Don't know what's wrong with my head

[anon2384]

I'm 21 years old and a couple years ago I noticed that working out causes me to get pressure headaches.  Pressure builds in my head, which starts getting uncomfortable, making me dizzy, often popping my ears, and limiting my ability to work out.  I saw a physician who referred me to a neurologist who told me to get an MRI without contrast of my head because he thought I might have  "cerebellar tonsillar ectopia chiari" (I think).  In the end, the MRI revealed nothing and the neurologist didn't know what to tell me.  

Also, through this past year I've noticed headaches showing up at weird times as well as an increase in social anxiety.  In social situations, I find my voice tightens up and i get nervous and sometimes get a headache.  

I'm still looking for a solution to this, mainly to allow me to work out but also in hopes of helping my social anxiety (if it's related).  Here are some symptoms I wrote down the other day:

-  In loud crowded atmosphere (like at concert), feel a headache like entire skull aching.  Not unbearable, but persistent and distracting.
-  Tight neck, occasionally a little twitchy. Can feel tightness when turning neck.
-  Ears feel little weird to, as if about 60% toward popping.
-  Voice uncomfortable, tight and forced, makes socializing very uncomfortable (worst part).
-  Nervous grunting and low vocalizing as nervous-habit attempts to get voice/throat comfortable.
-  Neck gets somewhat itchy and splotchy.
-  Cold seems to encourage these symptoms
-  Occurs when entering social atmosphere (like other's house or even living room of my house), talking with strangers (or almost anyone).
-  Sometimes on days when I feel I have more energy, I'm more excited, more awake and thinking more, and at school, though no direct social interaction, I'll get a headache that really feels like an ache, like my skull is rusty, frail.  I feel some pressure in my head, too.
-  When I try resistance workouts I get large pressure build-up in my head.  After a while my ears often start popping and the head pressure limits my workout, forces me to go slow.  It's worse with vertical exercises (pushups, situps), but my ears have popped from 3 sets of 15 curls on each arm alone.  My neck also tenses a lot when working out.  I focus a lot on breathing and keeping my head and neck relaxed, but it doesn't help.
-  In general, it's like my head response to stimuli by increasing pressure unreasonably.

Please, does anybody have any suggestions?  The themes I see are tight neck and pressure in the head.  I'd really like to be able to work out.  Thanks.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? It is good that the MRI result was fine. Were you able to have your ears checked? Exertion headaches are generalized head pain during or following physical and passive exertion If it persists, you may need to have this checked by your doctor for proper evaluation. At this point, alternative forms of exercise is recommended. Try to avoid jarring exercises also. Take care and do keep us posted.

[Daniel333]

do you get these symptoms :
head feeling heavy but like as if there was fishes in the head in a weird way , like a stiff neck round the back of the head .. and also behind the eyes can feel quite sore?

Also do you get a lot of anxiety symptoms like , jaw can feel heavy and tongue , throat feels like its twisting , with a chest pain , rapid heart rate??

things that i cant explain myself why i get em also i find that recently when i have the telly too loud or someone is speaking to me i tell em to reduce the sound because it hurts my ears , i dunno how this has happend to me only been a weekk .. do you get them sort of symptoms??