Ear pain and fullness with headaches and neck pain

I was wondering, does anyone have ear pain without any ear problems?
I have been checked out by Neuro, ENT and GP and NOTHING. I'm wondering if I have TMJ but I don't know.
Here are my symptoms...
Right ear pain
Right ear fullness/ringing
Pain behind right eye
spot headaches on right side
grinding teeth at night
stiff neck - going into my shoulders

I had an MRI/MRA back in Oct and all it showed was chronic sinusitis which I am being treated for by my ENT however he knows the pain is not coming from my ear. I am worried. Could this be an aneursym? I know a tumor or something like that would have showed on MRI. I've heard horror stories about aneurysms in carotid arteries and next to ear. I'm terrified of dying from one. Does this sound like that? Should I have another test? I am going to see a TMJ specialist in March but I feel I can't wait that long and sadly my birthday is tomorrow and I just want to know what is wrong with me! If anyone could help I would be more than greatful. Does anyone know about TMJ or aneurysms?
I would appreciate it...THANKS and good luck to all of you!

[ZachBrady]

HI it sounds just like tmj...been there, also I'm in the Dental field.  Your regular Dentist should be able to tell you without going to a specialist.  You also can tell by looking at the tops of your teeth and seen if the cusps are getting worn down.  They will have no points and smooth. it sounds like when you sleep your jaw is resting on the right side more, so that is why you have more presure on that side.  all you'll need is a fitted night splint, and you should feel better right away. ear pain is usually associated with tmj. good luck.

[txtony]

im sorry in your first post i did not read you already had an mri/mra done. mra images internal carotid arteries in the brain, that would have definitely showed an brain aneurysm. mri would have showed, avm,tumor,cyst,cancer,
meningiomas,etc..., if all that is worrying you really is dying from an aneurysm, relax you dont have it, yes i agree on horror stories, but youve tested. so relax enjoy life

[Mels22]

Hi, do many people with tmj have localized headaches on one side?  Do they also have ear pain and pain behind the eye?  I find these symptoms weird for tmj.  It worries me.  I just want to make sure it is nothing serious.  do you think it is?  Also I always have a stiff neck.
Thank you!

[Mels22]

Hi and thanks for your response!  Do you think though that an aneurysm could have developed in the last 3 months?  Or some other thing like an AVM?  Or could it have been missed on the test?  I'm just so scared cause the localized headaches, pain behind eyes, pulsatile tinnitus, and all that sounds like an aneursym or something bad doesn't it?  Do you think it could just be TMJ?  Its been 15 days now and I dont know what to do.  Please help and THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ZachBrady]

HI Yes TMJ on one side is very common. you may have this condition due to many reasons:
Your jaw may rest to the right when you sleep and cluching or grinding will make that side worse.
you may be a heavier chewer on the one side.
Or if you were ever in a accident and at any time hit your head or jaw, you can start to experience symptoms yrs later.
If you think you grind you must get a night guard asap before you wear down any tooth enamel....then you got big problems. good luck

[txtony]

well, the mri/mra would have shown a developing aneurysm, or avm. an arterial vein malformation gives off symptoms like a cva. so does an aneurysm, in any case the mri scan would have definitely picked it up. an aneurysm is a balooning of an artery in many levels, there can be a dissecting, that is whenit forms a pseudolumen,which fills with blood. in an mra, a intrinsic scan ,detailed, is taken of your artery and the fill of blood in the vessel, if any mentioned above would be the culprit, it would appear. the mri scan looks at the brain in detail, csf,sulcus, deviation any masses,changes,edema,fluid, old vs new cva, its amazingly detailed.  if you had a mass,bleed, a developing aneurysm it would have picked it up.  so iwouldnt worry about that.

[Barb]

My ear ringing / stiff neck / headaches started Christmas Day. I've been to my family MD 3 times. He says nothing is wrong with my ears and the pressure is OK. The ringing is unbelievable. A loud tea kettle sound  and is 100 % worse at night.I can only sleep with the TV on to help muffle the sound ) My headache has almost gone but the ears and neck are worse . As of 2/8/07 the pain is starting in the ears, was all on right, now equal. I'm still over a week away from my Eye/Ear/ Nose Dr. appt.
I've had relief from a bi-weekly Chiropractor ( headaches 95% and neck will improve for 2 to 4 days ).I had had a flu type problem  right before this occured. ( 57 yr. old female in good health )
Can anyone help?

[kdcpink]

Well Barb, I wish I had a solution for you.
You are not alone... I too came down with the same symptoms as you after what started like a flu type illness, turning into a migraine... I've had headaches/head pains, ear fullness, stiff neck as well continuing for the past 2 months.  CT Scan, MRI and allergy tests have shown nothing.  I asked my doctor if it could be a virus going around, and he says no.  Asprins, allergy meds and antibiotics have not helped.  When and if I find something that helps, I will post.
Meanwhile, my thoughts are with all of us who have these crazy symptoms with no answers.  Hang in there.

[ksportsmom]

I to am having the same symptoms.  Going back to the doc again today.  I did feel fluish befor all this came one 3 weeks ago.  but then again, this ear pain comes and goes when it wants to .  Someone told me that it is associated with my jaw not lining up right. I will most definetly talk to the doc on that one.  Good luck, will post something if it works!

[aog1]

It was interesting that I am not suffering these symptoms alone. I have been running and chasing for an answer to no such avail. I am currently suffering ear fullness and pain. My sinuses are somewhat better after 875mg Amox. I encountered a severe sinus infection 2 years ago.(CT scan finally confirmed that). Then still had ear troubles and the Ketek antibiotic didn't help ENT then gave me Levaquin and more steroids(pill & injection) At same time places a vent tube in my left ear. I immediately felt a horrible pressure in my right ear but strangly enough it would sometimes feel like my left ear was full. Then I get right ear tubed. So, for almost 2 years with the tubes and able to fly. Since this episode hit me 2 years ago the right ear always felt off, kind of full. About two months ago my left ear felt horrible when I awoke one morning. Bubbling in left ear. Something wasn't right. ENT wasn't sure if the tube was still there. The audiologist said sure it's there and there is some crusting. ENT gave me Ciprodex? ear drops and said call if not feeling better. I am so bummed because the same fullness that hit me 2 years earlier is now really bad again. I kept going to this ENT clinic, now next ENT at this clinic removes crusting and tube is out. Then he removes right tube and I have hole in ear that may or may not heal. The pressure is unbearable. Over 1 + 1/2 mos. and still fullness/pain in my right ear and sinus mostly but sometimes goes to left side. Not as bad since the antibiotic but very bothersome. It took 3 ENT's and a CT scan to tell me nothing is wrong and I still feel horrible. GPrac gave me the antibiotic. This has helped all of the horrible sinus pain and pressure significantly. I am still chasing for an answer about the right ear & neck pressure and worry to about something majorly wrong. I am receiving a splint this week and hope this will be it. I still have this horrible lightheadedness when I inhale through my nose. I go to allergist this weeek too. I am a little worried tho because it seems many other folks here have not found anything conclusive with an Allergist or TMJ and still have ear pressure issues. Oh I hope this will be the answer with the splint. I will let you know as I want to be able to feel normal again. Good luck to all and it's really helpful to communicate with other folks experiencing the same bothersome symptoms. P.S. Has anyone found a connection with Desert Storm? I was there and always wonder about the Gulf War causing any of this or was it the horrible reaction to Levaquin(antibiotic)?

[Hope001]

I have sleepiness; fullness mainly in the right ear, but also some in the left ear;
constant and loud tinnitus; fog brain; lightheadedness, dizziness, and swooning; headaches; and an overall pressure or tight feeling in my head.  I feel depressed and only want to sit when having these symptoms.  I look forward to going to bed at night to escape living with this.  Recently, I've begun to get up with a stiff neck.  Some days it will wear off and some days it stays with me.  I started these symptoms when I was in my mid 40's.  It started with dizziness.  I was sent to several doctors (GP, ENT, etc.) and then to Duke for tests of all kinds.  NO ONE was able to diagnose my problem.  They just told me to come back the next time I had a "spell."  For years, I have had "spells" that have varying symptoms from the above list.  Those symptoms used to last 10 minutes and go away.  Then they started lasting for an hour.  Then for 3 hours and continued to build until they now last for days (2 or 3 weeks).  All will go away except the tinnitus, which is 24/7, for awhile, but I live in fear of when the symptoms will return.  I have tried everything offered.  I have tried journaling to see if anything is consistent.  I have been to numerous doctors and dentists over the years (I'm now in my mid 50's.) and NOTHING helps.  It's been suggested that I may have Minere's Disease, vertigo, chronic sinusitis, eustachion tube problems, TMJ, allergies, middle ear problems, stress, menopause, etc.  Yet, when treated for any of these conditions, NOTHING has helped.  In fact, some meds have made it worse.  I have been doing extensive reading and found that increasing serotonin levels might relieve ear problems.  Since I knew that I tend to have low serotonin, I bought 5-HTP at the health food store and take one nightly.  That has held off the spells for awhile; however, I am suffering as I write.  With so many people having these symptoms, I think it must be something the doctors are unaware of at this point.  I wonder if there is a doctor out there reading our miseries.  

[SLP07]

HOPE - I am having the same type symptoms as you have described - I have just returned from a follow-up appointment with an ENT who specializes in hearing loss and balance disorders - they have done many tests--- he says that nothing is wrong with my ears although I have pain in and behind my right ear and thought I had an ear infection.
My next step is to go back to my GP because my potassium was low and see if I need to have my BP meds changed and take potassium. Also, the ENT mentioned that it may be a pinched nerve, nerve damage, or even that all the symptoms I have could be menopause related...and that the face, neck and ear pain could be an atypical migraine. So I do understand how you feel. Maybe some of this info might help you, too.  

[Ninjarick]

It seems that a lot of other people from all walks of life including myself have
this similar problem to some degree some more severe than others.
I have searched several different forums on the net and see the same story
which is referred ear pain , neck and or head stiffness and pain and a myriad of
other symptoms in each case the patient is seen by his GP given a course of antibiotics the pain never goes away is then sent to an ENT or dentist so forth
and so on . So far there hasn't been one positive diagnosis  and in some cases
dentists have referred patients to oral surgeons for needless wisdom tooth extraction. While I'm not a medical doctor I can see there is a major problem
with the medical profession in not treating the patient properly because I hate to
say it but the medical profession has in this century turned into a billion dollar
money making business. I have some of the same symptoms on and off since January
and the only  treatments that seem to help are alternative practices such as
acupuncture and ear candling  they seem to work for me the only problem with my
symptoms is I live in a very damp weather climate in the winter time  even when the temp is in the 50's it feels cold soon as my neck gets cold the symptoms start
when the temp gets warmer or i've had my acupuncture  session I feel like I never had this problem.  MY acupuncturist feels there is a weakness on the right side of my neck structure that is radiating up through my jaw and right ear when she inserts the the acu needles on that side the pressure ceases but the next week if the temp drops  i get the fullness back in my ear also if my wife does an ear candling session on me I can be pain free for a week at the beginning my GP put me on penicillin and vicodin in fact he gave me enought vicodin  for three weeks that was a horror show cause I wan't sure if the pain had left or not thank god I didn't become dependant that's all dr's know how to do medicate , mask the problem or cut something out in surgery they treat the symptoms not the patient. We all need to do some research and wake up  Western medicine is keeping us sick and making Dr's rich .

[Hope001]

Thank you for your thoughts on this problem.  Blood pressure is something I have thought of, but have been told by the doctors, on several different occasions that I have near perfect blood pressure.  Therefore, I've not addressed that.  However, the idea of atypical migraine could very well be a possibility.  Migraines have been a part of my life for 30 years.  I cannot stand it when a medical person tells me that any symptom I have is "menopause related!"  That is a scape goat for them.  True, some symptoms are menopause related, but something of this nature is not!  Thank you for your words and response.  

[Hope001]

I appreciate your alternative medicine idea!  Acupuncture is something I've not tried, but am going to look into that.  I, too, have noticed that the weather could have something to do with this.  However, when I've journaled my spells, I see no coorelation.  I do, however, know that wind causes me problems.  You are so very right about the medical profession not knowing what to do other than medicate or take something out.  I have a bottle of diuretics in my cabinet now that have done me no good.  My ENT gave me those just because he was out of ideas.  I made up my mind not to call him about this again.  He hasn't a clue.  Thank you for your thoughts and response.  Misery loves company!

[Ninjarick]

I'm glad I can be of some help I have a lot of compassion
for anyone going through this type of pain. To say that
it's unpleasant doesn't quite capture the torture that it causes
but anyway I notice now that the weather is warmer where I live
and although I lost my job which was a big source of stress
I no longer feel the ear and jaw pain for over a week now which
for me is better than winning the lotto. I do feel you should try
the acupuncture they will get to the root of the problem  also
if your already seeing a chiropractor adjusting your neck will
also help.

[Hope001]

I'm sorry about your job!  But glad you are feeling relief from your ears!  Maybe the job was the problem!!!!

[Trishlynn71]

Anyone having ear fullness WITH side neck pain under that ear...horrible..driving me nuts!  MRI tomorrow!  Will let you know.

Trish

[lindrellc]

has any1 read up about the canida yeast overgrowth thing its awfull the symptoms it can cause. Ear fullness, dizziness, siff sensation or pressure in the neck, depression, allergic symptoms, seizure type symptoms, migraine, general headaches, fungal nail infection, hormonal problems, l erratic vision the list is endless!

[prayer1]

I'm 32 years old. I have suffered with ear fullness, pain, foggy head, feeling like my brain moves side to side inside, when I'm standing. I feel as if my body is rocking inside (but know one sees that) but I feel that way. I do have shoulder and neck pain and pressure in those ares. I never had dizzy spells just feeling foggy or whossy feeling. ENT thought. I had miners disease. I check out ok on that. as well with alot of other testing. I do work have 3 kids and married. I miss alot of work do to this can't get disablity due to know dignosis and family just listens to me. I have know life it seems like know more. I know 4 years ago I was normal I know what that feels like. So, I know something is going on. I do also have tmj using a mouth guard and that does not help me. I do still use it though. I have had these symptoms for over 3 years now. and they are getting worse. I do go Aug 14 to have surgery on my sinuses to be cleared. I hope that helps but Doc. don't think so, but were trying it any ways. Blood pressure good when through a tilt table test as well, surgar and insulin good, b-12 was low but I take drops for that and b-12 ok know. Any ideas let me know. I'll keep all of you updated.

[beenie621]

I have also been suffering for 2 months with fullness in the ears, neck pain, dizziness (and some jaw pain too... especially this one spot right underneath the ears... holy cow!).  I've been to an ENT who prescribed steroids for six days and Nasonex, but she did say that it could take several weeks to clear up.  She has told me that this was caused from a flight that I took back in late May.  The tiny tubes that connect your inner ear with your sinuses can "collapse" under pressure. Normally they pop back open, but mine did not.  And no amount of chewing, yawning or blowing your nose is going to "un-pop" the ears.
Also going to a chiropractor who is helping with the jaw and neck pain. All this is connected. So hopefully both types of treatment will work.

[junquete]

I've been going through this for over 15yrs now. Family thinks I'm hypochondriac doctor won't even give me t3's for the pain my throat is always swollen on one side.
Done the gammit of allergy tests, ear docs, eye problems-floaters, ear aches from hell neck and jaw swollen all the time, headaches. reading all of these pages has actually given me some relief! I asked my doctor about the relationship of my ear face and neck pain and he says he's never heard of the relationship between bad teeth and all these symptoms. I have extremely painful teeth and am ready to have them all pulled. Can't afford it but willing to go through it some how. I'm going through hell and have for close to fifteen years and eat tylenol ones like it's candy! I go to emergency when the neck and face swell so bad I can't take anymore- three times now in ten months! They give me nasal spray, ear drops usually thirty to fifty bucks at a time over and over again.  It's so much pain and tonight is hell. I'm so swollen that my customers sand coworkers  see it in my face and ask about it all the time. I turn red very easily too. Haven't seen that one mentioned much here. I'm at the point tonight where I can barely turn my head to the right. I was told back i 1980 about tmj thing but he said it was the disease of the eighties and wanted  to put implants of some sort into my jaw. At that time we had no money and I wasn't really all that eager to be a guinea pig. So I've let it go and  been told over the past  years i have chrons disease, irritable bowel, rheumatoid, lupus, and the latest one a couple of years ago is MS. I haven't had the ct scan but I'm sure that's not my problem. What I am becoming very aware of is my teeth are involved. I have always since childhood had bad teeth and after each baby they got worse.(thankfully only two)  I have a couple of teeth that are giving me a lot of trouble and feel like all there is left in them is filling and are extremely sensitive to anything.
I also know how much I clench my jaw now because of the pain. But the pain causes the clenching and the clenching causes the pain!
BUT all this reading tonight has really given me a light bulb over my head. I do need to see the dentist and really think that my reality will be dentures in a year or two. Hopefully having  a full set of teeth that all fit together will offer some relief. I may be completely on the wrong track but I'm seeing a pattern here. I've had the tubes in my ears so many times I just gave up. I'm fifty now and think that's a little late to be needing the tubes in my ears. My hearing is muffled and they have blamed allergies for that. I can see some of it there but I've been suffering way too much and way too long to be treated with ear drops and nose sprays. I know I sound cynical at this point but I just don't know where to turn to next.
I have no idea what i expect to hear from this rant but it sure feels good to know I'm not crazy! There really are other people going through similar problems and that I can see that chasing up the ear nose and throat problems may be the wrong direction. But thank you all for posting your problems and  shedding a little more light in my neighbourhood!~junquete

[Cbough]

I too am having problems with ear pain, stiff neck, jaw pain, sinus pain and it all started with a fever and flu like symptoms.  I am scheduled for a root canal on Thursday.  I will let you know if it has all been related to my teeth.  My dentist told me that the root of this tooth is very close to my sinuses.  I felt like I had a sinus infection and an ear infection.  The fever was two days after I had a crown put in.  I think the dentist may have stirred something up that was lying dormant in there.  I hate root canals but I hope that is what is causing all of this!

