Once I was diagnosed with Chiari and went over symptoms with my neurosurgeon I realized every symptom I had was related to Chiari- headache at the back left side (where my chiari is) of my head, tingling on left side of body (nerve damage) vision problems in left eye, ringing in left ear. I always made up excuses as to why I was having that symptom and never realized they were all related to one thing. I just found my chiari in April and had surgery on Sept 18.
How big is your herniation?
Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.
Everyone here can relate to how u feel and also know how frustrated it can be to get answers and treatment so u can actually feel better.....
Chiari can cause and create all diff types of pain for each of us , so not all of us will have the same symptoms exactly.....if u have Chiari and were DX'd u will want to meet with a Chiari specialist to rule out related conditions as many of them can cause the same symptoms as Chiari and there are non related conditions that can have the same or similar symptoms.
Keep us posted on how ur ENT visit goes.
Thank you so much everyone! Appointment with the ENT went well :) you all are very encouraging and just wonderful! Will definitely keep all this in mind when talking to the neuologist!
By the way, you should connect with SarahRaye2 on this forum. She's going through the same thing and is about your age.
My daughter's headaches were exactly as you described, even "electric-ee."
Her herniation was only 5mm which doesn't sound like much but it was shallow and wide enough to block CSF flow to the brain and cause all the symptoms. Some patients with longer but more narrow "tonsils" have no symptoms because CSF can flow around them more freely. As far as the vertigo and ringing in the ears, these are common problems with Chiari patients as my daughter also experienced. If the ENT can't find anything you should still mention it to the neurologist.
How could I forget....
Points of pain and pressure on sides of head as well behind ears
Constant crackling/fullness in ears
Great description of your headaches, mine are the same but I would add to that;
Includes scalp tenderness/pain to the point my hair hurts
Pressure pain in head sometimes so severe it feels like top of head will explode
This is debilitating, always there to varying degrees
Makes me feel like I am dying
You are not alone my friend, hang in there;-) Lisa