Heavy head feeling and eye focusing problem

[Nikkie Ann]

Hie, for the past 2 weeks i have had this heavy headed feeling, sometimes at the back of my head, sometimes it feels like the whole head. The feeling will be there constantly. Throughout the day, sometimes i feel throbbing pain at both sides of my temple. Apart from that, my eyes focus seems to be getting weird - don't really know how to explain the feeling, but it feels like my focus expands and then shrinks. My eyes also feels tired easily since this whole episode started. Before this happens, i've had a few other worries regarding my health, and hav been getting up several hours before i am suppose to be up. I have done a renal blood test (the doctor thought i might be anaemic) and a CT scan, both of which came back negative. I've been asked to go to an eye doctor instead. Should i be worried about brain tumour?

[suzi-q]

It can definitely be all due to anxiety.  I had similar symptoms as you.  I went to ears nose and throat doctors and to eye doctors (to look for the tumor that I thought was there...it wasn't..thank God) and Neurologists.  I had CAT scans on my head and even begged my doctor to give me an MRI!  (Took a while to find a doctor who would approve this!) IT WAS ALL DO TO DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY.....I truly believed that it was physical and it wasn't.

Now for my advice, go to the eye doctor, check your vision, ask for a CAT scan if you are truly worried and then when all is fine, get to a psychiatrist or psychologist and get evaluated!

Sounds like you are one of us!!!  Best to you and keep us posted!

[Nikkie Ann]

Hello, thanks for sharing your experiences. I had done the CT/CAT scan prior to my previous posting. The specialist confirmed it was normal and had also checked my eyes. Yesterday i went to an optometrist to check my vision. My vision power has not increased though. Don't know i should beg my doctor for an MRI just to confirm things out. Like suzi, i too am afraid of any tumours that could be there. But then again, it might be the anxiety playing it's trick on me because although i don't really feel stressed and anxious, but my head is constantly thinking of worst case scenarios that could happen to me ie having tumours etc. Another possible cause of all these symptoms (according to the optometrist) is that my eyes are tired possibly due to the lack of sleep and nutrion. Using the computer for a long period of time daily does not help the condition either. So i am going to try to cut down on my computer usage, start using my specs often, and just try to relax and not worry too much. Hope it will all turn out alright.

Thanks for sharing again.

[Lightwise]

If you have been diagnosed with anxiety (or self diagnosed), all these physical symptoms you are having are possible. Anxiety, I now know can cause very real physical symptoms. I have had the heavy headed/dizzy feeling for 4 months. When my anxiety subsides, guess what ? ... so does the heavy headedness. It takes awhile (and many doctors visits) before one finally faces the reality that it could be anxiety and not a major illness causing these scary, frustrating symptoms. You want to "blame" something ! I am still in the process of getting better. I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

[suzi-q]

Trust me...the CAT scan is all you need....I was just being a total nut case so they did it to pacify me.  If they thought they needed to do more testing, it would have been done.  CAT scans cover like 95-99% of the brain..MRI's are used to get a closer look at a potential problem which you OBVIOUSLY don't have.  IF WE CAN JUST MAKE OUR BRAINS BELIEVE A LOGICAL THOUGHT!!!  Best to you.

[Nikkie Ann]

lol... yeah, if only we could make our brains to believe in the logical thought! Unfortunately, my brain still have not grasped this thought.  Best of luck to you too and thanks once again ;)

[jojo604]

I am in recovery from anxiety and have had the same similar feelings not too long ago.  It has been part of my anxiety.  I knew quite a bit of information about anxiety but never knew I could experience this heavy head syndrome, as I call it.  I had no headaches, it just felt like pressure in my head or my head was swelling and about to explode and focusing was terrible when in fact my head was still the same size.  I felt like my eyes were wondering when they obviously weren't.  What is happening is tension is building up from stress around that area.  Just like someone lifting and straining their lower back muscles, your tension and strain is surrounding your head, neck and shoulders.  Take a look in the mirror or catch yourself when your going about your daily life, is your shoulder tensed up high and not relaxed, or are you clenching your teeth unknowingly.  I did both!  

