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Avatar universal

Weird pressure in the head and vertigo

Hello.

I am concerned about my condition and need some advice.

About two weeks ago, I was pacting stuff in my car for about half an hour, it was quite cold and I remember feeling a pain in my ears.

The next morning, I started having vertigo and dizziness. I went to see 2 different ENT specialists and they gave two different veridtcs.

The first one said it was a labyrinthitus, that nothing was to be done, it would go away.

The second one said I probably had an infection between the ear and the nose. I was give an antibiotic and antiinflammatory medication. It seemed to relieve the light head, vertigo feelings at the time, but then came a big congestion in my head, my nose when examined looks ok, but I can feel intense pressure in the head, behind the eyes, under the forehead and behind the head.

When I lie down, it's getting under control, as soon as I get up, the pressure is coming back and my breathing seems funny. Can it be sinusitis but in other parts than the nose?

Can anyone help me?

Thak you!
44 Responses
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Avatar universal
I found this link in my google history. I dealt with similar symptoms for years. Last year I was diagnosed with Intracranial Hypertension. Maybe that is what it was all along. Maybe this will help some of you.
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Avatar universal
It’s so sad to read all these posts and nobody has answers. I too am suffering from this and I don’t know what to do since most test come back normal. So frustrating!
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Avatar universal
check out meniers disease,i was diagnosed about 8 years ago,that might be your answer
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Avatar universal
I was hoping this message board would shed some light onto my symptoms and that somebody would have a remedy for this, after reading the first dozen or so posts I feel even worse, I thought 2 years of this hell was long enough but 10 years plus?? What started out as a simple ear infection where anti biotics where prescribed It has developed into labyrinthitis, cerebilitis sever anxiety, agoraphobia, panic attacks constant dizziness, the feeling of being sat in a giant inflatable chair while the air is leaking out slowly, the list goes on and on but the worst one Is I have now started having suicidal visions, I am not suicidal, I can be sat enjoying something on tv and all of a sudden I "see" myself hanging from the ceiling or taking overdose of my meds, driving my car into a wall at high speed etc,  these visions seem real and obviously causes anxiety and panic, I feel like I am getting worse rather than better, I have even just started hypnotherapy, 1st session seemed to help although i didnt go into a deep trance (sceptical) but 2nd attempt didnt even get 2 mins into it as anxiety kicked in and had panic attacks,  surely someone somewhere has a cure for this, its not normal to feel like this, I want my life back and I want it back sooner rather than later, I am a prisoner in my own home! the only place I have been in a year is the doctors or hospitals and they just feel like a waste of time, ENT say it Neurology problem, neurology say its ENT problem and 3-4 months pass between appointments, had enough
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Avatar universal
Hello Katie1952,

I have the same problems you were experiencing. Have you found any relief?
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1 Comments
Hi, I am going through the same issue. Pressure in face and behind eyes, dizziness, blocked sinuses and terrible anxiety. I have had 4 lots of antibiotics in 3 months, which helped a little but not much. Has anyone got better or has anyone any advice? ive been to the doctor several times and they say it's sinusitis. Sprays and anti biotics is what they keep giving me.
Avatar universal
Hello coolkev26,

I have this same exact problem. Have you found any relief since posting this?
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Avatar universal
I have been suffering from this wierd head/ ear/ neck pressure, sometimes pressure on forehead, eyes and roof of mouth, for the last 9 weeks alongwith the dizziness, offbalance feelings. Had all the test and a CT scan of my head and sinus. The sinus scan showed - " Mild Mucosal thickening of the right sphenoid sinus and left maxillary sinnisutis". Could this all symptoms be caused due to the sinus issues? Particularly the head pressure is the most discomforting. Please get back. Thanks.
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Avatar universal
I'm 59 years old just diagnosed with hydrocephalus. I also have pressure in ears and behind eyes. Just finished radiation for meninggioma.
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Avatar universal
I have Ménière's disease and my symptoms are fullness in head and ears, constant ringing and also like the sound of the ocean in my ears.  Severe nausea, off balance and spinning.  Causes high anxiety and after attacks, I am exhausted.  I am treated by neurologist and Ent.  Take diuretics, nausea meds, and anxiety meds.  Low sodium diet too.  Went into remission but fell on ice, had concussion and now I have an exacerbation of symptoms.  Vestibular physical therapy is helping.  
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Avatar universal
Hiya,
I'm hoping since your post was from 2011 that u have anymore information on what was totally wreaking ur life :) I have been exactly the same as you and diagnosed with chronic rhinitis, I don't believe this is just it tho. I can say for certain that the driving part was horrible. It made a difference whilst I was driving at hills.... I would love to chat and throw back at each other ways to help au both. If u are cured and back to living life YAYA u... U help would be appreciated... Cheers Jo
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6423135 tn?1478232713
hey people i cant get anyone to see some of my post i need help with and i been worried for months ><  it take stress you know? here are some linkss iv been worried about.  ok here is the newest one so far
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Ear--Nose--Throat/Need-answer-please-about-my-ear--worried/show/2223018#post_10659975
here is a link that has a problem bothering me over a year non stop that im worried about its started at Feb. 2013 look for my comments pretty much at the bottom of the page in my word of explaining it.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Ear--Nose--Throat/continous-breathing--pusling-noise-in-ear--whats-wrong-with-me/show/408435
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone,