[bubbles07]

I too experience this pain pressure on a daily basis.  My doctor(s) don't know what it is.  All of them stem back to TMJ but MRI is normal.  One doctor said its a dislocated jaw.  I don't know anymore.  CT of Sinuses are normal.  I've had sinus surgery.  The second one I had to undergo because of a blow to my face.  My symptoms are as follows:

pain/pressure in ears - no infection
ear feels constantly on fire-no infection
when bone of ear is pressed on - pain all thru neck
behind eye - pressure and tight
entire jaw - pain and swelling
upon swallowing - feeling of choking
pain in shoulder-some burning
when placing finger slightly in ear and moving jaw-major cracking and popping of the jaw

This is all on left side.  Right side no symptoms.

Maybe it is TMJ and the MRI is wrong.  I don't know anymore.  Anyone have any answers?

I don't understand what is going on and more I don't understand why doctors, so educated today, cannot figure it out. Why so many of us have to suffer.  

[bubbles07]

[bubbles07]

I've tried to post a question to the doctor on this site, but have received no answer.

[mackgray7206]

Hi.  my symptoms are like yours....I too had sinus surgery which has not helped with the ear pain.  I have had 2 cervical fushions and believe that my ear pain comes from my neck injury.  I hurt in my ear behind my ear and in my face....I also have severe head aches that are one sided....Good luck to you...

[Andi K]

I have had many of the same symptoms listed above and thought I would provide an entry as a thought.  I have had left ear/jaw/neck pain for 2-3 years.  It usually sparks when I am starting to get sick.  I have seen 3 ENTs, an allergist and a neurologist;  I also started having headaches, tingling on the left side of my face and major eye twitching then pain behind my left eye.  I have also had shingles at least once maybe twice (a few have said that one episode didn't seem typical of shingles).  Nonetheless, the one time I am certain it was over my left eye.  So, as of now, I was told that this all may be the shingles virus or another type of virus reacting and living in the nerves in my jaw, ear, etc. (MRI, CT, etc. all showed nothing). I took Valtrex and it seemed to help right away.  I haven't had eye pain, numbness or a headache but my ear is still hurting!  Hopefully this may lead some of you to another direction for investigation.  Also, if you have any other thoughts for me...let me know!  Yes, it's miserable!  I am thinking maybe I have a few things going on at once.

Thanks!

[GreenhillDeer]

Question:
Over the past 5-6 weeks, I have had a dull earache in my right ear.  After seeing an ear doctor, I was told there is nothing wrong with my ear; I need to see my dentist for TMJ.  My ear quite hurting.  A week ago I began with a pain in my right temple.  Advil helped, but didn't take away pain completely.  Over the course of the week, one afternoon I experienced a fever (101.7 degrees, chills, hot, etc.) and that passed as well.  I have now determined that the sharp pain in my right temple occurs when I touch the middle of my top lip or rub my nose.  There is a very slight fullness in ear and behind eye on my right side.  No change in vision that I can detect.  As for TMJ, I do not have any pain in my jaw, can open mouth wide, eat, chew, etc. without pain.  WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH ME?   Please help.

[WOWMOM]

HELLO.  Many of the symptoms listed are very familiar to me, and had I not ended up at an allergy specialist that recognized that my symptoms had very little to do with allergies, I would be totally, disfunctionally sick by now.  Look up any information you can get on Myofascial Pain Disorder (MPD) because many of the people with TMJ, neck pain & stiffness, head pain at one side of head or eye, or ear, sinus congestion or post nasal drip, bad headaches, sensitivity to cold, etc.  could be suffering with this "disorder".  Eventually, you may have a headache that never goes away, and you think it is sinus related because you have the congestion, and you feel sick, but it is the disorder that makes you sick feeling.  Tired beyond belief, nauseated, sensitive to odors like chemicals, perfumes, cleaners, petroleum products, etc?  Here's the catch...most doctors do not recognize, on know about, or understand this illness.  Try to call around & find one that does.   Some of the pain management centers kind of "get it", and offer Lidocaine shots, which help a bit with the neck pain.  But what really works is DRY NEEDLING (similar to acupuncture but focused on the Trigger Points that are causing all the pain & symptoms) and Manual Trigger Point release, which is NOT massage, but very purposeful manipulation of these Trp's(trigger points).  Daily stretching as instructed by a specialist, or Physical Therapist versed in MPD, and trigger point release.  Also, pain related problems like Plantar Faciitis, hip pain & tightness, Knees locked, & other unexplained tightness and/or pain.  I do not believe that any pain killers help this problem-drugs are not the answer here, and probably not any surgery either, because the fascia will still be "knotted up" after the fact.  One doctor gave me the answers after seeing my "Primary Care Doctor" for 3 months, and getting worse, and they do not even TRY to figure out WHY and WHAT is happening.  RUN!!  I know I will deal with this for the rest of my life but at least I know why, and some things I can do to heal myself, or at least relieve some of the symptoms.  A great site to see the many symptoms (about 147) of Myofascial Pain Disorder is:  www.sover.net/~devstar/Patient_Review.pdf   And just google it for other articles and medical publications.
This is lumped together with Fibromyalgia much of the time, which can exist in conjunction with MPD, but is most definitely different, but many people recognize the name "Fibromyalgia".  It may help you to find the "right" doctor.  Good luck!
Julie Fremeau

[WOWMOM]

Hey, especially you.  Please read my first comment a few minutes ago.  Try to find a doctor that understands Myofascial Pain Disorder because it sounds like you have been on the path that I started down 18 months ago, and I am a "Lucky One" because I (accidentally) ended up at an allergy specialist that had a lot of experince with this.  He became a specialist because of "30years of misdiagnosing patients that did not improve".  He just kept looking & pushing to help these people, until he has.   I have always been a fit, slim, healthy person, and after an injury 18 months ago, it was all down hill.  Just remember, everyghing in your body is "connected" and one area can cause symptons far from the cause or trigger.  Much luck to you!

[chipmunk226]

wow, i have a lot of these symptoms now. i am 28 and i have shoulder pain from a previous injury and had it checked out monday. the ortho specialist poked around my shoulder and said I have myofascial pain and two trigger points in my left shoulder.

since tuesday i developed blurred and 'strobe' like sensations in my eyes that lasted for about 2 hours and a dull headache. i took my blood pressure and it was elevated at 141/101. i never has blood pressure issues before. i went to the doc the next day and reported that my headache feels like my whole head is filled with fluid and i have shoulder and neck pain. she treated me for an atypical migraine and then gave me water pills for the blood pressure and gave me an order for an MRI which i will have tomorrow. i have a family history of aneurysms and my brother has a borderline chiari.

i never mentioned to my doc the diagnosis of MPD b/c i didn't think it was connected, i will now :)

my question is with the ortho spec poking around, could she have caused the symptoms I have now? i just started getting ear fullness on my right side [opposite side to my previous shoulder injury] today, i feel fatigued, feel like i have a permanent weight on my back, neck and shoulders and have maliase. my headache has reduced some but still have a feeling of fullness around my face.
i really can't rest or take it easy because i have 3 boys, ages 8,2 and 1 and my husband is currently overseas. :-/


i also will be starting PT tomorrow, so I will be sure to tell them of my new symptoms. feeling like this really sucks.

[JoeCoffee]

You hit the nail on the head. Myofascial Pain Disorder! I was just getting ready to post the same message that you did. I've been through most of the pain and problems that I just got done reading about and if I waited for my GP to figure this out I would never get any better.  Thanks to a therapist who specializes in Myofascial Pain Disorder I am getting much better. The "hot spots" or trigger points on my upper back are gone. This ordeal involved my teeth, sinuses, ears, neck muscles and the muscles of my upper back. Stress also plays a HUGE part in this syndrome.  A regular doctor doesn't put all this together like a therapist does. I still have stiff, painful muscles on the sides of my neck.  The  fullness and ringing in my ears is getting much better. This is caused by muscles and nerves tightening up and pulling on parts of the inner ear (Eustachian tube) Take a look at a book called "Travell and Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction. The Trigger Point Manual". Just sit in a bookstore and flip through and you will see how all these problems are linked and caused mainly by stress and muscle spasm. Part way through my therapy I actually started taking yoga classes so I could learn to simply relax my muscles, especially the muscles in my neck and upper back. Give this a look and some thought. I hope this helps.

[dawnp30]

It should be considered that there are many symptoms of TMJ disorder.  Everyone is different, therefore the disorder can and does manifest itself in a variety of ways.  Although this is by no means an exclusive list, the following are symptoms a patient with TMJ disorder might experience.
You do not have an aneurysm. There usually are no signs.

Eye Pain and Eye Problems:

Bloodshot eyes
Blurring of vision
Eye pain above, below and behind eye
Pressure behind eyes
Light sensitivity
Watering of the eyes
Head Pain, Headache Problems, Facial Pain:

Migraines
Forehead pain
Cluster headaches
"Sinus Type" headache
Hair and/or scalp painful or sensitive to touch
Headaches at the back of the head, with or without shooting pain

[dawnp30]

I myself worry about all the same problems above. Aneurysm has no symptoms, though tumors do. Even a CT scan of the brain would have showed something. MRI breaks things down and looks deep. CT is for diagnosis. If you are worried and want relief, have a CT done of your brain. Go to your local ER and tell them you have terrible headaches and want a CT of your brain. But I can assure this is all due to Chronic Sinusitus, TMJ or even wisdom teeth. Most people do not know that certain teeth go into your sinus cavities. Therefore it can cause some problems. Minor ones. I experienced the same and trust me, for the first time in my life it caused some major worry and painc disorders.

[RWENGERT]

Hello Hope, I beleive my wife had wrote to you. I must say I am so sorry for what you have been going through all these years. When she told me that she had come across your story I felt compelled to write to you.I have read your story and it is simply amazing to see we suffer from the same symptoms.Recently I have had the same thing happen to me where I was not getting any answers that seem to have made any sense.I was told I had soft tissue injury and acid reflux which I thought was absolutely a joke! That was by an ENT who had taken a CT scan only on the left side and for that purpose only and although nothing showed that indicated muscle problems but did show a swallen lymphnode it was his opinion that I had acid reflux and suggested I by over the counter acid reflux meds and I would be fine I assured him he would not be seeing me again!! I know what acid reflux is and although it can cause simular symptoms and can be very dangerous I knew damn well that was not the problem.Anyone who's had acid reflux knows it causes an acidic fluid that comes up from the throat area and burns in which you can taste but affects the chest over all. It's common sense along with common knowledge.So I decided to take it upon myself to do my own research on the internet and consort w/ my family Doctor a little.One thing I had going for me was past experience w/ a similar medical problem.For years I would pass out for no reason and have bursts of energy then all of a sudden get real tired and would even have trouble w/ my memory and have trouble maintaing weight just all kinds of things and these spells would last for a couple of weeks before I would recover.At the age of 17 I started producing kidney stones and for years I kept switching doctors who just kept dismissing everything.Then at the age of 25 finally a doctor said to me Robert you have the begining stages of chronic renal failure and you calcium is way to high and your phosporus is way to low so im sending you to an Endocrinologist.It was then that he discovered I had what was called Hyperparathyroidism and was sent to the West Reading Hospital where the Director of surgons removed one of the parathyroids.In knowing this from the past it was then that I decided to take matters into my own hands and do my own research and talk w/ my family doctor.Now I don't beleive thats the problem, however I do beleive I have what could possibly be thyroiditis of some sort.There are different ones.But the symptoms are all but dead on! And most likely I think. I mean they will cause pain in the throat,ears on the left,right and/or both sides and the jaw! It can cause swelling of the neck along w/ neck pain like a stiff neck,memory loss,chronic fatigue, weight loss and gain,urinating problems even constipation.It is no joke! And is a very serious matter if left untreated.Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is a more serious one.But respectfully all thyroid problems are serious ones.I am now going back to the Endocinologist that I saw in 1995 because he saved me the first time and refused to dimiss anything! There are tests that you can take for the thyroid such as a thyroid scan and fine-needle aspiration biopsy among broad spectrum blood tests and now commonly used are blood test to check the levels of thyroid hormones in order to diagnose symptoms of other thyroid problems such as Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism or even Hyperparathyroidism all of which are dangerous.Blood tests can tell you if they are normal,overactive or underactive or if there is another gland problem.The thyroid gland uses iodine to prduce thyroid hormones.Two most common are thyroxine(T4) and triiodothyronine(T3). T3 effects the metabolism of cells.There is so much information out there on the internet that we can use to try and help ourselves and I suggest that you look these things up for yourself to become more aware of your symptoms and better educate yourself.I really think these finding will put you on the right track and help you w/ you problem. I truely beleive that one of these could be your problem and upon your research present it to your family doctor or even call an Endocrinologist yourself and explain your symptoms. I think this should have been presented to you before and I'm a little surprised that it wasn't. These things can really reek havoc on the body and mind.You wouldn't beleive what they can do to an individual.I'm being very serious about this! Please research these things! I truely wish you the best of luck, for I am in the process of doing the same thing and im not wasting any time doing so either! Please Hope001 let me know how you make out.

[wewillwinit6times]

I too have been suffering with similar symptoms over the last two months and in a small is a welcome relief that I know others are having problems the same as me.

The symptoms related are as follows:

Pulsating, tingling feeling in the right side of the head just above the right ear.
My right ear over the past couple of weeks feels hot and has a fullness to it and needs to be popped but never lasts.

These symptoms are not persistent which leads me to think it is nothing life threatening and when I'm out or doing stuff, talking to people I never have it which would lead me to think that it could be stressed related and I don't have it first thing when I wake up. I do suffer from depression and anxiety and also have a disorder called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after an accident which causes constant pain in my right leg, back and neck and do suffer from stiffness around the back and neck, it is a disorder in the secondary nervous system which is where the pain we get is triggered from and usually the nervous system calms down after pain but with me it thinks it is constantly in pain.

Also the more I think about the related problems the worse it gets, earlier my Mum gave me a massage and it totally went but as soon as I said to her, Mum the feeling in my head and ear have gone guess what it started coming back.

I am seeing the doctor tomorrow so will come back with the answer.

Take care everyone and try not too worry.

[wewillwinit6times]

Well I visited the doctor who also thinks it is stress and anxiety, she has upped my anti-depressants to 75mg and I have found out that anti-depressants should be taken before bedtime as it will give you a good nights sleep which thus will leave you better rested and more relaxed throughout the day.

It has started to work already, I am sleeping much better now and am getting an extra two and a half hours sleep from what I was sleeping, the burning ear sensation has worn off but am still getting slight palpatations in the side of the head but not as bad as it was and another thing I have noticed which I get when I'm anxious is I start shaking my left leg well that has stopped now, my body has also been tense these last couple of months which has heightened my pain in my neck, back and legs but have felt that I do feel more relaxed in myself but still not 100%.

I do hope I have been of some help and wish you all the best for the future.

[CarisaSand]

Like many of you have said, it is comforting to know that there are others out there struggling with the same things as me.

I was absolutely terrified when last year  I woke up in the middle of the night with loud pulsatile tinnitus in my left ear.  Irom that point on I had constant (often daily) headaches/neckaches and this low bass beating in my left ear at night.  Often, by morning, my headaches would be worse and the beating in my ear would turn into a roar.  Sometimes throughout the day I would have dizzy or lightheaded spells.  Sometimes, I would have shooting pain that would run like lightening from the back of my head on the lefside to the tippy top.  Then, it would go away within a couple minutes.  All of this left me exhausted and concerened.  It changed my usually happy outlook on life.  I started having strict bedtime rituals complete with pillows to keep me in certain positions.  I stopped drinking any alchol..wine, beer, anything for fear that it would intensify the daily headaches.  I became scared/anxious. I have a beautiful little three year old boy that I desperately want to watch grow into a man and I really want to be a grandmom some day too.  But, all I had were thoughts of certain tragic untimely problems/endings.

So, I went to my primary, the ENT, the Neurologist.  I had an MRI and MRA.  I even had an echocardiogram. All of these tests were last year.  But, there was no abnormality found aside from a teeny tiny benign pituitary tumor that had been diagnosed when I was 21 (I'm 37 now).  So, the thought was perhaps it was a Sinus Infection or maybe Migraines since the tumor played with my hormones OR...maybe even just Stress.

