Ear Infection or something else??
Moderator: talkhealth
Ear Infection or something else??
Nerve Pain in Hands...Anxiety or something else?
Hi Everybody. I’m new here. Thought this is a perfect place for advice.
It all started in early-mid January. I, along with my roommates got flu-like symptoms. Fever, cough, diarrhea etc. We eventually got over it. Or so I thought.
Fast forward to the 1st week of February. I started developing slight vertigo and fatigue. The vertigo would come and go (mostly show itself in closed corridors or whenever I was in the shower). I thought this would pass.
Well a week went by, and it eventually progressed to something stranger. I developed ear fullness and facial tension. Almost like someone was stretching my face back. Or like the feeling of a sunburn.
Mother-in-law is a nurse so she checked my ears and saw my ear drums were slightly swollen (no fluid however). She suggested Sudafed and Motrin. I did that for one more week. It didn’t work.
Eventually 2 weeks had passed and now my symptoms were the most painful. I felt drunk even when I was sober. I had a heavy heavy, swollen head. Sometimes it would start on the right side, move it’s way to my face and over to the top of my head. It caused me to feel lightheaded and want to pass out. Like seriously pass out.
This caused me to freak out and go to urgent care. Doctor performed a neuro? test where she made me run my fingers to her fingers, my eyes to her hand, etc. She also checked my eyes and ears.
She concluded migraine. I had migraines before but this did not feel like it. Anyways, she prescribed me Sumatriptan and Zofran. It didn’t help.
So a few days later I visited my physician. He ran the same test as the urgent care doctor. I felt more comfortable with his assessment especially since he answered all my questions. He concluded Inner/Middle ear infection.
He prescribed me Meclizine for nausea, Ibropufen and ear drops with sulfate.
Well it’s been two weeks since that doctors visit. A month overall since symptoms began (started with slight vertigo). And I still feel somewhat the same although my symptoms have altered.
Now I have throbbing hands, and cold sensations in my hands and feet. Also, I have pins and needles in my fingers and in my forearms that come and go depending on sitting position. It used to just be a nuisance but now at times can be painful. Painful enough to make me hold my arm tight.
Symptoms as of today:
1. Heavy, heavy swollen tight head and face (mainly when I stand up and begin my day, not while laying down. It feels like the tension rushes from my face and behind my ears and moves to the front of my face when I stand).
2. Slight facial tension
3. Slight ear crackling/fullness
4. Throbbing hands
5. Cold/burning sensations in hands and feet when sitting down
6. Pins and needle feeling in hands and forearms depending on sitting position.
7. Slight back and neck pain
8. I shiver when it’s slightly cold
I’d like to note that during the last 4-5 weeks I’ve had my fair of share of anxiety and panic attacks. I didn’t suffer from them growing up, I think, so I was told they were panic attacks by the doctor.
Anyways, my question is:
1. Do you think this is an inner ear infection? Can it be something else?
2. If so, can this infection cause nerve pain? Or is it due to the anxiety?
3. Can this nerve issue be repaired over time?
Honestly, I was a fairly healthy guy up to this point. Going to the gym 4 out of 7 days a week. Now I feel like I’m going to pass out if I move too fast. Anxiety?
29 year old
Male
5’7
173 lbs
Filipino Mexican.
On a side note, I never had carpal tunnel or arthritis growing up. So these symptoms seem related to my supposed “ear infection”.
I only suffered from migraines when I was younger until about high school.
Please any help or advice would be awesome.
Hi Everybody. I’m new here. Thought this is a perfect place for advice.
It all started in early-mid January. I, along with my roommates got flu-like symptoms. Fever, cough, diarrhea etc. We eventually got over it. Or so I thought.
Fast forward to the 1st week of February. I started developing slight vertigo and fatigue. The vertigo would come and go (mostly show itself in closed corridors or whenever I was in the shower). I thought this would pass.
Well a week went by, and it eventually progressed to something stranger. I developed ear fullness and facial tension. Almost like someone was stretching my face back. Or like the feeling of a sunburn.
Mother-in-law is a nurse so she checked my ears and saw my ear drums were slightly swollen (no fluid however). She suggested Sudafed and Motrin. I did that for one more week. It didn’t work.
