was at 2pm. Went straight in. Hearing test first, results were EXACTLY the same as they were 3 months ago. Completely negative pressure in my right ear, mo eardrum wasnt moving atall...still!! Hearing Loss was the same, below 20 on 4 occasions, so not awful, but bad for someone aged 22!! Lol.

Saw ENT consultant straight after. He done a few tests, like looked in my ears, put lotsa different tools inside, and looked in with a huge microscope. Put this really cold air and water in my ear too, Lol. He done some balance tests.I was all over the place haha. Was quite funny! He then said that I have effusion in my middle ear, which over the years has got progressively worse. I shoudl have been referred when i was younger for gromits, or something like that, but my mum just getting fobbed off by my doctor with antiobiotics! Which clearly have done nothing lol! S

o basically ive got thick fluid behind both eardrums, but mostly my right ear (the one with negative pressure). So hes prescribed me Steroids to spray inside and then ive got a follow-up with him in, again, 3 months time!! So fingers crossed this stuff will work and il feel normal again!! I feel this has definitely contributed to my anxiety and panic. I have no doubt. Coz literally a bit of dizziness can set my anxiety off!!

And lastly, if the steroids dont work, then i have to go back in 3 months for an MRI scan...im not even guna think about why that would be lol, but seeing as ive had an all-clear CT scan already, i dont think there would be anything major going on in there!!

So i just wanted to update u all really!! Cant wait to start the steroids tomorrow, fingers crossed no side effects ay!!!!!! Oh nooo....i didnt ask whether these are safe when ur on SSRI's??(citalopram)??? He was a young locum spanish doctor who was very clumsy lol so im wondering if hes checked this..??????!!!

Hayz xx