Well, that was last year and in the meantime, I decided to have my tumor removed this past September thinking that would take care of all my problems and get my hormones all back in order.  But, as fate would have it, after making it through recovery from the surgery and being told it was successful on all levels, my headaches/neckaches and pulsatile tinnitus are back.  This time, the pulsatile tinnitus is worse.  IT is CLEARLY my heartbeat.  I mean it's like I'm listening to my heart beat through a stethoscope when I lay on my leftside at night.  On my right side, I don't hear it so much and during the day, I don't notice it either.  But, at night I do and it sets me into a tail spin of anxiety.  I feel like the Drs are all going to tell me "well, you had all the tests last year and there was nothing wrong...so you're fine, take a xanax, it's all stress."   Geeze, you think I'm stressed?  Well, yea maybe so given that I know my body and I know this isn't right and the people that I'm coming to for help (yea, you doc) can't give me an answer.  Of course, after something tragic happens I'm sure they'll say....Oh yea, that's what that was, I'm so sorry.

So, I decided to take myself to an Orthopedic (god bless my ppo plan) to get checked out for the neck/headaches.  She told me all of this could be Myofascial/trigger point related.  It's somewhat hard for me to imagine that muscle tension could be all that it is.  But, I'm going to try the PT.

Please tell me if someone else out there has had similar pulsatile experience, been told it's Myofascial, and has had success with PT????  Please tell me that there are folks out there living long, healthy, productive lives with these same symptoms????

Thank you

[yeti105]

I am glad yet sad that i have found others with the same symptoms that my 15 y/o daughter has. We have had many tests and been to PC doc about 5 times, pediatric neurologist, psychiatrist adolescent, MRI w/and without contrast, all of the doc's say "oh it's cuz your depressed" duh!! i would be depressed too if i were 15 and had a HA for over 8 mths, cheez at 41 if i get a HA for a day i go nuts, of course i have other pains that magnify any pain. I am so worried about her, i tell PC doc about HA up to pain level 10, dizziness, "flutter" behind eyes and across from ear to ear, L eye protruding from socket area(of course when the protruding eyeball is going on we can never get into our PC doc,so she basically thinks i am crazy mom), pressure, jaw/teeth pain, there is more but like i said when i write all this down all the PC doc says is "gee R when i read this i think that you are dying" and just blah, blah, blahs us out of office. I get so angry with all of these "professionals" i am a disabled nurse and i want EVERY healthcare worker to go through some kind of illness that causes unbearable pain, that nobody addresses, and an illness that nobody can seem to find an answer to and just push them into a corner and for about a month (that is long enough) so that they have difficulty continuing to work, take care of family, pay bills, have outside activities or anything that they would not want to change in their lives due to illness or pain that can be figured out. That would surely change their opinions and hopefully teach them to look into things more or be more sympathetic. I'm sorry i am being so negative but like i said i am angry for my child and myself.Thanks for listening.yeti105

[mofo96]

You would think with so many people having these symptoms that doctors wouldn't think we were crazy!  I too have been suffering from ear fullness in right ear, slight "off balance"/dizziness, neck aches, and just and overall "crappy" feeling because I don't have a desire to do anything.  I am, or was, a very active person, and since this hit me 7 weeks ago, I haven't been able to do anything.  I have had CT scans, MRI, etc., and they all say everything is normal.  Many doctors think its "in my head", meaning I am making this up!!!  I want to scream - because I do have anxiety over this and its because I am not right!  Anyways, I am sluggish  and try to get through my day as best I can.  The only things I look forward to are doctor visits, but nothing ever comes out of them.  I am going to try chiropractic therapy, as I have heard it does help a bit.  The main thing is if I could just get this "fullness" in my ear to go away, I think everything else would go away too.  I feel that with my ear out of whack - everything is off balance which makes ordinary, daily routines, hard to do!  Anyway, good luck to everyone suffering from this - hopefully we will all get through this, because I can't deal with this forever.  Thanks!

[Imaz]

Hi,

I'm glad I'm not alone.  I've had ear aches for the past two months and been feeling lightheaded as well as slight dizziness throughout my days.    I feel my eyes are out of wack and not as focus as they should be so my life has changed. Optimitrist said they were fine.  I initially went through an almost two episodes of veritgo as what the Dr's suspect it to be.  Ran the full blood works, CT scan etc which was normal.  Refered me to an ENT which looked in my eyes and sinus and claimed they were fine.  Normal Dr's refered to it as stress and anxiety so from that point on there was'nt much they would do.  I thought to myself, I know my body is not rite. I've ceased driving for two months now and really depend on my wife to help me with everything I use to do for them.  My ear also needs popping all the time as if I just got off a plane.  Popping the ear reliefs the pressure I feel with the headache slightly.  I and a few Dr's suspect it to be maybe a passing infection somewhere which hope to go away, but no one prescribed me with any antibiotics!  What I have remembered after reading about TMJ on this forum, my dentist told me last October when I went for a scaling that my teeth are warned out at the back!  Dentist then asked me if I grind my teeth during sleep, I said I dont think so.  He said it shouldnt be a problem, though I'm thinking back to myself is this TMJ? which has been causing all my symptoms?  I do have tightness/stiff neck feeling for at least a month now.  Let me know what you think.

I'm a healthy 28yr Male, a father of a 6months old son.

I wish you all luck with your problems.

[Rick789]

Hi mofo96 and others, I have been having similar dizziness/off-balance issues for the past 2 months.  First noticed it when I was in a large mall, felt like I was going to faint.  Only lasted for a little while, then came back again the next week and it was hard to concentrate on any one thing in particular like at work.  Went away for a week, then I went on vacation and when the airplane took off I thought I was gonna pass out in my seat!  Felt dizzy/unsteady the whole time on vacation.

When I came back I saw a doc and they put me on antibiotics for a sinus infection, which helped for a few days but then the dizziness came back.  I noticed it would be really bad at large stores for some reason.  After some CT scans, heart and blood pressure monitors, blood work, etc, they haven't found anything majorly wrong and determined it was a blocked eustacian tube and told me to take Claritin and Flonase nasal spray.  I've been on that for 3 weeks and it's only partially helped.  Now the dizziness/imbalance only bothers me when I am walking around alot or moving my head/neck alot.  Don't feel like I'm going to pass out but it's still an unpleasant feeling.  They put me on Paxil because I said it got worse with anxiety, but I don't think that's the main cause.

I finally got them to refer me to an ENT specialist for hearing, balance, and inner ear testing next week.  My hearing has been fine the whole time, just the dizzy feeling.  Also I notice sometimes after I eat it gets worse for a few minutes or even a couple hours, anyone have that happen immediately after eating?  Anyone know how the eating would be related if it really is just an inner ear problem?  I'll let everyone know how the ENT appointment goes next week.

[mofo96]

Sorry that you are dealing with this too, I totally know the "off-balance" feeling.  When I first got this around new years, it appeared to be a cold with an ear ache feeling.  I had dizziness and jitteriness spells to go along with this.  I first was told to take Sudafed, and then told to take Mucinex-D.  After having bad experiences with those, my doctor gave me Allegra-D.  Well, after figuring out that the "-D" in these medicines were making me crazy because of the Pseudoephidrine, I quickly got off of them.  Every time I took them, I became very "jittery" and felt "hyper" but without the energy.  Needless to say, these didn't help out my ear "fullness" feeling and overall feeling weak/tired/sick etc.  Another doctor began to give me the "anxiety speech" and said that this is just a "bad" cold, and that I am driving this with anxiety. But I said to him, "how can I go from running/working out and consistently doing yoga to all of the sudden not being able to function properly at all!"  I was so mad at him!  I am very outgoing and just want to "feel" right again, but everything I do now is a struggle.

Anyways, at this point I still have the ear fullness/stiff neck/and "off balance" feelings.  The dizziness isn't as prominent as it was before, but my general "not right" feelings are still there.  I am seeing an ENT and so far he has had no explanations.  As I mentioned in another post, bloodwork and CT scans have come back fine.  I am waiting on MRI results (mainly of the head/ear), but have a feeling those will be normal too. I haven't gone down the antibiotic path, as doctor said I don't have an infection or anything. Someone at work said to see a chiropractor, that it was helpful for them, so that is my next step.  I was told I have TMJ, but have no idea how/if this is contributing - and if it is, why did it happen now.  Who knows!!!  

I wanted to ask you Rick789 about the claritin you took, was it the claritin-d, or the regular claritin?  I ask because someone told me to try that, but I wasn't sure if it would help/work or not (and I sort of had a bad taste in my mouth from those other "-d" medicines I took).  Also, what is your overall feeling of Paxil?  What drives me nuts is that they say we have anxiety and are making this worse.  Well no kidding Doc - when you are normal and then all of the sudden feel like **** and have no explanation, you would get anxiety too!!!  I do get anxiety, but it is because I am not right and this is ticking me off.  Anyway, let me know how the ENT goes and let me know your feelings about the claritin and Paxil.

I hope this is just a "bad cold" like everyone says, but when my husband got his seasonal cold, he was put right on antibiotics and was fine in a few days (drives me nuts!!!).  Wish everyone well and if someone finds something that helped them, let us know!!!

[Gardenia53]

It sounds like we all have many of the same symptoms. Just wonder if we all have the same thing or different ailments.  For me my problems started about 10 years ago. I just did not realize that they would come to tie in all together possibly. 10 years ago I started having stiff neck and headaches at the base of my skull almost on a daily basis. At times it actually felt like I was being choked around my entire neck.  I thought maybe it was caused from wearing my purse on my shoulder. I stopped that. After about 2 or 3 years I noticed that this occured mostly between the months of May to Oct and then nothing. I concluded that some how it was allergies. For the last few years I have not been too bothered till about 8 months ago.

On June 12 while doing dishes my ears plugged up. I heard a popping sound. I assumed they needed to be cleaned. Over the next 3 days I tried repeatedly to clean them. Finally went to my Dr. They cleaned them and said I had a lot of pressure and put me on Nasonex and Clariton. After 30 days with no improvement I went back. I have no vertigo but did have ringing in my ears mostly at night. The fullness at first felt like it was in both ears but seems to have settled mostly in my left ear. It feels like I have water in it and when I talk I feel a terrible vibration in my head. Many times I have to plug my left ear to control the vibration. I cannot sing or hum as this makes it worse. When I tap my teeth together it sounds like I have a microphone to my teeth. Everything is amplified.  I hear myself talking inside my head instead of on the outside. At times I can hear myself breathing inside my head.

I was finally referred to an ENT who found nothing wrong and referred me to an Audiologist who also found nothing wrong. He referred me to an Oral surgeon. While waiting for the appointment I went to see a TMJ specialist who said I have arthritis in my jaw and severe TMJ. He recommended a plan at $3,500 and does not accept insurance and made no guarantees. I kept my appt with the Oral Surgeon who said I do not have arthritis in my jaw. Said I have minimal TMJ.  He felt it was muscular. He designed a night guard for me which I was excited for as I thought this would correct my problem. Also put me on a mild muscle relaxor at bedtime and gave me mouth exercises to do for a month. Also told me to use both cold and hot compresses on my jaw. He sent me on my way. The night guard only made the problem worse. Both of my ears would be full and my bite would be off for about 2 hrs in the morning. After 2 weeks I stopped using it.

I started having massages for the muscles. No good! Then went to a Chiropractor. My insurance does not cover so I spent a fortune over the next 3 months with no relief. I should say starting in Aug or Sept my neck and shoulder aches and headaches at the base of my skull returned. Back to the Dr I went. Again he felt it was allergies and more allergie meds. They also put me on Prednisone. Did no good.

About 2 months ago I started having tingling and numbness in my hands and feet. Back to the Drs I went. I was sent for an EMG and now I am being sent to an Orthopedic Dr.  Seems this could be a pinched nerve affecting the area at my neck and around the ear. I hope that finally maybe he will find out what is wrong with me. 8 months I have now been suffering and like many of you it consumes my day. My mind is constantly on my ears. I think my family is getting tired of hearing it but if they spent one day in my shoes they would know how I feel. I cannot imagine living the rest of my life with this problem but so far I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It is so frustrating going from Dr to Dr and no one knows for sure. It seems with so many of us with this problem that they would know what it is. Everyone seems to get the initial treatment...it must be allergies!

I have no doubt that I do have TMJ. I have popping and clicking in my jaw joints and maybe the neck and shoulder pain is that too. I am also using a cortisone creme on my jaw joints but that too has brought no relief to my stuffed ear. At times my head feels like I have a tumor the size of a grapefruit in there, and yes, I have had both a CAT Scan and an MRI and both were normal.  I will let you know if the Ortho Dr has a solution for me when I see him on 2-21-08

[Rick789]

Mofo96,

The Claritin I was told to take was just the regular one for allergies, not the -D one because the doc said taking that for a while can increase your heart rate alot.  The regular Claritin and Flonase has only helped a little after 3 weeks.  I rarely get the feeling that I'm going to faint or collapse like I did at first, but I still notice the off-balance feeling when walking or moving my head around.  I also just started the Paxil a few days ago and it takes 1-2 weeks to really start working they said.  I'd prefer not to be on it but they said it might help with the dizziness (not sure how).  I agree about the anxiety thing, I'm mostly anxious about why the dizziness won't go away, not that anxiety is causing the dizziness.  My ENT appointment is Thursday Feb 21st so I'll let you know how it goes.

[mofo96]

Hi everyone...  There was an earlier post (back in September) from WOWMOM about Myofascial Pain and Disorder.  I looked into this and think this may be a source of the pain and agony I am going through.  I say this because right before I began feeling these symptoms (which was around this past new years), I tore a muscle in my stomach doing yoga.  This happened around Dec. 5th, and put me on the sidelines for quite sometime.  At about the same time I thought I was beginning to recover from this (alot of ice and heat treatment), I began feeling the ear "fullness"/stiff neck/off balance symptoms that have been driving me nuts.  As I read about the Myofascial Pain on www.myopain.com, I began to see alot of what it was saying made sense.  I recommend scrolling up and re-reading the post from WOWMOM, and then googling myofascial pain and reading about it.  I am going to see a therapist this tuesday to discuss everything.  I will let everyone know what comes out of it, but in a nutshell - they basically attribute what I am going through to the stomach muscle injury I suffered.  My muscles tensed up and have never been properly treated.  They talk about trigger points that need to be worked on in order to relieve these symptoms.  Because they are muscle and tissue related problems, they don't show up in x-rays, mri's, cat scans, etc.  I have nothing to lose by going, so I will try it.  Will let you know!!!

[Rick789]

I went to a Vestibular Center to have my balance checked and they found that I had some imbalance between my left and right ear possibly causing my unsteadiness.  Didn't actually get to talk with a doctor, just a technician and physical therapist and they said it is probably a vestibular problem but wouldn't say for certain until I see a ENT doc.  I did some more research online and found something that sounds like it might be what I have, vestibular neuritis.  They gave me some balance exercises to do every day and I already have started to feel better.  Hopefully it goes away completely soon.

[JoeCoffee]

PLEASE READ THIS! Look at the posting by Mofo96 (Feb 17,08)and then read the posting byWOWMOM (Sept 20,08).  Then read the posting I put up on Oct 16, 2007. Almost every posting I've read here this morning sounds like Myofascial Pain Disorder. I was lucky enough to find a therapist who specializes in this problem.  The problem with going to GPs, ENTs Allergy specialists... is that they are very focused on their speciality and can't see the broader picture. Please google Myofascial Pain Disorder and/or MPD and/or trigger point release. The info that pops up WILL help most of you. The trick will be in finding a therapist who specializes in MPD. I went through all the doctors and test and meds to no avail. Finally a smart physical therapist realized what was happening and referred me to the "expert".  Good luck

[scottma]

Dear all:
       Many of your presentations are consistent with temporomandibular disorder. The symptomatology of TMD includes: chronic head ,neck ,upper shoulder, and orofacial pain.stuffy ear, tinnitus. tmj pain, tooth sensitivity to thermal stimulus, tooth mobility,dysmetria. Occlusal therapy,which includes occlusal appliance, occlusal equilibration, is highly effective for relieving tmd associated symptoms.However, occlusal therapy requires highly competent skill. You need to find a highly competent tmj specialist to deliver optimal results.Good luck

[ronmagicjuan]

I have the same symptoms, my left ear, pain in left temple, it started out as a flu, cold type, tingling, temor type in temple, out of sorts feeling , fluid feeling in ear and head, it is very terrifying been to the e.r. ,diagnosed with chronic sinnusitus,  cycled antibiotics worked for bout a week then it all returned, went back, cough syrups more antibiotics, helped for a week then all returned, man this is really scary, had ct scans came out normal, nothing seems to help if anyone , knows what it is please let us know! please!