I am at my ropes end. I have had congestion for years and after I had my wisdom teeth pulled in 2007 have had mild to severe pressure on the right side of my head around my right eye and ear. I wake up constantly stuffed up. Feel off balance. I have had headaches but mostly on the right side of my head. It feels like a bad drunk spell and its almost constant. Sometimes get's worse after chewing. I am severally fatigued but only in my head and in my eyes. My physical body is not tired. I have become increasingly irritated. Frustrated and depressed because I am no longer enjoying life like I used to. My anxiety is out the roof because I am worried it could be something else. I went to the ENT and they found nothing. My regular doctor said my right nostril was severely inflamed prescribed an anti histamine and nasal spray. Nothing worked. I am scheduled to get an MRI tomorrow and I am freaking out.
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Avatar universal
Hey guys,

It is bittersweet to know that others are feeling the same symptoms as myself as it rules out the possibility of me going insane! Severe head congestion/headache (like  a boa constrictor tightening around my head), pressure behind the eyes (like a handyman using a drill between the eye sockets), stuffy blocked nose (like holding your breath under water), sensitivity to lights (as if I were a bat under a 1200 watt bulb), and extreme dizziness and imbalance ( like a drunk frat student after one too many kegs!) LOL,...... I have to find humour and use metaphors to explain these debilitating conditions I have been experiencing for the last month or so. Same synopsis as all of you....did the Medical rounds of Doctors, ENT and soon neurologist. I found relief from acupuncture that makes it tolerable. It improves the flow of blood and liquids through the meridians of the face that are blocked. Took a Claritin D this morn and feeling a bit clearer. Tired and fed up of docs saying it will go away on its own! (easy cop out when they don't have a clue as to what it could be). I will keep you posted as I am attempting to get my ears popped by the ENT doc or cleared out to relieve the blocked stuffy feeling. Keep trying remedies on youtube as they have some great ideas! It is my 1 month anniversary of this awful stuff but hoping I will be breaking up with this impairing illness!
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Avatar universal
Hi all, I have also been dizzy and have had pressure in my head. I'm 26/f with no other health problems. It all started with what seemed like a migraine which I've never had before; nausea, feeling fevered, headache, etc. I felt like this for about a week, and then the dizziness kicked in. I saw my doctor three times.
Time one-you have a flu or your pregnant, take Tylenol. I am not pregnant and did not have a flu. I took Tylenol but the dizziness (not room spinning but feeling off balanced, heavy-headed, faint) was still there. I could not drive or go to grocery stores. I did not work for awhile.
Time 2-potential ear virus diagnoses since my ears looked fine, suggested I go to chiropractor or physio for ear crystals causing vertigo, or my eyes. Went to chiro, went to eye doctor, dizziness stayed. Had blood work done which ruled out low iron, thyroid, diabetes, etc.
Went to hospital as I was panicking with my headaches and dizziness, and feeling like a weight was on my head, back of skull burning, pressure behind ears. They gave me a drip for dehydration and a steroid for the pain but did not feel like it warranted a CT.
Time 3 at doctors-Since I had a one sided headache with vertigo, they didn't think it was an inner ear virus anymore and after taking Serc (betahistine dihydrochloride) which is used to treat Meniere's Disease to no avail, they just were not sure anymore. They referred me to a neurologist.
Neurologist asked many good questions and after that an exam, stuck with migraines. Migraines are the swelling of blood vessels and are related to seratonin issues. He said if the balance part of your brain is effected,=vertigo as I don't always have headaches. Look up vertigo due to migraines, you don't need a headache.
So, he gave me Elavil (amitriptyline) which takes weeks to work but actually stops migraines; its not a pain killer. If it relieves me of the dizziness I will be happy; I cannot go to any stores or malls or I will get fuzzy headed, disoriented and feel like i will pass out. I have started driving again but its not always comfortable; I have to lay my head at the back of the chair and keep my head very straight. The neurologist did not think it was related to my neck or back.
I had a clear MRI on my brain done 4 years ago with no issues so he did not want to order another. I go back in two months and if my symptoms are worse or I'm still dizzy, I get another MRI. I sort of doubt migraines since the feeling of being unbalance has been for months but we shall see if the meds help.
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Avatar universal
I have pressure in ears and nose is plugged up on right side and dizziness and motion things bother me I went to ENT and he said everything looked good.  I cant even believe that considering how I feel he gave me nasonex and have to do vrt.  How does a healthly person that started having anxiety attacks have so many health problems, maybe we are making ourselves sick..
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Avatar universal
Hi Katie,
   I started feeling dizzy 2 weeks ago and last monday it was so bad I had to leave work, im a waitress, and went to the ER. Same thing, CAT SCAN and blood work came back normal.  he prescribed me meclizine but it doesnt seem to be helping that much. I do take .25mg xanax and that does seem to help, though when i go to work later in the day, at a casino with noises/flickering light, it seems to worsen. I have to balance drinks on my tray which make it annoying and hard. I also have this pressure behind my eyes/temples. Any advice? I am going to c a neurologist this week.  Bitter sweet it is to know others feel this way as well.
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Avatar universal
Iam 35 years, but years back I experienced the same problems. I felt extreme pressure in my head, in my ears it sounded like the ocean, i had extreme fatigue, everyday after work I would come home and go straight to bed, and on some days i ran a fever. I was in and out of my doctor several times a week, and his diagnosis was the flu. REALLY!!! Flu everytime I went in. NOT!!! Oh i forgot to mention to, i also felt dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out. Anyways, I thought maybe I needed glasses cause my eyes were bothersome too. I scheduled me an appointment with the opthamologist and he dilated my eyes, he shook his head and i knew something was wrong. He said sweetheart you need to get to the hospital right away. I started to cry. He told me I had alot of pressure behind my eyes and it could be possibly a brain tumor. I went to the er they did an mri and come to found out I had hydrocephalus also known as fluid on the brain. I had brain surgery to relieve the fluid and it helped. so maybe this will help any of you. If it wasn't for my eyed doctor i probably would not be walking today. I thank God everyday for this wonderful eye doctor. I never dreamed the eye doctor would catch my problem
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Avatar universal
I've been experiencing this for 4 weeks now. The first time I experienced this was 1 year ago, around march. It's August 2012 now and when it came back, it caused the same symptoms, grogyness, dizzyness, vertigo, and NO pain at all. The first time the ENT treated it with claritin-D and patanase and it worked wonders. This time I tried claritin-d, zyrtek-d, patanase, cadista, qnasl and absolutely NOTHING seems to work. Sometimes I even get dizzy with nausea. He suspects is an eustachian tube dysfunction... which causes wierd pressure changes in my middle ear, I don't really think so. But we'll see in two weeks.
Ill let you guys know how it went.
-
JD from TX
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Avatar universal
I have all these symptoms and have for almost 2 years now. But when it started it came and went  but recently it came back pissed and all last month I was pretty much stuck at home mostly in bed. I've been to the Dr countless times switched drs a few and they say its anxiety but I have anxiety cause of this weird feeling that I have a hard time explaining to them. It usually gets worse went I'm in the car or playing a video game or tv. It has to be something with my ear but nothing makes it go away. I've had 2 blown out ear drums tubes in my ears when I was a kid and countless ear infections. And it seems sense these episodes started I've just always been exhausted... Anyone know how to make it stop yet?
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone.  This post seems to have been going on for a few years, but not seeing where anyone has come back and said how they got relief.  It appears that we all have the same symptoms.  I have had mine for about 5 months now.  I have had sinus problems for as long as I can remember.