I stretched my jaw, pulled back my shoulders for a stretch a few times a day and scheduled myself for a 30 minute back, shoulder, neck and head massage followed by a relaxing bath and long sleep.  I woke up refreshed and alleviated my heavy head syndrome.  Periodically I catch myself tensing up and when I do, I force myself to go a little limp. For example, I catch myself sitting upright as I type this blog, now I'm correcting myself to lay back as I type.

Hope that helps =)

[mouse2008]

Hi i wanted to share some symptoms with you to see if anyone can relate. About 4 weeks ago I was told I had Vertigo as at different parts of the day I had a very heavy pulling on my face and my body, I felt dizzy and disorentaited. They told me to take anti dizzy/nausea pills and this continued for the next 3 weeks- they said that I might have severe vertigo which lasts up to 8 weeks. I am prone to suffer from anxiety and recenlty things have been difficult in my life though I never expected to have such PHYSICAL symptoms. I had my MRI yesturday which thank god was normal and my blood tests results will be ready on Friday though I want to know if anyone feels the following at different times of the day: Very heavy pulling feeling on the face and the body tension in the head, very heavy head, blocked ears, slightly unclear when reading, and very tired during normal hours of the day. Can this really all be down to anxiety and if so how can I rid of this I am not one to stay at home.??

[Roey1986]

I have the same feelings from time to time, one day i can be feeling fine and the next day all dizzy thick headed and just not myself.......  It all started when my heart raced one evening, then like you do, you start reading things in the internet as to what it could be.....  My symptons were exactly the symptoms for panic attacks, but since then ive had left leg pains around the knee, and vision problems......  im going to get checked out today to see if my heart is ticking like it should be.  oh my blood pressure is also slightly high, but anxiety can also make it high.  Anxiety is a big player in most cases, if you have a normal healthy diet in your life and excerise, im on the move all the time with my kids and things, and eat ok, cant understand sometimes what causes the odd moments where my body feels heavy like lead, and i wake up with heavy eyes...  anyway just thought id say this, will keep you up to date with results.....

[phil209]

Hello i am only a 19 year old male and have been suffering very very similar conditions for about 4 to 5 weeks now. I started ti get very bad migranes with vision loss about once evey week for 3 weeks which was brand new. THe migranes with vision looss went away adn 2 days later i felt out of it all the time. My vision was off like very fast and out of my body. I went to get eyes checked nothing wrong.  Soon after i would get consistant head aches all the time.  The headaches differ depending on the time. Laying down and standing its all different. CT scan negative as well. I also have been experiecne extreme body weakness and waking up out of breath very scary. I have MRI soon and hopefully there will be nothing there. Let me know if any1 had any results with the same symptoms

[khbronn]

Hi

I've been through every test imaginable and everything is "Normal".  I have the same type of symptoms.  Thick head, vertigo, sometimes depth perception is off, sometimes thing apear to shrink or colors change, I will get "split screen", where both eyes see a little different.  I've had heart palpatations, stroke like symptoms (numbness in face, slurred speech).  Clumsiness, falling, dropping things...all due to numbness.

I've had head CT, MRI with contrast, EKGs, EEGs, Seizure monitoring, stress tests, blood work upon blood work,

First it was stroke, then migraines, then MS, then seizures.  It's anxiety.

It's okay to make sure your body is "ok".   But sometimes you can get addicted to tests.  Get help for anxiety at the same time you are ruling other things out

Good Luck

[nursegirl6572]

Good morning to all of you.

I just wanted to also share and comiserate.  For those of you who are new to anxiety/depression....the symptoms you explain are CLASSIC.  The vision ones are VERY frustrating, and you feel that there really IS something a miss with your vision.  Been there, done that.

The symptoms range anywhere from feeling like you are watching a movie (feeling of "unreality"), to that one-sided vision, where it feels that both eyes are seeing differently, as another poster mentioned above.

Good thing, is it doesn't last forever, bad thing...is it sometimes takes a while to resolve.

I would advise anyone with these types of symptoms, to HAVE a medical work-up....ONE...it helps rule out anything phsical, and TWO...it tends to reassure you at least a LITTLE bit.