[JoeCoffee]

This does sound like a sinus infection. I had similar problems.  My MD put me on antibiotics for a week. Things seemed to get a little better but after another week all symptoms were back and perhaps worse. I went to see my MD's assistant (Physicians Assistant) and she immediately told me that a week of antibiotics wasn't enough and she put me on two more weeks worth. That did the trick.  I felt (and still feel) so much better after the two week course. It's nice when the pain stops.  Good luck

[clair74]

I have just read through all these posts and can sympathise with everyone.
I have had severe ear pain for two and a half years now with endless bouts of sinus infections. I have had a number of diagnoses from TMJ to Tn.
I have had sinus scans which come up clear and MRI scans which also show nothing although it toook three scans for them to decide this as the first showed a suspected mass which they thought could be a schwanomma but turned out all clear.
I have been given all sorts of drugs to try and relieve the pain to no avail.
The pain is in my left ear and behind it and is the worst pain I can ever describe. I sit in the evening with a hot water bottle constantly as heat gives a small amount of relief.
The sinus pain is one sided severe pain in the temple and behind the eye strangely on the opposite side to the ear pain. Antibiotics kick it for a short while but it soon returns.
I feel the doctors not knowing what it is just try to palm me off with are you depressed questions and make me feel like they don't believe me.
If only they could swap places with even for five minutes.
Sometimes the pain is so bad just lifting my head off the pillow is hard.
I have now been told that it is referred pain from my neck as the MRI showed compressed discs and aa lot of swelling but I am sceptical this is the cause of the pain as I had a bad fall 7 months ago which could have caused the neck problem but have had the earpain for much much longer.
I could not believe that there are so many people out there with similar symptoms and yet nothing seems to be able to be done for us.
I feel like this pain is never going to stop and that this is how life is from now on. No-one should have to live like this.

[antman73]

wow this is good and bad, I too have a strange pain coming from deep in my left ear, its been 6 months and mri scan showed nothing serious, its the fact that the pain can be varied in its painfulness and its there all the time, I am only 35 and like some of you no one has come up with an answer, it drives me crazy it really does, my neck also hurts and sometimes my temple region but my dentist says not tmj, I just want some closure, as all you guys say above pain killers and high dose anti inflamms do nothing, what a nightmare we are all living in.... thanks antony.

[Instantkarma417]

I too am having similar things happen...  a few months ago, I had a bad ear infection which cleared up with antibiotics..Soon after, the pain and pressure returned. I went back to my ENT who said that my ears were great.. nothing wrong..he said that the pressure was bad because of my allergies and it was something that I had to live with.. I then went to another ENT and my GP who both agreed that it was a problem with my neck..I was given Naproxin and Muscle relaxers which helped and the pain went away..About two weeks ago.. same thing happened all over again. the pain in my ear and neck radiates  into my shoulder, I cannot even turn my neck to the right.. I went back to the ENT who said my ears were great, pop them a few times a day..Nothing..The pain has gotten worse, I have gone to a chiropractor with no relief.. the muscle relaxers do nothing. All of this pain in my head, face, neck, ear and shoulder is on the right side.. the left side had NO symptoms whatsoever.. I have had numerous ct scans on my head and sinuses in the past..but not for at least a year.. I am worried that I have some sort of tumor or something going on in my ear or head.. The pain and pressure is paralyzing.. I am only 31 and feel like my life is passing me by while i sit in pain.. it's miserable..I can't take it anymore. I am going to yet another ENT today, hoping that i get some sort of hope or reassurance that nothing serious is going on.. I hope that you all have resolved your issues.. and  I pray that mine go away soon.. I cannot function like this.

[solarcanon]

Hi everyone

To those who have already seen a western medical doctor and nothing is wrong, go see a eastern medical doctor hopefully from china
A Acupuncture doctor.(TCM, Traditional chinese medicine) Read up on Acupuncture, china has its own hospital for chronically ill people and they treat symtoms (symptoms) with needles. These doctors choose to move to canada and the u.s. and practice Acupuncture medicine.
find someone who is a medical doctor though, not just anyone
i had these symtoms (symptoms), changed my diet to a "chinese cooling diet"
most people have internal heat and phlegm which is caused by eating
deep fried food, fatty food, being overweight, not expelling toxins by not having regular bowel movements, so eating a cooling healthy diet and see a acupuncture will help you, it helps 95 percent of people so it is worth it people. don't pop tons of pills or sit and be depressed.
I had pain and a feeling of pressure behind my eyes, ears and sinus
this was heat phlegm, i changed my diet, only cooked vegetables, fish and chicken (no pork,red meat, )spinach, no deep fried, no coffee, no black tea, no alcohol etc. If you type in cooling foods, warming food, acupuncture you will see what to eat and not eat

soak your feet in hot water up to your ankles once or twice a day, put some sea salt in it, these releases toxins and increases your circulation, is half your body hot and hlaf cold? My legs are cold and head is hot, this helps my circulation as well and to reieve the hot head part.
IT REALLY WORKS!!
email with any questions
***@****

[vancouvergirl111]

Hi there,
This forum freaked me out.
I have such similar symptoms to those of you out there.
It started off as slight headaches concentrating on my left side of the head. I also noticed that my nose seemed blocked on the left side and the passage seemed more swollen.

I feel pressure behind my eyes, and I've had eye problems, perhaps caused by this not sure. I also have ear fluttering when I sleep, almost like an insect buzzing in my ears, but I suspect the nose is timed to hearbeat, I had this for about a month

After my optometrist discovered eye problems recently I became more counscious of the heaviness and pain on only the left side of the face, the swollen cheek area and back of the head on the left side, tender temple.

IF so many of us are having such simiilar probelms I wonder if there is a common thread in our lives causing this!

I'm also in my early 30's like so many other's here.

I primarily work on the computer I wonder if this a factor.

I'm going in to my doctor to figure out what is causing this, I had other unrelated health problems and then my eye problems so I put this on the back burner.

Exercising helps, but I will also try massage/acupuncture as well as traditional medicine.

I'm honestly scared that others share my symptoms, but also relieved, I suspected a tumour automatically but glad it may not be.

I hate visiting the doctor, and am stoic about health issues, but I want this checked out, and I want to find solutions to these symptoms. I don't like just taking medicines though, I find it makes my health worse.

[aaaa1234]

i dont know whether it has something with it but my problems started after smokin marihuanna as pulsating in my head and this weird feeling in my neck and right ear... then there was nothing for a week and after that it began again... it can be ignored while doing something but when i just sit it is very annoying..and i had something like a flu as well

[aaaa1234]

but i am only seventeen is there anybody else so young with these symptoms??

[cdomin33]

I am 33 and I have pressure or fullness in my left ear with neck pain just under and behind the left ear. I always have stuffiness on one one side of my nose-mainly my left side. I have pain in my face-in my sinus with pain in my upper teeth. I get this  pressure headache generally on the top left side. I have been feeling this way forever. I feel tired all the time and just heavy-headed in general.  I clench my teeth, but I am not aware if I grind my teeth. I have been told that I snore alot in my sleep. I have not been through any testing-I assumed it was all sinus or allergy-related and that there was nothing that could be done. A few years ago I was diagnosed with TMJ, but I never followed-up because I lost my dental insurance. Could any of this be TMJ related?

[war1]

I've been experiencing the same strange feelings. Also, have had lots of the same test and nothing. I have been on HBP meds since Jan. 10,2008. But these strange feelings just started post a Lithotripsy (Kindney stone sound blasting), Ventral Hernaia and Temporal arterial biopsy. Anytime doctor's work on the body someting is going to happen. Anyway let's get rid of these pains, they suck. I just spoke to a pharmacist who explained to me that cranberry juice -which I dring alot- has a poor interaction with one of my BPM that may be causing some of my discomfort. Is there any way that some of our medications can be interacting with our natural foods to cause some of our problems? Please check with your pharmacist and see if you can identify any poor food, over the counter drug or natural food suppliments that may be interacting negatively on our system and let's share that info. Hope this give some of us a additional resourse.

[war1]

I've been experiencing the same strange feelings. Also, have had lots of the same test and nothing. I have been on HBP meds since Jan. 10,2008. But these strange feelings just started post a Lithotripsy (Kindney stone sound blasting), Ventral Hernaia and Temporal arterial biopsy. Anytime doctor's work on the body someting is going to happen. Anyway let's get rid of these pains, they suck. I just spoke to a pharmacist who explained to me that cranberry juice -which I dring alot- has a poor interaction with one of my BPM that may be causing some of my discomfort. Is there any way that some of our medications can be interacting with our natural foods to cause some of our problems? Please check with your pharmacist and see if you can identify any poor food, over the counter drug or natural food suppliments that may be interacting negatively on our system and let's share that info. Hope this give some of us a additional resourse.

[kvk1339]

Has anyone had a root canal done on the side of the pain?

[Jasro]

It SUX to be human.
I've been dealing with this **** for over a year.  
I'm disable anyways...so I google 24/7.
I'll post anything I can find...but haven't found anything yet.
Science just doesn't "know" and can't catch up with everything.
I think we all deal with so much pain cuz we should'a died from infections
years ago...thanks to antibiotics, we're NOT dead..we just wanna be.

ugh.

[kilamerlin]

has any study been done to see what the early signs of alzheimers is?  I have much the same symptoms as most of you here, stiffness in neck pain in ears, headaches fullness in ears etc etc..... I just wondered about the alzheimers as my aunt developed it some years ago and before she was diagnosed I spent my time at doc with her complaining of ear probs (which obv turned out to be a brain prob)  please don't freak out at this I have absolutely no proof whatsoever just posing a question and given my family history I am def hoping i am just posing a very stupid question!
Thankyou

[firekrakker3]

hi all! i have had chronic headaches that developed into my ears feeling plugged and crackling. it's like they won't pop no matter what i try. so i started seeing a physical therapist for my headaches and they said it's myofascial pain. you can even google it along with ears plugged or dizziness. there are myofascial trigger points all throughout the body. i had tight spots in my hips and lower back that gave me horrible pain in my legs everyday. spots in my upper back and neck made my arms numb! very scary!! needless to say i have been going for a month and also stretching and doing yoga on my own and i feel a ton better! i still have a little headache daily but do not even take meds for it. the leg and arm pain is almost all gone. there is still a little clogged feeling in the ears but i think it's because my face and neck are always tense and that puts pressure on there.  
it is all very scary and i am a hypocondriac (Sp??) so i think the worst. it turns out to be a very very common cause of lots of problems but myofascial trigger points are seldomly considered. dr. oz even mentioned it on oprah!!
hope this helps or at least gives peace of mind for some.

[ozzyqueen]

I finally found a site that speaks about all the same symptoms i have been experiencing. i have terrible headaches, mostly in the temples, ear pain that is driving me crazy which radiates down my neck and is also in the front of my ears. i have been on countless medications that do not help.i have not had an mri recently but had one about 2 yrs ago and it was clear. i am terrified to have another because of fear of finding a tumor. i also have some jaw pain. i figured tmj but not sure.

[ozzyqueen]

now i have a new symptom-clicking in my left ear. i also have had continuous ringing-its driving me crazy! i have an appointment with a ent on oct 9th so i'll have to suffer until then.

[londart]

Sounds like you all have a fungal sinus infection, that is spreading to your ears. Stop eating any form of sugar right a way, and gargle with Grape fruit seed extract and oil of oregano. Do this for about 4-5 five days three times a day. Also use steam with oil of oregano drops in it, and inhale it for 10-20 minutes through your nose. Use this same mixture in a cup, and place your ear over the cup. It will kill all the yeast and bacteria in your mouth, ears and nasal passages. You should start feeling better shortly after. I usually feel better in about 10 minutes.

[londart]

Check your tongue for thrush, it is a clear sign of a fungal infection. If you have a white coating on your tongue it is most definitely a fungal infection. follow the steps above. Sugar feeds fungal infections, that is why you need to stop eating it. You will notice that your ears will start ringing louder after eating sugar, dairy, and flour. Most forms of bacteria can't survive in salt, so saline rinses will help a lot too. Careful with the pressure when rinsing though, you dont want to push fluid in to your ears.

[JASON1117]

Ear fullness and ringing was the latest development of a progressive condition for me.  This started about 14 months ago and has not stopped.  Three ENT's two MRI's, one Alergist two Cardiologists and two GP's later I have no answers either.  I am wondering if doctors refuse to research and diagnose because of a conflicting interest with insurance companies.  It's like, if antibiotics or steroids don't work then you must be depressed, a hypochondriac or a mental patient.

Anyway my symptoms are too many to list, here are a few. Pressure behind eyes with dizziness, sensation of salivary gland inflamation (inflammation) - sometimes ache, frequent headaches starting at base of skull, tonsil irritation right side, sinus inflamation (inflammation), tingling on right side of scalp, heart palpitations, nausea, sleep disturbance 'like loud noises at twilight of sleep,'  difficulty focusing eyes, difficulty thinking and remembering, etc.  Attacks ae sudden and frequent without any discernable external cause like diet.

Could be a heart condition, BP 120/85?  
Could be thyroid condition, tests always negative.  
Could be low grade infection from tonsil affecting heart - but checked out ok with Cardiologist.

I have not been to a Neurologist or Endocrinologist yet but expect more of the same treatmen, namely a pat on the head and RX for anxiety.

[kerLymes]

Have you been checked for Lyme Disease? I have had mostly all of these symptoms and after 5 years am being treated for Lyme Disease. Simply a strong regimend of antibiotics. Not just 1 or two rounds but I am talking months of them. You sometimes will feel better then a period of sickness which is called herxing. Herxing is a dieoff of the bacteria from Lymes. Try and get tested for Lymes. The general test at your MD may not show up because Lymes can hide in your bloodstream. You may have to have the test from California called Isenigenix?. Ask for that particular blood test. Hope this helps.

[JASON1117]

Thank you for the tip.  I intially dismissed Lymes because I do not recall ever having any rash for an extended period as posted symptoms state.  Since you suffered from this I would like to cross a few more symptoms.

Metallic taste in mouth
Night tremors
Burning dry eyes
Asthma like symptoms

Did you have any of these?
Thanks

[rachelle4]

Just read about horrible side effects from levaquin. Did you experience any sort of rash or swelling or muscular pain. reaf all on steven-johnson syndrome and be caeful on antibiotics.

[rachelle4]

Get your teeth done now. I waited to and now i have swollen gums,  several abscessed teeth,swelling abscessess in neck sore thraot and swollen lymph nodes. While waiting to get teeth pulled my front tooth just fell out while flossing. CHeck your thyroid not just TSh but make them run T3 and T$. Take vitamin D, alcium and magnesium> im learning the hard way after years of being just pumpe full of pain pills. I have 4 kids and each time the gtot worse especially after the fourth. Good luck, dont wait til its to late. Every night i go to bed not knowing if i want to wake up alive or not.

[kayyagari]

Two years ago I had a weird throat infection after dental surgery that went into my ears.  After that my ears hurt for a long time.  This is what I have discovered so far about that.  Sinus tissues are delicate and can take several weeks for the swelling to go down.  So my ear pain went away but the next time I got sick I felt it immediatly in my ears, this was new for me.  I called my gp and he referred me to an ENT.  I went to the ENT and had a CT.  It showed I had a slight deviated septum, very large turbinate and something else can't remember.  So after taking various allergy medications, thats another reason i've been told i have headaches, i decided to go with the surgery.  It went well but I bled and had to have it redone a second time in the dame day.  Not fun!  After a long recovery compounded by the complications my head acctually felt better, for about six month.....  Here's were it gets interesting.  I also have a car accident injury in my neck and back.  During all of this time it was acting up and I didn't really think the two could be related.  I am now doing therapy on my neck and back, guess what, it's helping my sinuses.  Look at this link www.round-earth.com/SCM.html and go to a chiropracter.  Pick a good one though.  Oh I have also tried food elimination diets and right now whith the therapy i'm on an antifungal, I will post back what I find on my great ear pain detective story.

[never_say_never]

I only read through half of these, so I'm not sure if someone has posted anything similar to mine.  I've noticed a couple people mentioning they were fit and active- yoga was specifically mentioned and then they started to experience these symptoms.

I've always been active- runner, soccer, hiking, biking, etc., and then I moved to Colorado (Boulder) and my activities changed to yoga and mountain biking--- without knowing what I'd done to myself... no injuries that I was aware of happened with these activities...  I went through all the same tests as many of these people and comes out that I've HYPEREXTENDED my neck.  You get all the same symptoms- acupuncture is somewhat helping, although a chiropractor is what I need.  I fear them, so it's taking me awhile to see one.  I will be setting up an appointment and will let everyone know the results.  

When you put your neck in the same position for a long period of time- NOT in the correct way- you hyperextend it.  Your alignment in yoga may not be right and you can do serious things to your neck-  there are support groups out there for yoga injured ones.  Your bike may not be fitted correctly- arm length- seat length- height, etc., and you don't even feel it.

Everyone's body is different and some are more apt to be affected then others.  People if you have a desk job- someone else might not be affected by how they sit for eight hours a day, however the story could be different with you!  Not everyone is built the same!

FYI:
Female, 29 (Going on for a couple years) I have ringing in one ear, fullness sometimes, hissing sometimes, spells of vertigo/dizzy with nausea, lower back of the head is sensitive at times, neck feels tight and stiff at times.  I know if I went to see a chiropractor this could be remedied, as the acupuncture helps with this.  

I went through TONS of tests (you name it) everything turned out fine- went off of Birth Control BECAUSE the majority of prescription medications anti-depressants, blood pressure, etc., are OTOTOXIC to the inner ear and cause all the symptoms everyone has listed.  I've ruled out that it isn't my BC.  

I've done a **** load of research and have gone through a ton of Dr.s and it's amazing how much more information I've been able to gather that these Dr.'s are dumbfounded on.  Talk to a PHARMACIST about prescriptions being ototoxic to the inner ear, skip your primary Dr.  

I hope this will help anyone or everyone- wish me luck with the CHIRO..

[sherry1030]

I have had same symptoms since november.  Fullness and pressure in both ears,
neck pain,constant dizziness.  My husband just started getting the same thing.
Went to Ent he sees nothing wrong. Could this be a virus???