We all seem to have the same symptoms.  About 5 months ago i was sitting in my office and starting feeling dizzy.  It has never felt like a dizziness where I was going to pass out.  I don't know how to explain it.  Dizzy is not the best word.  Off Balance? possibly.  So here is what I'm experiencing:

Pressure in face and ears
Sharp pain in ear once or twice a day
Some pressure in area behind ear going straight down neck behind ear
Burning/tingling sensation in tongue
Burning sensation/pressure in nose near eyes
pressure felt in teeth and gums

Now for more background.  I take Exforge for blood pressure (have taken this for years), Nexium, and a Generic Brand Allegra.  Went to my GP regarding the problem back we hen it started.  He thought it may be a reaction to a different BP medicine he gave me a month before. (Exforge to Exforge HTC then back to Exforge now).  Anyway, that wasnt the problem.  Went back to GP.  Gave me Bactrum in case it was Prostate infection and shot for Sinus relief.  Still no relief.  Seems to be getting worse.  Went to see ENT when I couldnt take the "out of it" feeling anymore.  He cleaned my ears, looked in them, looked in nose and gave me flutiscone (sp?),  Tod me to take 1 Mucinex-D in morning and Allegra Generic at night.  Also gave me a steroid shot.  That was 2 weeks ago.  Still no change.

I do have an itch on my chest and torso but no rash.  

So, I am going to get back with ENT now that there is really no change.  I sit here with pressure in my face and feeling "off".  Just don't know what it could be.

