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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
when I get sinus infections, I get the dizziness, and usually my nose doesnt bother me too much. I get headaches over one eye or the other, or sometimes even on the top of my head. My ears also hurt very much during this. Do you have a follow up appt with the ENT? I would tell them if you are still having the symptoms you might need another does of meds to clear it up. Sinusitis can last for a very long time. It really sucks!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I "think" I have a sinus infection too.  I have been feelin "off balance" and just not right for about 5 weeks now.  I can feel pressure in my ears, sinuses and have been to the dr's a few times.  He told me to take decongestants.  I have been taking them for weeks now with no relief.  I went to an ENT Dr. and he said the same thing.  It's making me crazy  UGG!  Does anybody else have any ideas on to do to get rid of this off balance heavy head stuff!  I'm going nuts.  

Thanks,
Kel
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Avatar universal
I have similar symptons to what most of you are saying. I have been feeling lightheaded and off balance for about 3 months now. The problem seems to have got worse over the past month. Just moving my head from side to side makes me feel unsteady. I have made countless trips to the doctors, which they said initially might have been labrynthitis, or some kind of middle ear infection, taking medication which has done nothing at all. I have seen the ENT specialist twice and been giving the all clear both times and told its my anxiety and stress which is making the problem worse. The problem is when you are constantly experiencing this lightheadedness you cant control the anxiety.

Also i get a funny sort of pressure in the head, especially on the top and problem is compounded when im out in busy places, i feel uneasy on my feet and that i need to sit down. I get the pressure behind the ears and ringing, and the left side of my nose is always blocked, in fact i wake up every morning with a blocked nose and sometimes blood is there when i blow it.

Im finding it hard to sleep at the moment as i just cant relax, chest always feels tight when the lightheadedness is there.

Can anyone relate to this?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm feeling exactly the same as you, except I've had it for 9 months now. I'm light-headed 24hrs a day, regardless of whether I'm standing, sitting or lying and lately I'm having trouble sleeping because I get so dizzy! Its probably the anxiety which is affecting my sleep but I can't help it. I'm worried that it could be something serious.
Last night I even rushed to the hospital at 4am because I got really really dizzy and began to shake uncontrolably.
All the doctors keep dismissing it as eustation tube dysfunction and tell me to keep using my nasal spray.. which does nothing :(
Its so frustrating!!! Urghhh
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ask the doctor to prescribe you Allegra, or non-drowsy anti-histamine.  I can't give you the medical terminology, but it has something to do with "drying up" the area in the head (inner ear) that causes this.  I have been hospitalized with vertigo before (until I knew what the problem was).  Dizziness, nausea, hyperventilating etc... the whole thing.  Taking Allegra during the "vertigo season" (late summer) totally prevents them from coming on at all.  You have to take one pill a day.  It works as a preventative remedy.  It won't work as well after the dizziness as already started.  I've used Claritin as well, and this also works.  Any "non-drowsy" antihistamine will work.

Email me if you want more support here at gregory_may_jr***@****

Sincerely,
Gregory May
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Avatar universal
ive got a soar head and diziness and stomach cramps for about a week now.. my head has improved alot but the diziness is till there. the medication i was on was supposed to get rid of the diziness..  if i dont have the stomch cramps itll bring on my head trauma. in the morning when i wake up i stumble to the floor and find it hard for a few seconds. lifting my head back gives me the same problem. im only 19 years of age very healthy and fit. went to the doctor so they dont know whats wrong with me at this point..  could be nothing but feels like something! do u have any ideas with what this could be..