[kitty_lover]

I thought I was the only one in the world with the strange symptoms until I read this.  I feel so bad I don't know what to do.  I have gone to acupuncture and it seems to help but it's only just temporary relief and then I have to go back.  I have pressure right behind my left earlobe and I also had sinus infection before.  My acupuncturist said that I still have the sinus infection, she said that I have had it for a long time and the western medicine only treated the symptoms but not the root of the problem that's why it comes back time after time.  I am still not sure what it is, if anyone finds out I would really like to know.

[Tom1977]

I have started up with the allergy shots again, and it is starting to kick in.  No more draining in my ears, I can hear again.  Still have some light ringing and hissing, but that is much better too.  Have you tried allergy shots?  You could have sinus tinnitus.

[never_say_never]

I did have one DR that mentioned that it could be an allergy to mold, however that means I would have it year round?...  I had another DR who basically scoffed at that?  I need to do some research on allergy shots- do you have an excellent site that you would recommend.

How has it worked for you and are there any symptoms from the shots?  How often do you feel you need to take them?

I'm really at a loss right now, because I thought my acupuncture was working and the ringing has intensified this past week...

I just did a posting regarding my MRI- I'm starting to freak myself out?  

[vixxon]

I've had severe ear, neck, head, and face pain for the last 8 months. I've seen many doctors, including ent's, neurologists, and oncologists. Nobody knows what is wrong w/me. I've had an MRI, CT scan, & PET scan done, which were all fine. Meanwhile, I am sufferring like you couldn't imagine. It is sensitive to noise, even my own voice. I can't even drive and barely walk sometimes. I'm on a bunch of pain medicine while i'm trying to figure this out. 8 months is a long time & i can't imagine living my life this way.I have 2 kid 4 and 2 years old and i can not take care of them. How is it that no one knows what is wrong w/me? Can anybody help me?

[Kate2132]

Just posted this in another discussion but it sounds like it could be appropriate here too.  Without getting too much into all the symptoms, I was having dizzyness, an "off-balance" feeling, headaches (specifically above my eyes), pains behind my ears, in my ears, and shooting pains all over my head, neck/shoulder pain and rapid heart rate caused by anxiety.  I went to an allergist, oral surgeon, ENT and neurologist.  I also had an MRI, countless blood tests and everything came up clean.  The neurologist sent me on a whim to a vestibular rehabilitation center.  I urge you all who have symptoms like mine that can't seem to be diagnosed, to find one of these near you.  Mine was at Mass General.  I am not completely symptom free, but where I was living at a 4-5 on the dizzyness scale, with severe episodes in the 7-8 range happening 2-3 times a month, I am now living at 0-1 with "severe" episodes at no more than a 3, and it happens only rarely.  And the biggest thing is I now know how to manage the dizziness when it does happen.  

I was diagnosed with cervicogenic vertigo.  In my case its caused by various trigger points and dysfunction in my SCM.  Again, anyone who has dizziness they can't seem to figure out, I urge you to do research  on trigger points, and your SCM (sternocleidomastoid muscle system).  It can cause a ton of problems, including ear pain and dizziness.  Specific exercises, massage and posture correction has done wonders for me.  You don't have to live like this.  

I hope this is helpful.

[Kate2132]

BTW- I also suffer/ed from sensitivity to noise.  Still do to an extent, and I occasionally will have sudden, loud ringing in my ear.  That's my signal to sit up straight and fix my head position, and it immediately goes away.

[Milan545]

go see house ear clinic in LA, dont waste time with ENT's, they know nothing... inner ear disorders are treated at house ear, i would go directly there,see no more doctors , trust me.

[KatKeyPer]

Having gone though most of the same symptoms written here for the past 30+ years, I feel your pain!  There are some really great posts here and a lot to take in. This information is from my experience, please consult with your doctor as some symptoms may be an indication of a serious, more life threatening condition.  

Myofacial Pain Syndrome, TMJ, Bruxisms, Migraines/headaches, Fibromyalgia, and flu-like symptoms, unexplained pain, seem to be the common thread here and are often interwined.  MRI's, scans, blood tests, nerve condution studies, etc. are usually normal.  A pain specialist or rheumatoid arthristis specialist can most often determine the trigger points associated.  Lyrica, neurontin and trigger point injection therapy didn't work for me, but can be very successful for others.  I went to pain management for a month and it changed my life!  It has not "cured" me - but I learned techniques to deal with most pain and keep it manageable.  It is important to learn how to move and move regularly to combat Fibro and Myofacial Pain Syndrome.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful condition in the face on one or both sides that can feel like a toothache or worse - send shooting pains up into your eye/temples, or like a hand across your face.  See a neurologist and mention this - I had to bring it to their attention after seeing a report about it on TV.  I was later diagnosed with this and given Trileptal which helped at first, but 3 months later created more swelling which only pressed more on the nerves and created more pain. I went off it and was lucky that it is now sporadic instead of continuous for months on end.  

Angioedema (and variations) can explain some face/eyelid/swelling issues - though the cause may not be explained.  My tongue is often swollen and scalloped, one or both sides of my face/eyelides swollen/puffy. Sometimes it affects rest of my body too.  Allergy testing proved dust mites/mold/mildew and some certain tree pollens, but no food "allergies" though I certainly have "intolerances" (like Lactose (Dairy) which is non-life threatening) and issues with perfumes, cigar smoke, and other chemicals. I've done my own food elimination diet and found I have issues with gluten that caused my entire body to swell.  Wine and Vinegar (fermented items) also seem to contribute as does changes in barometric pressure (which also effect my migraines). Allergies and sinus issues can also be confused with different types of headaches including migraines or TMJ (which is not always a jaw bone issue).  When I began taking Zyrtec and Benedryl per doctor - every day (not just seasonal), my Fibromyalgia symptoms decreased by 50% in mid-winter (worst time for me).  Apparently my swelling issues were not compatible with my trigger points.  This was a happy coincidence that baffled my allergy doc. It was a win-win for me!

Cluster headache symptoms include nasal congestion/drippage, water eye and extreme pain in the eye/ear of the LEFT side.  The headaches will usually come on quickly and subside quickly only to come back again and again for a number of hours, days or much longer.  For me, it feels like someone is pushing a red, hot poker into my eye and ear.  See a doctor!  

Some ear pain can be caused by the muscles that support your neck and shoulders.  I have pain that comes up to below my ear and often "through" my ear.  It is helpful to massage the area/muscle below and above the ear which will sometime eleviate some of the pain. Some say this could also be from TMJ or TOS.

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is a rare condition with three different variations - nerve, vein, or arterial compression about the brachial plexus - that spot where your neck meets your shoulder at the clavical/scapula (towards front of the body).  The most common forms are compression of the Thoracic bundle of nerves or blood vessels that can be pinched by muscles, an extra rib or a tight band of muscle.  Shooting pains down the arm to the two little fingers, numbness, tingling...did I mention pain?   It could be similar in scope to a heart attack or stroke...so it can be hard to diagnose and few doctors are really versed in it...especially when you have all the symptoms are positive for all the in-office tests, but scans and nerve conduction studies are normal.  This one is still a mystery as it doesn't fit the Myofacial Pain or fibromyalgia bucket.

Everyone has suggestions - for me, several doctors suggest Yoga which puts me into tears.  When you have a delicate system, many things can throw it off from not exercising, exercising incorrectly, food, stress, allergies, actual physical conditions, weather, and more.  I suggest keeping a diary about your pain, everything you eat, and do each day, including your observations about the weather and stresses of the day.  This can help you and doctors find potentially patterns or even coincidences worth exploring.

For me Pain management taught me how to move correctly for my issues and not rely on medications to "mask" the pain instead of trying to fix what I could.  My "classmates" had all sorts of issues from neck and back physical trauma to fibromyalgia and other pain syndromes.  It takes a lot of discipline to make the changes and maintain them, but it is worth it.  I can often disarm a fibro flare-up in less than an hour instead of days or weeks.  I've had to learn my limitations and stick to them - or play and pay!  I'm still pretty active, but I know I can only handle a 2 mile nature walk vs. an 8-mile hike carrying a pack on rough terrain.

I hope some of this is helpful and offers some different conditions to research or pose to your doctor.  Everything I have seems to fall into the Fibromyalgia and Myofacial Pain Syndrome buckets of "unexplained pain."  It has taken a lot to accept this.  Just remember, not all doctors believe or understand all conditions - your neurologist may not believe in Fibromyalgia, your fibro doctor may not understand how to treat headaches and send you back to the neuro.  It can be a long and tedious cycle, but when you finally get it right, it's worth it!  Good luck.  

[steven525]

I too have the problems/pains mentioned above, and yes it is painful! Some posts give a lot of insight and are very helpful. Something I haven't seen in this topic is Eagle's syndrome.

This syndrome can explain many of the things mentioned above and for some it may be worth looking into. This syndrome is rare, hard to diagnose, and unfortunately not all ENTs know sufficiently about it to be able to diagnose it. In recent years I've gone through a lot (!) (really debilitating). Recently I've been diagnosed with a high suspicion for this syndrome, and will be undergoing surgery for it soon.

I have posted more on another forum about my symptoms, about some of the literature that I found, case reports, pictures etc. On that forum I am Weebo:

http://ehealthforum.com/health/eagle-s-syndrome-t207038.html


Some of it here, I really hope this may help someone (!):


EAGLE'S SYNDROME - SYMPTOMS

Patients with vague head and neck pain symptoms can lead to an extensive differential diagnosis. One easily overlooked but important cause of chronic pain is Eagle’s syndrome (ES). Beginning in 1937, Dr. Watt Eagle published a series of articles describing a constellation of symptoms associated with an elongated styloid process. This syndrome that bears his name is associated with two classic presentations. The first, which the otolaryngologist is more familiar with, is throat pain radiating to the ear in a post-tonsillectomy patient. The second, and lesser-known presentation, is constant throbbing pain throughout either the internal or external carotid artery distributions.

A patient exhibiting the symptoms associated with Eagle’s syndrome, may consult their family physician or an otolaryngologist, a neurologist, a surgeon (neurosurgeon, maxillofacial or oral surgeon), a dentist or even a psychiatrist in order to be diagnosed. Persistent pain and other symptoms could aggravate the psychological state of a patient. By the time the syndrome is actually diagnosed, many patients have already visited some of these doctors, who have unsuccessfully tried to treat their symptoms.

Symptoms depend on a variety of factors, including the length and width of the styloid process, the angle and direction of its deviation and the degree of ossification. The pathogenesis of the syndrome was described by Eagle, who discussed types.

The first type, ‘‘classic Eagle’s syndrome,’’ typically occurs in patients after tonsillectomy, although it can also occur after any other type of pharyngeal surgery. A palatable mass may be observed in the tonsillar fossa, its palpation sometimes exacerbating the patient’s symptoms. Symptoms include ear pain, neck pain extending to the oral cavity and the maxilla, dysphonia, dysphagia, odynophagia, persistent sore throat, the sensation of a foreign body in the pharynx, painful trismus <25 mm, vertigo and tinnitus. Pain is also observed when turning the head or extending the tongue. Apart from turning the head, yawning can also trigger symptoms, particularly those resembling migraine. Other symptoms may include tongue pain in general, a sensation of increased salivation, alterations in taste, vocal changes, pain in the upper limbs, chest, and temporomandibular joint, facial paresthesia, pharyngeal spasm, pain triggered by the movement of the mandible, cough, dizziness, or sinusitis. Eagle’s syndrome has also been reported as the most important cause of secondary glossopharyngeal neuralgia or atypical craniocervical pain. All of these symptoms are attributed to the irritation of cranial nerves V, VII, IX or X, all of which are situated very close to the styloid process. The observation of symptoms after tonsillectomy generates the hypothesis that these nerves are entrapped in the locally formed granular tissue. Trauma to the soft tissues during tonsillectomy may cause bone formation, leading to an elongated styloid process or ossified stylohyoid ligament. Ossification typically appears from 2 to 12 months after the trauma.

In the stylo-carotid artery syndrome, an elongated styloid process deviating slightly from its normal direction can impinge the internal or external carotid artery, stimulating the sympathetic nerve plexus accompanying the artery and causing pain during artery’s palpation. Stimulation of the internal carotid artery causes pain along the artery that is sometimes accompanied by pain in the eye and parietal cephalalgia. These symptoms can result in wrong diagnoses, such as cluster headache or migraine. Symptoms may also include aphasia, sight disturbances, weakness or even syncope episodes. Stimulation of the external carotid artery causes facial pain, mainly in the area under the eyes. Histological examination of the vessel wall in such cases may reveal arteriosclerosis. Stylo-carotid artery syndrome might also results in arterial variation.



DIAGNOSIS

The diagnosis of Eagle’s syndrome is based on four different parameters:

(1) clinical manifestations
(2) digital palpation of the process in the tonsillar fossa
(3) radiological findings and
(4) lidocaine infiltration test. During the lidocaine infiltration test, lidocaine anesthetic is administered to the area where the styloid process is palpable in the tonsillar fossa. If the patient’s symptoms and local sensitivity subside the test result is considered positive and Eagle’s syndrome is diagnosed.

A patient exhibiting the symptoms associated with Eagle’s syndrome, may consult their family physician or an otolaryngologist, a neurologist, a surgeon (neurosurgeon, maxillofacial or oral surgeon), a dentist or even a psychiatrist in order to be diagnosed. Persistent pain and other symptoms could aggravate the psychological state of a patient. By the time the syndrome is actually diagnosed, many patients have already visited some of these doctors, who have unsuccessfully tried to treat their symptoms. This is quite understandable considering that the clinical manifestations of Eagle’s syndrome resemble those of many other diseases. Consequently, it is quite difficult to make a correct diagnosis based solely on clinical manifestations. However, it is very important for physicians and dentists to include Eagle’s syndrome in their differential diagnosis when treating patients experiencing pain in the cervicofacial and cervicopharyngeal regions.

A 3D-CT scan is considered the gold standard in the radiological diagnosis of Eagle's Syndrome. It provides an accurate measurement of the length and angulation of the styloid process and is considered to be the best supplement to the plain x-ray.

It is important to note that an elongated styloid process does not necessarily signify Eagle’s syndrome, as the majority of individuals exhibiting this anatomical anomaly experience no symptoms. Additionally, although an elongated process is found bilaterally in most cases, patients typically display unilateral symptoms. Also it is noteworthy that the occurrence of the syndrome correlates with the length of the styloid process, its width and its angulation. In fact a number of mechanisms can result in the onset of the syndrome and are responsible for the variety of symptoms. Consequently, patients may experience any number of symptoms, which often mislead physicians and necessitate the use of other data such as radiological findings to confirm the diagnosis. Both physicians (head and neck, oral and maxillofacial surgeons) and dentists must have a high index of suspicion for this clinical entity. Eagle’s syndrome should be included in the differential diagnosis of cervicofacial and pharyngeal pain. The fact that it is often excluded in such cases results in underdiagnosis and, consequently, an underestimation of the incidence of this syndrome.

[Toriad]

Thanks so much everyone for sharing your symptoms and thoughts. It helps SO MUCH not too fell alone with this scary thing.

Since January I too have had ear fullness with no diagnosable infection; weird pressure/headaches up the back of my neck, side of my head (the bad ear side) and occasionally top of my head; and neck stiffness (the latter is computer-related, I think). I have always had normal BP but with this thing my BP seems to have shot up, which is scary. I'm also really tired, and have terrible insomnia (the two are probably related!). Basically a flockin' mess!

I have not read all the posts here, but wonder if anyone has tested for Lyme disease, or if that is a possibillity? I also wonder if people have tried cranio-sacral therapy, which I am going to do tomorrow.  

In the meantime, will read more of these posts to get some more insight.

Blessings to all who are struggling with this... hopefully we'll find some answers that can help us!

[Teresa2390]

I have had severe to moderate ear/jaw pain since early April. At that same time I was suffering from a sinus infection. My eustachian tubes are full of fluid. Although both ears have fluid, I only hurt on the left side. GP finally referred me to an ENT. He tried one more antibiotic and then a CT scan. Went back yesterday for diagnosis. He said sinuses looked good but nose was crooked and turbinates in nose were enlarged. He suggested a septoplasty and submucous resection of the nasal turbinates. He is hopeful that this will improve my breathing (did not know that was a problem) and will give more room in the nasal cavity for everything, including eustchian tubes, to work properly. Relieved and bothered by these posts. Nervous that I may have wrong diagnosis.
Teresa

[forgetregret313]

My heart goes out to everyone on this site, and to everyone who has similar symptoms to this crazy stuff that's not being diagnosed!! I am losing my mind here everyone, and it's pissing me off that no one has answers.. It all started about 3 years ago.. all of a sudden I got this constant loud ringing in left ear and the left side of my neck was constantly stiff.. also my left nostril was constantly clogged.. So I dealt with this as best I could.. saw an ENT just told me that I have deviated septum and didn't think surgery would do anything.. Now for the past 6 months.. I have found that the right side is doing the exact same thing.. but now it feels like my ears are constantly clogged with water.. but apparently everything seemed fine on the tests.. and there's pressure in my left ear which goes into my jaw all the way into my neck.. plus the ringing.. I can't stand any of this anymore it's been going on for too long now and I don't know what to do to make this any easier.. I had a ct scan but nothing!! Isn't there anyone or any tests out there that could be done?? I hope this will go away.. one day... good luck to all of you..