The SSRI's when they start kicking in, usually do wonders for those types of symptoms, at least in my experience they have.

Good luck to you all....I wish you peaceful days ahead.

[wiggyhoo]

I've had anxiety for the past 4 years. It is not something that you can just get over. It controls alot of your life. Anxiety has many variations and intensities. Sometimes I have anxiety where I'm just uneasy feeling. However, the other times are much stronger. Sometimes full blown panic. My eyes bother me alot with my anxiety. From being light sensitive in department stores to being unable to focus my eyes to even being extremely dizzy. It does freak you out...but the thing to keep in mind is that if all else has been ruled out... then those symptoms are just part of your anxiety disorder. It doesn't make it any better, but its nice to know that its not a tumor or something more deadly.

I'm on lexapro, which helps out some, but I keep valerian root with me at all times... for the stronger panic attacks. It really helps relax a bit.

Try your best to stay busy and keep your mind off of it and exercise. That seems to help more than anything...oh and a good night's sleep.

If you need to discuss it...feel free to contact me. It seems to help having people who understand what you are going through.
***@****

Good Luck.

[Russell508]

Hello all, I am a 19 year old male suffering from alot of the same sypmtoms that everyone else is, I was even experiencing chest pains and pressure along with vision blurr and heavy headedness feelings, I went in to the er cause it thought something horrible was happening to me but all the blood/chest x-ray/ekg where normal, I saw an eye doctor about my eyes saying I had the symptoms of early near sightedness but nothing else I was beginning to see ghost images and glare from lights in dim lit and dark areas. Anxiety really controls my life for a long section of the year or every other year ever since i was a freshman in highschool i've been having symptoms like this...hope everyone out there who suffers from the same things we do really has people there to help and love them and just remember to   be relaxed and that everything can be helped.

[Patton23]

Hello, 22 YOM
I was just looking on the net for answers to why i am dizzy all the time and have pulling on my face and throught.  I have been reading alot about it and it does sound like i have anxiety problem again.  I have had panic attacks my whole life and until about tfour years ago they went untreated.  Symptoms do sem to pop up every other year or so and just wanted to see if anyone else has had these symptoms.  (PS)no longer on paxil. thanks -Patton-

Dizzy when walking
Not feeling like myself
Always feels like i need to swallow
ear aches
Heavy head all the time
I guess its vertigo but when i stand still and look up or at the ground it looks like it is moving.
Eye seperation where one seems to over power the other in vision.  
and more.

I Have a psyc appointment next week but just want a little comfort until then.  Anyone have any Clue.

[Shaun913]

I have been panicing for a couple of weeks as i thort that i had some kind of tumor then all sorts of things started poping up on tv that made it worse. i went to the doctor and told him that i have had headaches dizzy spells and now its full on dizzy and my eyes dont focus at all when i look far away. Is this anxiety

[nursegirl6572]

Check out the posts others have made about their experiences...you may even want to start a seperate thread so your doesn't get lost in the mix.  The eye thing may be related to derealization...check out the thread I started today about that.

Sounds like anxiety to me....why not start a thread, share a bit more if you are  comfortable in doing so...and we'll support you....you can learn a lot from others.

Gald you found your way here!

[Stanwee]

Anxiety can be one of the scariest feelings... I still suffer from it but i am in the process of finding someone who can help. All of these symptoms such as pulling sensations in the head or head pains, body pains, racing heart, etc. are all feelings of anxiety. IF you feel that your pains or sensations are affecting your lifestyle and they change who you are and where you go because you are scared then you need help. Anxiety and panic attacks are hard to deal with especailly if you don't know what is happening to your body. Reading up on it on the internet and stuff can help, it helps me, meditation and learning certain breathing techniques also help me. I try not to take medication because i believe everything can be fixed without it. Just know if you are dealing with anxiety there are so many other people who go through the same thing...try not to think the worst, try to get yourself out of this panic mode, the truth is you will come out alive. That is my biggest fear when i have an attack is that im dying...then i breath and i think about it for a second and im ok. Your mind is a crazy thing and it can be so powerful, it can alarm your body without anything even happening to you, but just remember to breath and everything will be ok. Its awesome to know that other people understand what im going through because people who don't have anxiety just don't understand the fear that the brain causes. Keep posting it is good to read other stories, and try to rid and deal with the stress you have in your life it WILL help!