Has anyone found the answer?  I guess I'll see what the ENT has to say when I go back.  Gonna try to see him next week.

I've read also about anxiety.  I fell stressed but never thought about anxiety.  Should I ask my GP about something for anxiety?  I just dont know anymore.  

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Avatar universal
So, Im 31 years old and about 7 weeks ago came down with what my Drr. said was the Flu but shortly after was extremely fatigued, my eyes get fatigued very easily and feel tired all the time, mildly off balance with a lot of head movement, foggy headed and had a disconnected feeling where I feel spaced out. I have no pain in my sinuses but pressure that seems to move across my face and popping a crackling in my ears. I also get a lot of pressure in my neck and feel like blood is shooting up into my head at times so that my head feels like its going to explode. I have had all of these symptoms for about 6 weeks and my Dr. has given me augmentin, Clarythromycin, Depo Medrol injections and anti histamines and none helped. The anti histamines made it worse. Dr. said I had a middle ear infection but tryed a new dr.  who said no fluid in the ear. Im waiting for a CT scan in a few days but listening to everyone else I think It might not show anything abnormal.  It has been so difficult to work and Im in school and cant even read my books! Please if anyone can help,  let me know... I will keep posted about what I find.  Oh and I dont know if anyone else has had this but I feel better in natural light or being outside I feel better. If I am reading of typing on the computer , or moving around a lot it is much worse!!!
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Avatar universal
so for about 3 years i have had this dizzy head pressure. think a lot of the time i feel i am on a boat feel like the floor is moving its not a very nice thing to go though at all  all started with ear infection which i still get to this day i feel like my ears are blocked or someone has put water in my head when i was a sleep lol .i get a very  sore thoat ear pain i also suffer with a sinus infection which like to come at the same time so fun not . i been to the doctor so many time and they really cant do much for you part from give you some meds and hope for the best .but when you are going though it you think all kinds and worrying about it will make you feel it more its like when you get a headace if you keep thinking about it it get worse same with this i know when i get it i will sit down and watch my fav movie sometime i get up and it gone but  if i start thinking about it again it will come back i can have it for weeks then its gone for weeks its just the way it is but the best thing to do is to know its not nice but you will not die from it .
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Avatar universal
I am having similiar symptoms ... had a two 'attacks' within the last 2 yrs. Both came on very suddenly..loss of outer vision, light-headed, nausea, etc. Lasted up to 5 mins each, then gone. Then 4 wks ago, had a very severe attack while driving..world began to spin, chest pain, dizziness. Stopped vehicle and tried to walk but was stumbling to the left. Thought I was having a stroke/heart attack. I have been to walk-in clinic, GP, Chiro, Naturopath, and now waiting for ENT appt in 2 weeks. I have had some relief with Chiropractic, and diet changes (Candida-free diet) but have been told that if it's the 'loose crystals' that there is a test that can be done "Hallpike" something...and there is a maneuver that can be done if the test is positive. The manuever and test MUST be done by someone who knows how to do it properly and should NOT be done at home by yourself. I'm waiting for ENT first and then will see. I've had 2 EKG's...both show abnormal heartbeat but I've had that for years. Xrays of chest show heart is healthy, and I pass all tests and have no outer signs of stroke or TIA. Frustrating to say the least .. I am always dizzy, with mild vertigo, sometimes worse 'episodes', and I feel anxious VERY easily. I am afraid to drive long distances.  Have been told it's BPPV by my GP, my chiro and ND and I believe it's some sort of inner infection since I wake up completely stuffed up every morning.  Hope to get to the bottom of this very soon .. good luck to everyone, I hope you all find relief!  
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Avatar universal
I am dealing with the dizziness and stuff right now. My problems started Feb 2010, I had severe facial pain and headaches. I ended up in the ER in March for what they diagnosed as sinusitis. The pressure in my face felt like it was going to explode. It seems to intensify with anxiety. Its like something on the inside is pushing my face and head out. I heard the term "helium head" on another post and thats it. I took the antibiotics, got a better job, felt better. One thing to note, I was extremely stressed at that point in my life. Here it is July. Last weekend I woke up dizzy, every time I moved I felt like I was rocking, swinging, almost spinning, and it only went away if I was still. Later that day, my ears began to hurt. That Monday my ears were clogged, painful, and felt like something was in them. I went to the dr and he said sinusitis with fluid in my ears. He gave me Zpak. Day 5, last day, I don't feel any better. In fact, I feel worse. But today has been super stressful. I have pressure in my face, nose, forehead, ears, everywhere! I felt the pressure come on the worse during a very difficult conversation with my boss. Since then, its relaxed, but still bad.

Is it all anxiety? or is it sinus? I don't know! I know if I keep feeling this way, I will be seeing an ENT very soon bc I can't handle this.
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