[Jasro]

I had the same problems.  Found out via neck MRI that my C3-C4 disc has a tiny herniation.  C3 innervates the eyeballs, ears and base of the neck.  You may want to ask your doc about your neck.

Regards,
Jasro

[looking4answers74]

I can't tell you how amazed I was when I stumbled accross this thread. My symptoms started in March. They came along with a cold and sinus infection like many others I have seen here. But when all other symptoms went away, I still had this pain that went from behind my earlobe to under my chin. Since then, I have gotten fullness in my ears, horrible pain down my neck, sensitivity to noise and terrible headaches. This had all been on my left side, but as of yesterday, started on my right as well. My MD was looking for a tumor, which seemed to fit all my symptoms. Of course he didn't find anything.

I have read many of your stories, some going on for a decade. I can't imagine going through this that long. How are you doing it? I just want to know what's wrong. A cure would be great! But I have hated feeling crazy. I am so glad to know that I'm not. I hate that there are so many people suffering as I am. I would'nt wish this on my worst enemy. My heart goes out to all of you!

[OmLaNxxx]

Would you shut up about tmj or w.e. im 13 years old and i have all the symptons of a tumor on my brain

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

OmLaNxxx,
  When you say "i have all the symptoms of a tumor on my brain" tells me you have not been checked out yet for a tumor.  I too had all the symptoms of a tumor, and Eustachian tube dysfunction, and Petulius(?) Eustachian tube, and a couple others.  All my research said any one or all of the above.

  Not knowing enough about anatomy, My reasoning for saying I had a tumor is that I could hear my eye ball moving in it's socket.  My imagination told me it was the wet eye ball rubbing against the wet and rock solid tumor.  Best way to describe the sound would be wetting your finger and rub your finger hard on a table and let it skip/jump/ect... "da da da da....  If I move my eye very slowly it sounds like an extra heart beat.  The tumor had to be big because it was doing a number on my hearing in that same side ear.

  Finally I got mad and scared enough that I had to have it checked out.  Turned out not to be a tumor!  All that worry for nothing!!  I now know what it is but I wont bore you with the details,  Basically what I'm saying is "until you get checked out, don't get worked up thinking it is a tumor, you'll end up getting sick and doing more harm than good.

[helenrachel]

Has anyone tried chinese medicine? i have all these symptoms too and have been feeling constantly dizzy for four years. i never feel relaxed, I am constantly worried that i will pass out or something awful will happen. I dread going to work, especially if i have a meeting. When i sit i always have to rest my head in my hand for stability, and cannot speak to people standing up because i feel like i will topple over. i have stopped socialising with people, and have lost some friends over this. it is truly awful, and i have had osteopathic treatment, physio, a brain scan and full spine scan, i've joined a gym, taken pilates classes, and even been put on valium by my doctor. nothing has worked. but recently i was recommended to try chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. i am only four weeks into the treatment, but i am starting to feel some kind of difference. i feel happier, the tension is not so severe, the dizziness is starting to feel less, and i am finally excited about the future again. I am taking bupleurum, tang kwei, magnolia, hoelen and bamboo, and have acupuncture once a week. chinese medicine treats the cause of the problem and not the symptoms, like western medicine, which is one of the reasons why i think it is working. it isn't cheap, but if it makes a difference to you, it is worth it.

[jimmyrodgers]

i to have both ears with a cotton wool feeling in them,a year ago i heard a click in my neck,and i lost partial hearing on the left side,,their is a sort of burning sensation both sides of my neck and i get very bad stiff necks,is it a jaw problem ,teeth infection or throat,im so worried

[pjb55]

I am 55 and I present to my GP with pain in the rigt side of my face, my GP looked inside my right ear and said that it was badly infected. He prescribed some anti-biotics and told me that if wasn't getting better after 24hrs, that I should go to the E.R at the hospital. I n less than 24hrs the pain was a lot worse, I went to the Hospital and after vomiting in their toilet and complaining if severe headache, they put me on a bed. I don't remember what happened after this point. My wife said that I became unconscious and had stopped breathing and was put on life support and was later transfered to a major hospital where I was diagnosed with Bacterial Meningitis. I had a Mastoidectomy and I remained in a coma in ICU for 8 days and later transfered to an infectious diseases ward for 3 weeks.
I am now back home and am death in my right ear and have bad headaches at times and my balance is completely out of wack requiring a walker or walking stick. Before the ear infection I was strong and able to do most anything, now I am weak and clumsy.
My advice to all who have an ear infection or pain around you ear, don't hesitat get to the Hospital or you GP immediately. Bacterial Meningitis can be fatal.

[Sickboy1]

I have suffered from the same problems for the last few months, ear fullness and internal pressure, really bad tinnitus in one ear, neck pain, jaw pain, headaches, it feels like my head was full of pressure, it was affecting my vision, i was severely fatigued, it all started with a head cold, flu like symptoms, antibiotics gave short term relief, ENT doc said i was losing hearing in one ear.
What can cause all this? If no other explanation can be given by doctors.
Poor circulation and muscle injury are the main possibilty, sleeping habits, chewing habits, the way you site at your computer and post viral fatigue syndrome can exagerate these problms.

Looking first at circulation, capilliaries and arteries can become compressed leading the poor circulation, this alone can cause major problems with ears, neck and head, this is worse for smokers. If this is your problem the symptoms will go away in a few days with beta blockers, long term people need to change lifestyle, sitting, sleeping positions and to get plenty of excercise, swimming etc.. and stop smoking or anything else that can cause poor circulation.

Muscle damage, go to a sports injury therapist, the pain and pressure in the neck and ears can be caused by a muscle problem in the back or in the shoulder, when you touch a certain sore point in the back or shoulder you will feel it send a shooting pain directly to your ear, this is your problem point, as we know problems with the ears inevitably leads to nausea  and headaches.
One sports injury therapist can be very different to another, i.e. you could see 10, 9 may not cure you but 1 will, you need to find a good one that really knows what they are doing or they can make the problem worse.

Try using a neck brace, 1 hour at a time, 3 times a day, see if your symptoms are reduced, start to play detective and using the process of elimination find what has an affect positive or negative, if these symptoms can be controlled for better or worse with lifestyle thn that tells you a lot and you know which direction to go from then on.
See if muscle relaxants have an affect for better or worse, see if decongestants have an affect etc...

[sabrina369]

same here!
my 1 is left side
will this effect our health?
or just ears problem?
but up there got ppl say not ears problem..
then what is the problem ><
if someone know the answer tell me pls T.T

[Sickboy1]

Sabrina, it could be many things, ear infection, debris in the inner ear, sinus infection etc.... have you been to the doctor with this problem?
You really need to get a MRI scan and see if anything shows upand take it from there.

[jinnjer11]

I am 42 and in very good health, but have a stressful job.  I suffered from this starting in May and continuing through June. My pain would start and grow to an almost unbearable level...from my shoulder to my ear to my jaw/teeth on my right side. My pain would start and grow to an almost unbearable level...from my shoulder to my ear to my jaw/teeth on my right side.

I started with the Dentist, he could find nothing.  Then went to a Sports Medicine Dr (accupuncturist).  This did nothing for my pain.   i was finally able to get into my regular doctor.  

He diagnosed me with SHINGLES(on the right side of my face),  sometimes they present with no rash, he put me on an anti-viral for one week.  Within 24 hours the pain started to go away.

i do have a little nerve damage now since i went almost a month with the suffering, my jaw and shoulder will start up with just dull pain when I am stressed. But this is tolerable compared to the pain I was dealing with.  

[sabrina369]

thanks 4 telling me :)
but now no pain anymore :D
thanks :)

[Meg0609]

Oh my goodness! It is wonderfully relieving to know that I am not alone! I was beginning to think that I was crazy! I am a 20 year old Mother of 2. My doctor told me simply that 20 year old bodies do not hurt! I am too  young to have this pain. WHAT?! That statement was so insane that I can't even bring myself to go back to him for any problems that I have! I have had pain in my ear, jaw, teeth, cheek bone, neck, shoulders, and migraines off and on for over a year now. I do have chronic sinusitis, and TMJ. However, I have had chronic sinusitis and TMJ since I was very young. I had my tonsils and adenoids (adenoids) removed when I was 10 years old. This did absolutely nothing. I was told that I have some sort of large mass in my sinuses that could be polyps. At any rate, this all started long before the ear pain etc. I was told that the pain in my neck and shoulders is muscle spasms although my doctor had no reason for the muscle spasms. I also have other symptoms that I am unsure if they are related or not. They started about the same time. My leg muscles cramp up really bad in my calves and my upper legs, I have actually get recurring bruises on my calves where the cramping is the worst. I also had 2 C-Sections.when I received  my Spinal with my youngest child  I moved when the doctor stuck the needle in, and I have had pain in that area of my back ever since, also it is very hard to stretch my back, which is also due to my sciatic nerve, or so I've been told. The pain in my ear usually starts after I get a cold and will last for months. So a lot of the time. I get antibiotics and it goes away for a little while and then within a week it comes back, over and over again! Muscle relaxers have helped me sleep and helped the neck pain some but definitely not fixed the problems! BTW my doctor now refuses to prescribe me any kind of meds to help because I am so young, so I take lots and lots of Tylenol Ibuprofen and Naproxen alternating between the 3. They do not really help a whole lot but sometimes take the edge off to make it somewhat bearable. This pain in my face and neck, has nearly ruined my life. I went from outgoing to depressed and Very irritable. It is hard to enjoy anything when I hurt so bad. I am miserable. Often when I sleep even if I sleep 7-9 hours, I wake up and my head is very fuzzy, I have a hard time thinking and I don't feel rested at all! I am so miserable. If anyone finds out exactly what this is please let me know! I am desperate to feel normal again!

[Lv2tch]

I just stumbled on this site.....relate to all symptoms above as well....long history of ear/eustacian tube problems and allergies.  
All the the ear popping, fullness, occasional dizziness, clogged up feeling in ear ( mostly right)....then a bad car accident here in LA.....hit head on by drunk driver and in neck brace for 9 months and long recovery with ongoing neck problems which TOTALLY connect to ear issues.....all muscles used in neck function are adjacent to entire ear structure and sinuses.  It is clear that neck and ear are connected and when neck is stiff, ear pain is felt due to "referred pain" and spasms can affect your balance. This is called "cervical vertigo".....heat and trigger point therapy can help this. Big problem for me is work at computer much of the day......you HAVE to find ways to relax the neck and shoulders to lessen this condition.  If you read most of these posts....ears and neck pain are constantly mentioned together.....as well as TMJ problems and ears.  It is all connected.....
Stress makes it all worse !  Much worse......
If allergies are also part of your problem, like me, using Astelin spray, Sinus Rinse kit, and occasional Prednisone use really helps a lot as well as causing ears to pop several times/day.
Take a deep breath....we are not alone.  
Good Luck ......from an LA Teacher.....

[suebell452]

I have the same thing and have chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromayalgia.  I am 58.  I have suffered sleepless nights and on and off depression meds since age 28.  I am severely depressed and have over the years due to "stress".  This is what stress can do to you.  It's horrible and I'm not working.  My depression is severe as I said and I take cymbalta (which helps with my pins and needles, severe itching), but sleep meds and sleep antidepressants seem to make me worse.  Everything makes me so spacey I can't function well at all. This is horrible and it's hard to get diagnosed but my family doc seems to know more about this than anyone.  You might want to bring this up to your family dr.  I now get treated for depression seeing a new psychiatrist and therapist but no luck so far.  Somedays I think I should just cash it it.  You just never know what life can to you.

[ANewOne]

Hey all,
I am new here and just read a lot of interesting things. It's comforting to know I am not the only one with a quest for cure.
So here's my story (I'll appreciate ANY input on what it can be):
4 months ago I woke up with swollen right eyelid. No drooping, no pain. Almost went away within 1 week. Small assymmetry (visible to me) remained. Then I started waking up (2 - 4 times a week) with congested, almost headache-like feeling on the right side, above ear. It would go away within 4 hours. Then, 1.5 months ago my right eyelid swelled again, cheek area to the right of the nose swelled slightly, I felt very fatigued and congested in the head on the rt side. I went to GP, who thought it was sinusitis, put me on Amoxicillin for 10 days. Towards the end of antibiotics it seemed to diminish, so GP put me on nasal steroid spray. Did that for 8 day, did not do a thing, got worse again. Meanwhile I had my eyes checked out, doc found absolutely nothing wrong, except for slight nearsightedness (which I had previously), my right eye being slightly more nearsighted, but not significant enough for correction. I also noticed that my rt pupil sometimes would dilate a little more than the left (it may have been going on for at least 1.5 years, probably more). Doc said it is most likely physiological anisocoria, which some people have, and is completely normal, since all my eye reflexes came up fine. Ok, I went to ENT, who examined inside of my nose, found nothing and put me on strongest dose of Amoxicillin and Zyrtec for 2 weeks. Did that, meanwhile went to dentist, had all X-rays, no dental problems. He found no flow from my right parotid gland, but no palpable stone, so he said it microscopic, just chew on saliva-inducing foods and warm compresses and it should resolve by itself. I went to another ENT who had me do CT scan. All clear, no problems. He said he cannot make conclusions, but my parotid gland obstruction has nothing to do with my main problem, he suspects mild case of trigeminal neuralgia from my migraine (which I occasionally get, coincidentally, also on the right side). He wants MRI done before saying anything. I will do it shortly, but having no insurance, I need to find a good deal on it.
So all my problems are on right side - occasional bigger pupil, occasional migraines, cheek and eyelid swelling and ear fullness (warm compress helps with fullness), soreness behind the eye. I also grind teeth sometimes, have a click in my jaw (which I had for at least 10 years, it's painless), no facial pain, no tenderness, no temperature. Occasional fatigue (but I have very stressful schedule). Generally, I am very aware of the right side of face/head with some above symptoms. They vary (like, if my eye is sore, I won't have ear fullness) and some days almost go away. My swelling is worse in the morning.

Thank you guys for input!

[Lina07]

I have those same symptoms, even the stiff neck. It is caused by my TMJ which it sounds lile you have as well.

[Mossgirl]

@ Londart
If the cause was fungal, it would be possible to culture the fungus from the site of the problem.  A lot of these people have no signs of infection!  What makes me sceptical is that every source of info on Candida is trying to sell you stuff and obv know nothing about fungal biology.  You're being had!
I have full ears/sore neck, but putting it down to stress/ post viral weirdness; it's gradually getting better.

[kafish67]

My issues have been going on for one month.  It all started with a slight cold that developed into an ear ache.  My gp said my ear drum was bulging. I treated my earache naturally with hot compresses and olive oil drops.  The pain went away but the sensation that my ear is clogged is still there.  I took a round of amoxicillin, but feeling still persisted.  Saw my ent and he said my ear looked fine, the drum was reactive, however sent me for a mri due to slight high frequency hearing loss.  Mri revealed pansinusitis (inflammation of all sinus cavities) and air-fluid in right maxillary indicating acute on chronic sinusitis.  Also said I had right mastoiditis.  He put me on augmenten. The only thing that accomplished was a case of thrush. I still have fullness, but I am able to pop ear.  The right side of head has alot of pressure with a tingling feeling on outside of ear, behind ear going into my head as well as on the side of face, nose and corner of mouth.  I've decongested with sudafed and am taking flonase.  I also rinse 3 times a day with saline.  My neck muscles are killing me.  I'm scared of cancer.  Did the mri miss anything.  Of can all of these symptoms be explained away by sinusitis.  Please help

[Susanlynn49]

Just a thought.  I have had most of your symptoms over the last 10 years or so.  Muscle tension in your neck and your SCM muscle can create all kinds of symptoms and a lot of headaches are caused by the muscles supporting the Atlas bone. The SCM muscle can cause bad ear ringing-at least in my case   After you have been checked and the doctors tell you nothing is wrong  (after all they are just practicing medicine) try to find a good massage therapist who knows trigger point therapy.  It took me a while to find one and it takes a while to get the muscles back to normal.  IT has helped me tremendously, along with an Upper Cervical Chiropractor to get my head "on straight".  When all else has failed its worth the time.  Even if it doesn't help, a massage is great anyway.

[bmac1958]

  I have been having pretty much the same problem it has gotten worse recently doctors,ct's and all.I tried lyrica 50 mg last night felt terrible when I went to bed l thought I was going to die from a heart attack.But slill here and went all day untill late afternoon with no ringing,tighness,headache ect.It worked for me but I am not going to try it tonight because I don't like the way it starts out feeling.Mabe if I was used to taking them it would not bother me.

[goodwitchhazel]

I had many of these symptoms & my 5 children had many different symptoms..In the end we found we had HiB...Ask your doctor, but it has been very difficult for our family to become well because a lot of doctors don't agree the test necessary & people are scared of the disease & phobias of the unknown etc...It only takes a different antibiotic( ie a negative gram specific to your infection/germ, only found through a throat swab or spinal.) I chose the throat swab!!! If you would like to see the wiki site, I found following many of the symptoms links were very helpful for me to suggest this to my doctor..Hib affects everyone differently especially when we have been immunised.. The clue is one side of something gets sick ie one eye ,the same side nostril, headaches earaches etc...do you get the picture... The negative bacteria grows & positive bacteria grows.. it all depends which side of your face gets it first..If both are in your left nostril, then only one is in your right...somehow one of the bacteria die.. So you have different symptoms for one side of your body than the other.. So many symptoms are misdiagnosed, it took us 4 years to get the right medicine....Bactrim...did it for us....