Eventually 2 weeks had passed and now my symptoms were the most painful. I felt drunk even when I was sober. I had a heavy heavy, swollen head. Sometimes it would start on the right side, move it’s way to my face and over to the top of my head. It caused me to feel lightheaded and want to pass out. Like seriously pass out.
This caused me to freak out and go to urgent care. Doctor performed a neuro? test where she made me run my fingers to her fingers, my eyes to her hand, etc. She also checked my eyes and ears.
She concluded migraine. I had migraines before but this did not feel like it. Anyways, she prescribed me Sumatriptan and Zofran. It didn’t help.
So a few days later I visited my physician. He ran the same test as the urgent care doctor. I felt more comfortable with his assessment especially since he answered all my questions. He concluded Inner/Middle ear infection.
He prescribed me Meclizine for nausea, Ibropufen and ear drops with sulfate.
Well it’s been two weeks since that doctors visit. A month overall since symptoms began (started with slight vertigo). And I still feel somewhat the same although my symptoms have altered.
Now I have throbbing hands, and cold sensations in my hands and feet. Also, I have pins and needles in my fingers and in my forearms that come and go depending on sitting position. It used to just be a nuisance but now at times can be painful. Painful enough to make me hold my arm tight.
Symptoms as of today:
1. Heavy, heavy swollen tight head and face (mainly when I stand up and begin my day, not while laying down. It feels like the tension rushes from my face and behind my ears and moves to the front of my face when I stand).
2. Slight facial tension
3. Slight ear crackling/fullness
4. Throbbing hands
5. Cold/burning sensations in hands and feet when sitting down
6. Pins and needle feeling in hands and forearms depending on sitting position.
7. Slight back and neck pain
8. I shiver when it’s slightly cold
I’d like to note that during the last 4-5 weeks I’ve had my fair of share of anxiety and panic attacks. I didn’t suffer from them growing up, I think, so I was told they were panic attacks by the doctor.
Anyways, my question is:
1. Do you think this is an inner ear infection? Can it be something else?
2. If so, can this infection cause nerve pain? Or is it due to the anxiety?
3. Can this nerve issue be repaired over time?
Honestly, I was a fairly healthy guy up to this point. Going to the gym 4 out of 7 days a week. Now I feel like I’m going to pass out if I move too fast. Anxiety?
29 year old
Male
5’7
173 lbs
Filipino Mexican.
On a side note, I never had carpal tunnel or arthritis growing up. So these symptoms seem related to my supposed “ear infection”.
I only suffered from migraines when I was younger until about high school.
Please any help or advice would be awesome.
-
talkhealth
- Posts: 1782
- Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:29 pm
Re: Ear Infection or something else??
Hi nikoh123,
Sorry to hear about the pain and discomfort that you are in. It sounds very difficult for you to know where to turn, given that you have received conflicting opinions from your different Health Professionals. It is not surprising that you are experiencing panic and anxiety as you don't yet have a conclusive diagnosis. It could be that the anxiety is causing secondary symptoms on top of something else.
Sadly, we are unable to give out specific medical advice to you but as we are partnered with the NHS, please find links below to NHS factsheets on conditions that cover your range of symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms cross over between conditions. It may be worth talking these over with your Dr:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an ... y#symptoms
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ear-infections/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hand-pain/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/labyrinthitis/
We hope that you are able to find out soon what is causing your discomfort.
Kind regards
talk health
Sorry to hear about the pain and discomfort that you are in. It sounds very difficult for you to know where to turn, given that you have received conflicting opinions from your different Health Professionals. It is not surprising that you are experiencing panic and anxiety as you don't yet have a conclusive diagnosis. It could be that the anxiety is causing secondary symptoms on top of something else.
Sadly, we are unable to give out specific medical advice to you but as we are partnered with the NHS, please find links below to NHS factsheets on conditions that cover your range of symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms cross over between conditions. It may be worth talking these over with your Dr:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an ... y#symptoms
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ear-infections/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hand-pain/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/labyrinthitis/
We hope that you are able to find out soon what is causing your discomfort.
Kind regards
talk health
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