[help9116]

I experienced all the symptoms mentioned above.  Pressure in my head, neck and face.  My head, neck, and shoulder is heavy. Something like my face is numb.  I don't understand.  But i do not take medication.  My bp is up. I can hear some annoying noise from my ear.  I can see ghost shadows. I am undergoing divorce and no job right now, so i figure it out that it is stress and anxiety related.  I am sad about this.  I am in my 30s.  Thank you for all your post.  

[dae06]

Boy, these are the same things I am experiencing. I was just walking down the hall at work and had the (now almost normal) pressure in my head, my vision seemed wierd and had a little dizziness, not enough to think I will fall but enough to know it's not normal. I've hard heart palpations for a quite a few months and many times a feeling of my throat closing. I usually don't sleep through the night very well either. So I feel I too am have anxiety/panic attacks. My doctor has had me on Beta blockers for a couple of months now and I really don't know if these are helping. I just don't feel like myself and realy want to get back to normal. I am a 43 year old Male with a great wife and two kids.

Now the big question: What helps? I've read all the symptoms people have, but what have people had done to relieve the symptoms?

[ativan]

Hi there,
I have the same heavy head and vision problems, and I also have the health issues, IM terrified, but you have had the cat scan if there was anything wrong it would have showed up, I know in the u.s you have to pay for your visits to the e.r and for all your scans and treatments but I was amazed at how fast you can get them and the results that must be reasurring? Hear in england although we pay our money to the heath service it is so hard to get help, I have asked 7 doctors for a brain scan and all have refused even when I said I would pay for it myself,
sorry for going on a bit but be happy and try not to get worked up, but I do have the same heavy head and eyes they say ANXIETY?
take care
janis.

[nozmeg]

hi there same thing constant head and eye pain and rushing sound in my left ear it drives me mad scares me to death had mri but refused cta said its health related anxiety asa ativan says hard to get scans here as were an nhs system i even waljed into our a/e with cash for them to scan me was that scared didnt wk they said i need councilling your symtoms fit classic anxiety  hun if tests r clear your ok take care now

[JC39]

Everything is posted I have. the head, dizzy heavy feeling in the eyes and I think sometimes I`m going to dy due to a fatal health problem. All this is Stress and Anxiety. I had several Blood tests and all came negative, I also had an MRI and I had nothing. I still get this symtoms and Now I know I Stress and Anxiety.

Someone told me to fight it with Vitam. C, Bannana (Potassium) Protein, lots of water and the favorite Gym 30 minutes a day and 7 or 8 hours of good sliip

[TALEELA]

Hi i am a 19 year ol female and all these symptoms feel like they control my life..i have had hundred of trips to the er. thw thing is i know its the anxiety but i just cant help it. i thought i had high blood pressure from the dizziness and disorientation...everthing was fine. but i just getr the feeling that something is wrong. im always thinking about the worst thing that could possibly happen to anyone and i worry uncontrollably.i dont sleep at night and during the day i pay for it.the heavy head and tensness i have it all.sometimes i catch myself and other times i cant. my family thinks im litterally crazy.... one little thing happens and im bouncing of the walls.i feel like the world weight is on my shoulder and stress about everything. my mind runs going 90 to nothing AND I NEED HELP:(. ** if anyone has any advice anything that you think would help .PLEASE EMAIL ME. WWW.***@**** this is really enough of me ot having control of the matter!!!

[seejackrunguitar]

hey nikki ann, just wanted to reassure you a bit more that it's not a tumor. i have had severe anxiety issues now for a while and have had the same symptoms. I've even had the same worries about a brain tumor, but i researched it and the symptoms for a brain tumor are very severe and you would definetely know for sure. You should look it up too because it's reassuring when you read what they cause and realize that it's not happening to you.