[Suz489]

I am a 21 y/o f and I'm suffering similar symptoms as you and have been for probably about 4 months continously.
  I have:
   headaches (seem like sinus headaches)
   sinus pain and pressure in my forehead, face and eyes,
   ear fullness and pressure
   congestion and post nasal drip  
   terrible brain fog (which worsens when the ear fullness worsens) and head heaviness      along with trouble concentrating and with memory.

I am a university student and this has significantly impacted my ability to perform in school and study.

At the beginning of this semester (end of january) I got sick with sore throat, congestion, sinus pressure and pain and headache, and was diagnosed with a sinus infection (just as I had been 4 times the previous semester). I was given antibiotics which seemed to help for about two weeks and most of my symptoms disappeared (although I was still having headaches, which I thought were migraines which I've never really had in the past). Then one day when I was studying I found that I could not concentrate at all, and was just feeling SO foggy like my head was heavy all the time and was still having bad headaches and it just felt like I couldn't even read because the words were just glaring back at me and I wasn't comprehending them... I didn't know what was going on. This went on for about a week and a half before I realized this was related to my sinus infection and during this time the sinus pressure and facial pain came back and the pressure and fullness in my ears substantially worsened to the point where everything I heard was muffled and everything just felt so foggy and my head so pressurized.

I went back to the doctor (GP at my university) and she said that my sinus infection had indeed come back and my eustachian tubes were blocked. She gave me a stronger antibiotic and a nasal steroid. The sinus pressure and headaches improved as did the pressure and fullness in my ears and the congestion (I was also taking sudafed during this time though).

2 weeks later I got sick *again* with sore throat, fever, coughing, sinus pressure and headaches and congestion. I was out of town at the time and by the time I got home the fever and sore throat had gone away so I didn't even bother going to the doctor. But then the brain fogginess, ear fullness, and sinus pressure and pain and headaches worsened and stuck around, although they weren't nearly as bad as they had been before the antibiotics.

I realized at this point that I needed to go see an ENT and that the GP/antibiotics weren't helping me, but I was already so behind in school from recurrent illness and thought that the problems would just go away so I just waited. But then 3 weeks later I got sick (sore throat, fever, etc.) and finally made an appointment with an ENT afterwards, which was last friday (2 weeks after the illness).

The ENT said that he wanted to do a CT scan and he did... but he said that my sinuses were relatively clear. He said there was inflammation of the sinus lining but the sinuses weren't blocked and that I had a polyp in my maxillary sinus and a deviated septum. He said that I wasn't showing an infection at that time and may be affected by severe allergies (I've taken claritin for seasonal allergies for 9 years now) which along with the deviated septum could be making me prone to recurrent infections. I have allergy testing next week.

But when I mentioned the head fogginess to him he said that it may be from my sleep apnea (which I am also just now beginning treatment for). But I KNOW that it's not from the sleep apnea... I didn't have this brain fog and head heaviness and ear fullness continuosly until after the recent recurrent illness. I know I didn't press the fogginess enough in our appointment, and I don't even know if he checked for an ear infection- I was pretty upset at the time because I had read about people having sinus problems for years with no blockage and going to doctor after doctor.

Does a CT scan even show eustachian tube blockage or an ear infection? Could this be Eustachian Tube Dysfunction? I called today and talked to his nurse and asked if I could have a steroid shot to reduce the inflammation of my sinuses (I can't stand the constant sinus headaches/facial sinus pressure and pain anymore -that alone is seriously interfering with my schoolwork and I have a bunch of exams this week and finals next week) but the doctor apparently said that right now the "risks would outweigh the benefits". So the only thing he gave me was (another) steroid nasal spray :( I asked if that would help with any of the other sinuses and the nurse said no, it's just for the nose. I'm at my wits end, I'm in serious trouble in my classes because of this problem and I don't even know what to do. The nurse asked if I had "tried ibuprofen" and I told her that yes... I take it way too often because of these problems.

I guess I'm going to call tomorrow and try to actually talk to the doctor and press the issue of the ear fullness and brain fog/head heaviness and see if there's anything I can do... right now I'm thinking the ear blockage and brain fog are related because I was feeling better the last couple days and then today both were there full swing -my ears are very full and blocked and actually kind of hurt and the brain fog is awful. HELP.

[jonathonwoodsfansite]

hello there im msging u about ur head pain issues
ive recently started having the same thing over a month and abit  

it all started with my gf cheating on me and breaking up suddenly a pain in my  stomach after 2 weeks of intense  healthy eating workout etc  i noticed alump in my stomach
the drs said dw dw dw its all normal just cramps  
suddenly AGAIN my arm dislocated getting  washing off the line  
this is the 2nd time its happaned!!! but this time they gave me  morphine and madaslim
then shoved it back in  
i came home did some writing had tea watched sienfielfd then went to bed
suddenly i woke up ... noticed numbness in the last 2 fingers...
woke up again noticed a fluttering in my chest along with dizzyness all around the room i thought i was gonna die
so i took a panadol went back to bed
3 days later in the kitchen it got dizzy again talking to my  dad  and total confusion i thought i  was gonna pass out  
there was alot of blood coming fro my nose
drs checked me out  
1 said nervs and the meds dw  a week went past
another  said no it shouldnt of done that  noway  
then another dr said no its not normal checked my reflexes said i was ok to go home
i got blood tests done showing i had enlarged blood cels along with some low vits but shouldnt cause this  i got more tests for  folate and b 12   all normal so he shoved me on zoloft pills for 2 weeks
i had 2 days without pain then it came back but also my emotions were gone along with   taste buds
atm off zoloft my issues r
light headed  
dizzy
spewing in the mornings sometimes
bloody noses
pain going to the eye then the scalp then the ear
i feel like if im dieing sometimes ..... but zoloft stoped the fear and anxiety ( aparently its normal on this stuff)
zoloft stoped the light headedness  dizzyness  vibration and theres only pain in my scalp
do u have any updates that help out at all ?  
heat seems to help also putting pressure on it + showers

[distressedgal397]

What a  relief to have some people share the same wondering about my symptoms. I suffer for years with so many of these pains and right now , the ear pressure,headaches, and stiff neck are very dominant. I am on cymbalta and lyrica by a neuro/psyche and on therapy for acupuncture by another Dr. for pain management. My lab tests were negative only with a little higher sugar and cholesterol level with fatty liver diagnosis. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome. I had surgeries before like hysterectomy , tonsilectomy,nasal flushing , etc. I have all types of allergies from environmental to internal food allergy to sinusitis ,and asthma. Right now, still maintaining a nasal saline spray with avamys. If I have more time, I will continue to update you with my experiences . Till my next post...may we all find a solution to these myriad illnesses..

[Lind1]

I read all this and it sounds all to familier, I currently have the same problem.  It is not persistant but comes and goes and it does not progress.  It feels as if my ear is itching sometimes and just beneath my right ear down on the side it feels stiff.  No lumps.  When I press on it I can feel it hurts.  This sounds so stupid to talk about it because it is not severe.  Although I am so annoid by it.  I also have upper right back aches and sometimes in my neck as well as in my front shoulder right. It feels as if the pain in always in different locations.  I have been to the Dr.  they did a chest Xray and two blood tests.  All came back negative and good.  I did have a while ago a very ugly (rightside) neck spasm wich they took out by phisiotherapy.  (sorry for my english and spelling, I am actually afrikaans).  I do have a lot of stress for a long period now but since these pains started it has just driven me insain.  I am always thinking it is cancer? what is wrong with me... And I know this is making it worse.  I have been to the DR's on several occasions on wich they did check everything.  I thought about poor posture,  yes I am overweight but not excessively and I do sit at a computer a lot.  I really wish I could have peace of mind.  Currently I have no pain in my back or shoulder only under my ear feels asif it could be on my jaw right under ear a sensation of fullness.  (No ear pain though)  I hope I am making any sense.  Any response or assistance will be helpfull.  Thank you

[1realnoob]

i have been having the SAME PAIN as you..i was wondering if you know what kind of medicene i can use

[jjw2006]

I was diagnosed with TMJ when I was around 13 years old (now I'm 28) after being hit (on accident) with a golf club.  Tramatic accidents can cause this to come one.  Some days I am perfectly fine and other days I'm in pain.  This pain can last several days and make if difficult to want to even talk (which doesn't help being a singer in my church) or eat.  I too have the pain in my upper back, shoulders, neck and ears/head.  I do know that some of it is TMJ and my job is sitting at a computer and a lot of it has to do with the posture.  Every night my husband has to massage my shoulders and neck for the pain to go away.  I have experienced this for several days before and had to have a massage every night for over a week before the pain finally stopped.

I am currently dealing with the pain right now.  I suggest for others and myslef to try adjusting your posture while sitting, try not to hunch or lean too much, and get up and strech every once in a while.  And of course massages are very nice and help alot.

Also when it comes to TMJ, alot of what you eat can trigger it.  TMJ is when your jaw joint is over worked, it is the most used joint in the body.  Try to avoid foods that require a large amount of chewing (steak, ice, gum, etc).  Sometimes the simple task of brushing my teeth cause me pain.  So alot of it can be controlled by just learning what triggers your pain.

[Monido]

sphenoid sinusitis infection?   Intense headache on the  top of head, temples, or back of head or neck.  Pulsating pain behind eyes, base of skull, neck, eyes, jaws, fliud in ears, dizzyness, confusion, unable to concentrate, post nasal drip, sore throat, fatigue, ....?  
Its hard to treat, needs long term strong antibiotics.  
No cold type symptoms of normal sinus infection.      

[Chaz63]

I have the same problem! Ringing of the ears an mostly neck pain on the left back side. Already got a cortisone shot an took a steroid pack for a week an doxycycline for 2 weeks. Even went to dentist because sometimes jaw hurts! Anybody found a cure for it Plmk

[Chaz63]

I have the same problem! Ringing of the ears an mostly neck pain on the left back side. Already got a cortisone shot an took a steroid pack for a week an doxycycline for 2 weeks. Even went to dentist because sometimes jaw hurts! Anybody found a cure for it Plmk

[Alrodean]

Wow my jaw not aligned right my temples are paining had a lil fever yday wen I woke up. Now I feel a small lump on my right temple not sure if it a pimple bt its pains if I press on it kinda worried tho cause I went 4 a blood test 3 weeks ago and haven't gt an reply from him

[Jones83]

You're very right on that one. I've had some similar symptoms to mels22.  I've had trauma to my head and back in the past and I feel a knot in my back right below where the stiffness starts that they say not to worry about.  Since an xray of my spine didn't pick up anything except bulging discs on my spine they've ruled it out.  The pressure always starts with the pain in my back and pretty much the only thing that relieves it for hours is also what drops my blood pressure too low since it already runs quite low- blood thinners.  There's lights in my eyes a lot that seem like laser pointers going across my eye and I mistaked it for my nephew and niece playing with a laser pointer for a long time.  To complicate things for seven months I've been living with my galbladder blocked because I got violently ill and was never treated by any of the doctors I went to.  I've been to the ER countless times and just last week they decided to take out my galbladder and it's not one moment too soon.  I have scar tissue in my stomach so since I stopped throwing up the bile and I never have run fever unless I had an extreme case of pnemonia (pneumonia) and not a moment till the symptoms didn't match up to them.  The pain in my stomach and the pain in my back and neck and head was of course written off as my imagination and now its just the pain up my back and head that is my imagination because my galbladder needs to come out.  I also have elevated csf levels but I just started taking medication for that and I'm not sure if it isn't making me feel worse.  In one week I get to sort out my symptoms having my galbladder out that is causing Extreme pain and then I can also continue my janumet for polycystic ovarian syndrome and see what the specific symptoms are.  It's really sad when we are looking up treatment and symptoms and doctors are not.  Prescriptions are written and symptoms are treated nevermind what the real problem is.  No amount of medication will make my galbladder start functioning right again and seven months of ignoring it didn't work and I now worry about my pancreas because I have sharp pains and gurgling that I thought was my heart when I throw caution to the wind and eat anything along the lines of broth- many times it stops hurting and seems numb tho which led me to the heart doctor because of the tingling in that side before I knew not to eat.  Since I was not screaming I was considered not in pain but I was asked about anxiety and told to see a psychiatrist for my frustrations and insistance upon returning again and again to the doctor.  

[AnnaEC]

Hi I am 15 and I as well am suffering from these symptoms.
It started with my eye slightly going blurred and then I suffered bad headache around my eyes (sometimes behind them) also I suffer the same feeling that my head is tightening.
I went the GP and was proscribed pizotifen , I have been on it a little over a week and already I'm suffering new symptoms like numb feelings in my arms and hand as well as lightheaded and pain in my ear.
I'm going to the doctor in a months time.
I just want to know any treatments and diagnosis as lately it's being worrying with being only 15.

[AnnaEC]

Also lately I've been very cold and expericing neck pain , Please help!

[Chrachel]

I suffer ringing, full ear, closed estasian tube, my symptoms are on the left (pain behind left eye) I feel like sometimes I don't have full rAnge of motion in that eye.  I wake up and my neck is stiff, now I feel tightness above my left hip. My face swells at night, (my forhead and eyes.) I can't afford medical insurrAnse. Help :(

[sbredeck]

Have been reading all of the messages posted.
Having simptoms of sinus infection, however ct scan just shows inflamation (inflammation).
Neck pain and earpain and the surrounding tissue.
Have had sinus infections for years and had been taking probiotics to prevent. Helped a great deal however antibiotics kill everthing except yeast, so repeated use of them can cause alot of your symptoms and
Candida Albican, the infection now is fungal. Being treated for that and am on Candida Diet.
Also had some hormonal issues which contributed to the inability to handle stress, led to adrenal fatigue and now after reading about some of the other problem from all of you, I am going to a Myofascial Release Therapist.
Just rubbing my neck helps , but my pain goes down into my back also.
Hope this helps anyone who has the same pain.
sbredeck

[sbredeck]

Hope any one who has left a blog on here will read this.
within the week of going to the Myofascial Release Therapist.
I have seen a huge improvement in my muscles and how they have cause much of my pain.
However I have also learned that I have Lymes Disease.Candida Albican is part of it also.
That said I can relate most all of my symptoms back to that.
I was lucky enough to find a doctor who beleives in an integrative-approach. The best outcomes occur when treatments include a combination of prescription medicines (antabiotics)and holistic supplements. I found a test that I had done in 2000 that gave Equivical results, meaning positive but then they do a Western Blot and I only had one present ABN, don't know what that means yet just dicovered it today .
But I strongly urge any one with many of these unexplained symptoms to go to www.lymepa.org and take the symptom survey it's in the green book.
Try to find a lymes knowledgable doctor.
This is becomeing one of the most misdiagnosed disease out there.

[sbredeck]

One more thing, like most of you I have been to the ent several times.
2 cts cans, two sets of allergy testing, blood tests, been put on anti-depresants, thyroid med that didn't agree with me and for get about the GP, I had one tell me I should go for a run so I could handle the laundry.
They all found nothing but a little inflamation (inflammation), gave me a nose spray and said I should take up yoga.
Seriously think about lymes disease and do as much homework as you can. This is an excellent and informative site.
http://www.treatlyme.net/
this site also out lines hormolnal dysfunctions caused by lymes and lymes makes everthing worse.

[fiddle_man]

My wife has had these symptoms for many years.  They seem to be related to her hormane cycle.  What's happening is that at different times of her cycle the mucus membranes swell up - and if you have narrow sinus cavities or eustachian tubes, and some drainage caused my mild allergies or whatever, then periodically you will have these symptoms.  They are not fun, not life threatening, not symptomatic of a major medical condition.  Just a somewhat complicated combination of things that cause pain, headaches, neck aches etc.   Painkillers and decongestants during the few days a month that these occur seem to help, but do not cure.  

[fitzro11]

I live in New Zealand (no known Lyme disease here) and have had these symptoms for the past 4 months: decreased hearing in left ear but at same time increased sensitivity to noise, a burning sensation deep in my left ear canal, balance problems, daily headaches, occasional migraines and stabbing headaches behind my eyes and in the top of my head.  Hearing test results show asymmetrical hearing in my left ear and my left middle ear was non-responsive to testing. Generally I feel constantly tired and worn down and often have a stiff neck, sore throat and sore left arm pit.

I have seen a hearing clinic twice, my GP and ENT twice. I was treated for a fungal infection in my ear that I didn't have in December (swabs came back negative) and was told I have migrainous vertigo.  I was also prescribed ibuprofen and pain killers. This week I have had 4 episodes of losing all hearing in my right ear for short periods of time followed by intense headaches.  

I saw the ENT today and was told they don't know what's wrong but likely either I had shingles last year in my ear or I have TMJ.  I've now been referred to a specialist dentist and have to have further hearing tests in 6 weeks.  I'm not sure TMJ causes actual hearing loss so I am not confident this will be the diagnosis.  I am taking more and more time off work and am becoming more stressed about my health.  While my symptoms are not severe all the time they are debilitating when present.    

I am sympathising with everyone with the same symptoms!

