sevear ear and headache whats wrong with me?

Im 22 and i have a few medical problems i was diagnoised with epilepsy at the age of 2 but have not had a episode since i was 5 i do have black outs now and thing or i just space out, i also was born deaf my ear canals never developed. the past few weeks i have been extremly fatigued no matter how much or little i sleep then just a few days ago i started getting a real bad ear ache in my left ear followed by a bad head ache on the left side only no matter how much tylenol or alieve i take (max doses) nothing seems to work! I cant afford to go to the doctor and was wondering if theres anything i can do thats over the counter?

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

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 a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

It is difficult to determine what type of headache you have based no your description. Headaches can be from migraines or other forms. Each has its own treatment plan. If the headache is located in the temple, it may be associated with either TMJ or temporal arteritis.

TMJ is usually due to bruxism, biting down at night or during the day, and other stresses to the joint. This is best diagnosed/managed by an orthodontist or an ENT, and treatment includes braces and other dental fixtures and sometimes muscle relaxants, depending on the exact cause.

If you are older than the age of 55, one potential causes is called giant cell arteritis or temporal arteritis. This is due to an inflammation in the temporal artery and other arteries in the body. Symptoms include one sided headache pain in the temple and jaw that may be triggered by chewing. This condition can be diagnosed by a blood test called an ESR and a biopsy of the artery. It is very important to rule this diagnosis out as it is highly treatable and if left untreated it can lead to vision loss. It is exceedingly rare in people younger than 55, and is more common in even older age groups.

I would suggest that you do not take over the counter medicines more than 9 days per month because one of the most common causes of headaches in people with chronic headaches is called medication rebound or medication overuse headache: medications as simple as tylenol or advil if used too much can cause rebound headaches that are even worse then the headaches for which the medications were started for. This is very common and is most likely to occur with use of any medication for your headache more than a few times a week.

Without more information, I cannot provide you with much more guidance than what you already know. You should have your headache evaluated by a physician. As I mentioned, different headache types require different treatment plans.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.