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Possible brain injury
On April 12th 2008 I hit my head on a door , a small lump came and went. The day after the accident I went to work and all seemed well till the next morning, I felt terrible. I was out of it, dizziness, lethargic, disorientated, lightheadedness, stiff neck, feverish bouts . . . this continued for a couple of weeks and then I began to get headaches, my ears felt clogged, as if there was water in them and visual disturbances such as an increase in floaters, lights/flashes and even pulsatile vision.
There were episodes where I could hardly stand as I felt I was struggling to breathe and my heart beat felt most irregular.
Visual disturbances are still there, such as floaters, flashes of lights, as are the headaches and ear clogginess. More recently, I have noticed when I move, any physical activity seems to put 'great' pressure in my head and sometimes I can feel it in my face. I immediately stop moving and try to calm this symptom as it feels as though I will do some damage if I don't.
I experience symptoms daily.
I'm 19 years old and had no prior problems, to the best of my knowledge. I have mild eczema in my lower arms and have came through asthma years ago but there is no correlation here.
All my problems began with a head injury.
I was worried about internal bleeding and so 11 days ago I recieved a CT scan of my head (which isn't normally done here in the UK without waiting months to see a neurologist but I visited the hospital regularly with concerns and made multiple doctors appointments).
The CT scan was normal.
I am still experiencing mass pressure when I do most/any phsyical activities in my head and my vision still seems to pulsate at times, my ears are still clogged as if there is liquid in them and headaches are somewhat constant, relief lasting precious minutes.
Most doctors are believe I am suffering anxiety. I worry about increased intracranial pressure, a CSF leak, or something of the like. What am I going through?
There were episodes where I could hardly stand as I felt I was struggling to breathe and my heart beat felt most irregular.
Visual disturbances are still there, such as floaters, flashes of lights, as are the headaches and ear clogginess. More recently, I have noticed when I move, any physical activity seems to put 'great' pressure in my head and sometimes I can feel it in my face. I immediately stop moving and try to calm this symptom as it feels as though I will do some damage if I don't.
I experience symptoms daily.
I'm 19 years old and had no prior problems, to the best of my knowledge. I have mild eczema in my lower arms and have came through asthma years ago but there is no correlation here.
All my problems began with a head injury.
I was worried about internal bleeding and so 11 days ago I recieved a CT scan of my head (which isn't normally done here in the UK without waiting months to see a neurologist but I visited the hospital regularly with concerns and made multiple doctors appointments).
The CT scan was normal.
I am still experiencing mass pressure when I do most/any phsyical activities in my head and my vision still seems to pulsate at times, my ears are still clogged as if there is liquid in them and headaches are somewhat constant, relief lasting precious minutes.
Most doctors are believe I am suffering anxiety. I worry about increased intracranial pressure, a CSF leak, or something of the like. What am I going through?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
It sounds like you began having several symptoms after you hit your head.
It is possible your symptoms are related to the head trauma, but it is also possible that they are entirely unrelated. Anxiety and panic attacks are very common, and if they are present hopefully will not be perceived as "craziness"; psychological counseling and medications often help in the treatment of anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Recognizing stress and minimizing it (easier said than done of course) and learning coping skills are important.
You have had a CT scan of the brain and if you were told that it was normal, then it is unlikely that there has been bleeding in the head. Minor head trauma does not usually cause increased intracranial pressure, and when the pressure is increased, this can usually be seen on CT scan of the brain.
A CSF leak usually causes headaches that are not present while lying down but occur when you stand up. Lying down will then resolve the headache. CSF leaks may result from minor head trauma, but this is not common. Headaches due to CSF leaks improve with hydration (fluid intake) and caffeine.
Without the ability to review your medical history and examine you personally, there are a number of possible causes that come to mind, one of which is post-concussive syndrome. After mild head trauma, some patients experience temporary headache, neck pain, fatigue, ear symptoms, dizziness, nausea, and other symptoms. These symptoms are usually not permanent, and often resolve with days to weeks. Treatment is symptomatic (treatment of headache if occurs, nausea if it occurs etc). Regular follow-up with your physician is important.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck
It sounds like you began having several symptoms after you hit your head.
It is possible your symptoms are related to the head trauma, but it is also possible that they are entirely unrelated. Anxiety and panic attacks are very common, and if they are present hopefully will not be perceived as "craziness"; psychological counseling and medications often help in the treatment of anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Recognizing stress and minimizing it (easier said than done of course) and learning coping skills are important.
You have had a CT scan of the brain and if you were told that it was normal, then it is unlikely that there has been bleeding in the head. Minor head trauma does not usually cause increased intracranial pressure, and when the pressure is increased, this can usually be seen on CT scan of the brain.
A CSF leak usually causes headaches that are not present while lying down but occur when you stand up. Lying down will then resolve the headache. CSF leaks may result from minor head trauma, but this is not common. Headaches due to CSF leaks improve with hydration (fluid intake) and caffeine.
Without the ability to review your medical history and examine you personally, there are a number of possible causes that come to mind, one of which is post-concussive syndrome. After mild head trauma, some patients experience temporary headache, neck pain, fatigue, ear symptoms, dizziness, nausea, and other symptoms. These symptoms are usually not permanent, and often resolve with days to weeks. Treatment is symptomatic (treatment of headache if occurs, nausea if it occurs etc). Regular follow-up with your physician is important.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck
Also have pain in my right ear and it rings occationally.
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