[Sannu747]

Hola,
its vertigo it start act funny when migraine attack mix with it, i am suffering from it past 10 years only learn to maintain it the way i can some time it over power me, i take .250xnax to put me sleep..!! i too have bloating objects in my both eyes when migraine attack comes.. it is painful but i am use to it..i did all test doctor cannot discover it by tests unless you visit good experiences neurologist.
Sannu

[lori04]

It is shocking to see how many people suffer from the same symptoms. I too have ear pain and fullness but also now my left cheek and down my jaw are swollen from my ear down to my chin. I also have the stiff neck. They first treated me for a sinus infection but I am getting IV antibiotics for 3 days. They think the infection has gotten into my facial tissue somehow. Who even knew that was possible. All this started out with headaches and ear pain from my left ear feeling full and the pressure feeling. I hope I find out something more by the end of the week. Good luck to everyone else as well.

[annie_23]

Ok I'm really scared not sure if its gerd lyme disease tmj a tumor abscess or hiv..yeah I know etensive googling lol..but anyway, I have been suffering from symptoms for about 3 months now and I'm bricking it. At first I noticed in this order:(4 mnths) pins and needles, piercing migraine in temple(once 4 mnths ago),(1 month ago)acid reflux,(1 month ago)neck pain/like tightening in throat and a dull stabbing pain sometimes)(3 days ago)jaw pain,(3 days ago)ear pain and just today(14.02.12) painful knee joints, bearing in mind I am 5ft 6 n half and weigh 17 stone I just don't know where to start. I will go to the doctor but I'd just like some thoughts on this ppl, thank u for any replies xxx

[odekee589]

Just wanted to let you know I'm suffering from the same symptoms.


Here are my symptoms:

1.  Part-way diagnosed with GERD
2.  Swallowing difficulties (food
     getting caught on right side)
3.  Throat spasms
4.  Severe right-sided
     headaches/migraines
5.  Right-sided eye pain with redness
     and excessive watering (pain
     behind eye, in eye, beneath eye)
6.  Sensitivity to light in right eye
7.  Ear pain (feels like I have an ear
     infection, though each time I go  
     to the doctor, I never do)
8.  Pain in right jaw joint
9.  Severe neck pain
10. Severe pain in right shoulder blade
11. Pain in upper right teeth.


My symptoms began about 2 years ago with dental pain, then ear pain, then acid reflux, then eye pain, then jaw pain, then difficulty swallowing, then throat spasms, then neck pain, then pain in shoulder blade.

These symptoms keep me awake at night.



Here's what I've tried that has NOT helped:

1. Root canal
2. MRI of brain - came back perfect.
3. Antibiotics - nothing changed



Here's what my doctor (alternative medicine) has recommended me to do:

1. Try a night guard such as "Doctor's Nite Guard" and
2. Get Myofasial release therapy/trigger point massage.



My Advice:

1. Look into finding a Myofasial therapist in your area - after reading up on it, it sounds like it may finally bring some relief!
2. Google: Myofasial Pain Syndrome and read up on it.


Hope this helps!

[ace703]

I have had the same symptoms for the past month. Noticed I was dizzy driving on the highway, couldn't drive, then became more dizzy. I have had 4 visits to doectors, first one said there was fluid in my ears, gave me medication for teh dizziness, doesn't really help. I went to my regular Dr. who orded an x-ray which didn't show nay issues in my sinusses. right now I am taking nasonex(2 days in) and medication fior dizziness, Nasonex has helped a bit, but I still have pressure/tingling in my head and still don't hink i should drive, So FRUSTRATING! At least I've stopped thinking I have a tumor since I started reading this thread.

[paulrodriguez22]

I'm very glad I found this thread, I thought this was something i just have to live with. I'm 27 years old and about 6 years back I had an intense ear infection, it lasted about two years. I was in hell, a growth grew on my ear that the ENT didn't think was necessary to test, I took medicine a,b, c, d, e, f to treat and it finally went away. However, I had this stuffyness and ringing in my ear that lingered.
I saw a doctor and they told me my nose was stuffed on my right side causing my right ear. I went through medicine a, b, c, d nose spray and they did nothing. I saw about 5 doctors and finally ignored it after I was told its tinnitus ringing in my ear. I thought i would just have to live with it.  
About 2 years ago I started getting headaches and neck pains. My dentist told me i grind my teeth so i started wearing a mouth guard. Now off and on I have neck pains that lead to headaches, than pain in my cheek and jaw.
I saw my regular doctor who recommended massages or muscle relaxers. I hate taking drugs, absolutely hate taking drugs so i started getting massages. They did help a little but the pain came back here and there.
In the last month it's been almost unbearable.
I'm really tired often, the only time i feel comfortable is when I lay down or ice my neck. I am going to see my doctor again and an ENT. If anyone has any help it is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Paul

[Blair512]

I just found this and like the rest of you am glad I did so.
I’m a 56 yr. old male nonsmoker, non-drinker. I have very loud tinnitus in my left ear 24/7, I also have fullness a lot to the point to where it feels like me ear is going to explode. I have ear pain in same ear and it radiates outward to the top of my head and down to my neck with inflammation.
I’ve see a many doctors and even been twice to the Shea Ear Clinic in Memphis, TN. They did profusion on my ear but it hasn’t helped. I’ve tried acupuncture, chiropractic, vitamin regiments all haven’t helped. In fact as time passes it gets worse. Now I have a burning in the left ear too. I just want my life back.

thanks all Blair

[jrios1112]

I'm very glad I found this thread, I thought I was alone suffrering through this. I started with Flu like symptoms with ear pain in Dec 2011 . saw my Doctor and she said had ear infection so I recieved antibiotics, did not do much. I feel ear pain, fullness, popping, ringging in my Right ear, waking up with Neck pain on Right side, vertigo symptoms. Saw my ENT and he tested for pressure on my rt ear and it was really elevated, he said possible fluid, so he performed a minor insicion on my ear drum and tryed to suction the fluid out but no fluid. well since then I had MRI, CT, Ultrasound to check my siliva glands possible clogged, but only showed swollen but no blockage. My ENT said possible TMJ wants to send me to Physical Therapy. I have take pain meds (I hate it), was also given hypertension Meds only relifes for a bit, but does nothing. I am tired of going to see the MD, and temp relief. If anybody has a remidie I would like to try. Thx Jrios

[cmanthomas]

mri could check for acoustic neuroma--benign tumour pressing on auditory nerve.

[medicalhomesolutions]

hello! I am 18 years old and i was suffered from ear pain with neck pain. during the pain time was 3 pm and my doc was not at clinic. so i tried home remedy.
1) I took an Olive oil and put some garlic and then heated it.
2) After this i gently put drops in my ear until it fulls.
3)  Than after 30-40 min my pain reliefs. And the interesting thing is that during posting and reading your comments my pain reliefs.

HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU!!!!

NOTE:
Only try this if your ear drums are not swollen. if you put these drops in your swollen ear then you will get more pain and doctor will remove it and it will be more painful to you.

but it is good method!!!!

[gismos2]

My daughter who is 26 has this ear pain with nothing the doctors can see. Im going to buy her the eardoc. It vibrates the ear and lets fluid out. It is on u tube under myeardoc. It was on the tv show the dr.'s. Hope it works and hope it helps you.

[Lyndapie]

My son is only 18, and he has many of these symptoms.  He cannot even function! I am obsessed 24-7 with finding him relief!  have you found any relief yet?

[Lyndapie]

My son is only 18, and he has many of these symptoms.  He cannot even function! I am obsessed 24-7 with finding him relief!  have you found any relief yet?

[norwyn]

Hi , i have suffered for 2 years now have a creaking noise in my left ear pain behind ear and in the side of my neck i have worn a tooth gaurd non stop and hasnt helped pain kiler also no help, do suffer dizzyness sometimes .
The dentist has checked my teeth and all ok could anyone advise me if ct scan would be helpfull as i am worried this has not got any better.

[Nailsbykaz]

I have suffered with ear pains and full of pressure for 18 months and in last year headaches Luke sinus ones and sometimes migrane (migraine) type ones! I am 40 and maybe pre menopause due to early hysterectomy, I have 2 young kids and hubby in army, it is a struggle and hard work everyday as no one knows how much it hurts
I have had MRI and ct and even nasal surgery and nothing there and nothing has helped, now ent has closed their file and referred me to physio saying it may be my neck!
I am fed up!
I am scared to fly now too and really need to in December to take my kids to Cyprus where their dad will be working
Any help would be great thanks x

[leesgirl01]

Not sure if u received my question as i cant find where it was sent, but i am desperately wanting to know if u r asymptomatic now? I am suffering all of the symptoms you listed.

[OccDoc]

While these symptoms could all be coincidental occursnces totally un related to each other, (I doubt it but stranger things have happened) I do have a word of advice go the gentleman who fears death from an  anyurism or cva. You have had multiple scans, an ultrasound and have been seen by a number of physicians. Every thing came up unremarkable. To you my advice is simply stop looking up symptoms on the Internet, your likely to interpret every ache and pain you have as some exotic terminal disease. ( in medicine we refer to this  as "MEDICAL STUDENT SYNDROME" because nearly every med student reads about a particular disease and starts thinking he/she has had those symptoms in the past, I must have that disease. Medicine is based on scientific findings, no lab work, test or imaging studies are 100% infallible, MRI, ct,and other imaging techniques are not the panacea people believe they are. They are an adjunct to the practitioner's clinical judgement and PROPER PHYSICAL EXAM. About 2 weeks ago I had a 55 year old female with the exact same symptoms. I did do blood work( which came back normal) but no imaging. I treated her symptomatically and when she returned yesterday all her symptoms were resolved. One other thing that need to be noted here is the tinnitus: as we age and begin to lose our hearing, the frequencies we lose are replaced by a ringing sensation.it seems to me that most of what I've read here is by mid 50s patients. All of whom grew up with rock music ( myself included) the louder the better. One other explanation for tinnitus is medications: certain meds can cause tinnitus, Especially aspirin in moderate to large doses. I hope all of you find resolution to your symptoms, in the mean time live your life, try to put the discomfort to the back of your mind. Don't dwell on them, that will just seem to make them worse. And it makes it more difficult for your Doctor to make  a proper diagnosis. Good luck to you all probably the worse thing you can do when researching the net, is over interpreting symptoms and signs.       rlc

[liz12345654321]

.I have the same problems but had watched a video where a person had their glands taken our from under where the ear lies and that has solved their problems. Not sure if I will take it that far. I want to see how antibiotics will do. Not a hundred percent relief but i slept like a baby after soaking in the bath. I am going to continue that. If helps relieve muscle pain too. hope we all find a solution one day. I am praying ya'll will post what will help. i promise i will when i find out.

[mike2199]

I've had similar problems without the sinus infections. Had a CT scan 2 years ago that came back perfect, since then I've had a lot of pain on the left side of my neck, pain in my jaw and inside or sometimes just around my ear, up to my temple and behind my left eye. I have the 700$ mouth guard, my dentist has checked me for TMJ, My chiropractor looked in my ear and saw no infection but she's not saying much, the other day she was rubbing my neck and said there's our culprit but was very vague on what the problem is. Not sure if she's trying to get more money out of me or she actually figured out the problem, guess I should be asking her instead of you kind folks lol,  Has anyone had neck, jaw, ear, temple, eye pain on one side before?  Is it a Vertebrae in my neck? and if so any idea how long that takes to heal or how many Chiropractor visits it might take to fix that?  Any help would be appreciated because like a lot of you I'm assuming  the worst and worrying all day long.. Oh yea I have horrible posture that I'm working on as well.. Thx everyone and sorry your all suffering as I am..

[rightearnneckpain]

I have had fullness in my right ear (sometimes in both), tinnitus (in both), stiff neck, and more floaters in my right eye. I have seen probably about 10 doctors. Now I am on allergy medication. I do not think I have allergies. I live in southern Virginia, and I realize that doctors in my area are notoriously bad (with very very few exceptions), so I fear that I will have to diagnose myself. although I have explained my symptoms a million times, doctors always only look in my ear, sometimes in my nose, and sometimes do a hearing test, then they determine that I have allergies.

My Neck is so stiff that it crack when I turn it sometimes; and I can almost always hear squishiness when I turn my neck. My allergy meds do little to curb my symptoms. I am 24 years old and the problems started at about 22. It is making my life miserable.

I hope someone had the same problems as me and found a solution.

[Matty1315]

Have you every thought of seeing an Osteopath or a cranial sacral therapist. The fluid balances an bones in your cranium can be moved an shifted an can increase these symptoms. If medications aren't doing it then proceed w alternative health an Osteopath can give you amazing results..

[Boo722]

I am so sorry to drop in on this discussion, but I had all the same symptoms you guys are describing, neck pain, headaches, tinnitus, and I was diagnosed with idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension. If this is what you have then be prepared to say goodbye to the life you once lived before this illness. You could also have Meniers Disease of the inner ear. I have both, lucky me. The IIH was treated first with diamox, but then I had several surgeries to place a VP and an LP shunt. I am still experiencing the ear fullness, pulsatile tinnitus, and myoclonus (pulsing ear drum). I am seeing an otolaryngologist in a few weeks. I am now trying to follow a low sodium diet which helps with the ear fullness and myoclonus, and I am taking Lipo Flavanoid Plus at twice the recommended dose and it helps stop the pulsatile tinnitus and myoclonus.

[xxtiffiexx]

I have tmj, I grind my teeth at night. Sounds like the same ear pain as I have. I feel bad for you :/ I've found that wearing my night guard to bed and putting a heating pad on my pillow with the affected ear down, it helps relax the muscles. You can also try massaging in front of the ear. Other than that, I haven't found much relief :/ good luck

[Boo722]

Oh and the floaters you are having in your vision is most likely Papillodema. Which I also had, but resolved with the diamox and eventual shunting. If you have Pap you need to get to a neuro-opthamologist quickly. Every day that you let the pap continue it is damaging the optic nerve because the pressure inside your head and behind your eyes is pressing on the optic nerve starving it of proper flow. The CSF builds up either because your body has begun over producing or under absorbing CSF. That is why you are experiencing the headache, the neck aches, the body pain, the sluggishness, and the pain behind your eyes, the tinnitus or ringing or whooshing to the sound of your pulse. I am so sorry if you do have this disease. The fight with the doctors to get decent care is on. If you are having the worst headache of your life with tinnitus, double vision or blurry vision please go directly to the emergency room. Tell them your symptoms and you need a spinal tap and MRI to confirm. If you have IH your ventricles in your brain will appear swollen on a CT scan or MRI. Good luck. Let me know if you guys have any more questions. But start by watching your salt intake and if you are overweight start losing weight immediately. The sooner you get into a normal weight range the less flack you are going to catch from the doctors. I am atypical because I am not overweight, but it is a stereotype placed on this illness. So if you are overweight get ready to hear about it from your doctor. Have a plan, and put together your support system because you are going to need everyone to pitch in and help you. There will be weeks where you won't be able to shower due to exhaustion. This is a terrible illness, and you have to be ready to fight for everything.  

[Boo722]

Sorry OccDoc, but I have to say this to you. You are the typical doctor downplaying these symptoms. They are anything but unremarkable. I would bet a good portion of these people have found themselves diagnosed with IIH. It took me over a year to convince my doctors that there was something wrong with me. By the time they figured it out I was losing my vision completely over and over. By the time they did a spinal tap my opening pressure was 55+. They put the + in because before they could attach the manometer the fluid was squirting out of my back at such a force that it hit the ceiling. My father said the doctor went completely pale as he realized just how much pain I must have been dealing with. As the CSF drained out I could feel the pressure and pain slipping away as if it had never been, but then only a few hours later it had built back up to the fifties and another spinal tap had to be performed. When my surgeon placed my VP shunt the surgery notes include an anecdote about the burr hole being drilled and upon completion the CSF squirted out and hit my neurosurgeon in the face and goggles. I was dealing with something that none of them had ever seen before and it was horrific for me. So before you tell all these people that they probably have "Medical Student Syndrome" these symptoms when added together equal something very serious that requires brain surgery to fix!!

[mom2max]

Hi. I am not in the medical field at all, but am having some of the symptoms you describe. Left ear, fullness, ringing, motion problems, forgetfulness, pain in neck, ( though I do have arthritis in neck), really bad headaches that sometimes last for days, usually starting in my left temple. Sore, achy hips and sometimes shoulders. My mom had something called Polymyalgia rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis, also called temporal arteritis. What that is, the GCA, is the lining of your arteries become inflammed. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks before our family doctor finally figured out what she had. She thought she was dying. I know they can test your blood, and if you had this, it would show up in a sedamentation rate, a simple blood test. It is something to think about, because if not caught, you can go blind. The PMR causes the achiness in te shoulders and hips, but can be any joints really. You can look up these things on the mayo clinic website. I wouldn't let it get the better of you, I mean, live for today, but with some doctors, if they can't find anything they assume you're crazy. Insist on more testing because the stress is going to manifest itself elsewhere if you keep worrying. Just an idea. I hope you are feeling better.

[DeiTracker]

Thanks for your reply; I have a different avenue to pursue---it's much better than wandering aimlessly in pain.

[DeiTracker]

Thank you for this input and I went to YouTube and saw the video and on Amazon and saw the info on the book.  I read info on other websites as well and it all looks rather interesting, but more than, it looks promising.  Thank you for taking the time to respond.