thanks! mitch, sydney Australia
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started getting lightheaded, dizzy, off balance and weird feelings around 11 years ago. I went to the hospitals so many times because I just could not take feeling so bad. I was told over and over again to relax It is anxiety.  I am still trying to undertand what happened to me and why out of no where did I start getting these feelings.  My pcp sent me to a neurologist and he thinks I am having sensory seizures which can be wrongly determined as anxiety attacks. I don't know but I pray to get to the bottom of this after all it has been a long time and I try everyday to make the best out of it even though I FEEL SO BAD.  ANY ONE WITH ADVIISE ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started getting lightheaded, dizzy, off balance and weird feelings around 11 years ago. I went to the hospitals so many times because I just could not take feeling so bad. I was told over and over again to relax It is anxiety.  I am still trying to undertand what happened to me and why out of no where did I start getting these feelings.  My pcp sent me to a neurologist and he thinks I am having sensory seizures which can be wrongly determined as anxiety attacks. I don't know but I pray to get to the bottom of this after all it has been a long time and I try everyday to make the best out of it even though I FEEL SO BAD.  ANY ONE WITH ADVIISE ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started getting lightheaded, dizzy, off balance and weird feelings around 11 years ago. I went to the hospitals so many times because I just could not take feeling so bad. I was told over and over again to relax It is anxiety.  I am still trying to undertand what happened to me and why out of no where did I start getting these feelings.  My pcp sent me to a neurologist and he thinks I am having sensory seizures which can be wrongly determined as anxiety attacks. I don't know but I pray to get to the bottom of this after all it has been a long time and I try everyday to make the best out of it even though I FEEL SO BAD.  ANY ONE WITH ADVIISE ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I started getting lightheaded, dizzy, off balance and weird feelings around 11 years ago. I went to the hospitals so many times because I just could not take feeling so bad. I was told over and over again to relax It is anxiety.  I am still trying to undertand what happened to me and why out of no where did I start getting these feelings.  My pcp sent me to a neurologist and he thinks I am having sensory seizures which can be wrongly determined as anxiety attacks. I don't know but I pray to get to the bottom of this after all it has been a long time and I try everyday to make the best out of it even though I FEEL SO BAD.  ANY ONE WITH ADVIISE ?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i have similar symptoms.  i get super dizzy and sometimes the dizziness causes me to have anxiety and shake like i'm vibrating.  i also have a crinkling in my right ear that i have had for two years now.  but when i go to the dr. they say i don't have any infection in my ears.  i say theres some fluid there or something that is causing the dizziness and i have a heavy head but no drainage.....so i'm thinking possibly a chronic sinus problem could be causing the vertigo and the vertigo is definitly causing anxiety.  it's no fun at all.  and dr.'s seem to think i'm as healthy as a horse and that its just an equilibrium problem.....called disequilibrium
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been feeling dizzy for around 3 years, i am only 19 and things have been horrible at times . It all started while i was on a plane flight in which i had my first panic attack , but soon after everything went back to normal once i landed . The weird thing was i felt fine for a 1 month  after . I soon after got kicked out of my house and that when things started to get bad , i constantly Drank (Hard Liquor)  and smoked cigarettes . During these times i still felt fine untill one day i came out of a Hot shower smoked a cigarette and black out twice in a row . Ever since that day my dizziness has not left , I went to the hospital and basically ran every test, I also went to a ENT, Psychiatrist,and Back to the hospital like 10 times. At first they thought the mono i had (previously) rand down my immune system but soon thy realized i was healthy as can be . They tested me for cancer , aids, thyroid problems, mono ,tumors ,Ear problems or anything health related .NOTHING WAS FOUND. I still have not found any medicine or any doctor that can help me , the only thing that helps me is ENJOYMENT OF LIFE . LOVE ,FRIENDS FAMILY, and things that make me feel positive .The way you are feeling is not a disease it is a mental or emotional imbalance in which you have Complete control of even if you feel like it is out of control . Remember this is your body if you think positive then positive things will happen if you think negative then negative things will occur .If any body needs help with this feel free to email(***@****) me every body needs to allow there feelings to be expressed and that is always the best way to relieve stress is threw being social . I hope this helps .....
(P.S- I am still dizzy but slowly my condition improves over time and so will yours)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi,
I've been in/out of hospital for the past 3 months. Will any allergy medicine work? Did you have ear pressure, dizziness, headache and nausea. I've been hosptalized twice for dehydration. When does this season start and end? Mine started in April? But I'm in Canada?

CathyR
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
  Had same thing last year, with no help,  pressure in head, dizziness occasionally, upset stomach and anxiety.   Went to the ER and they did CT scan which was normal, cbc blood work, normal. was sent home and prescribed meclizine. Does not help, by the way. Went to family Doc. gave me xanax. helped and soon went away. Now , I have it a second time this year, family doc gave me xanax, helps with anxiety, note.. half one works best, whole knocks you out. Doc referred to ENT specialist and hearing test was great, blood work again, fine, thyroid fine, iron, fine. Ent said there is such a thing where your inner ear has plates and sensors that send signals to your brain, to keep you balanced. On occasion, maybe after a case of the flu, or sinusitis, they can move off track. Going to go back in a week for a balance test called Electronytagmography or ENG. This will determine my vestibular or balance status. I Have researched vertigo anxiety can also produce pressure and vertigo, ask doc fo xanax o valium, take in moderation and drink plenty of water, if is anxiety, if not , go to an ENT and get the balance test.      
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I cant believe other people feel the way I do, heavy headed clumsy dizzy... Its like you hand eye coordination is terriable... it is so frusterating because i used to be a dancer a gymnist and a softball player now I could never do any of that stuff I would fall on my ***....... has anyone found a medicine that works?? I went to a specialist and they said I have a inner ear problem they did a test where they shoot water in your ear, he prescribed me Valium but it doesnt help and make me too tired At least I am not alone..... i hate feeling like this its like u are drunk 24-7 and not in a fun way.... pleas e-mail me if anyone wants to talk about this or has any help for this annyoing problem that I have had for honestly 10 yrs and its getting worse.
I feel for you all..... <3 Katie ***@****..
I have taken adderall and it has helped a tiny bit..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I flew to Maine about 4 years ago; then the following week, went camping & hiking in Yosemite for about 5 days at 10,000 feet.  Woke up on the 5th day, the tent was spinning...passed out....very scary.  Doctors didn't do anything - still have occassional Benign Postional Vertigo & right ear thumping - you have to learn to sleep upright, on your "good" side, life will never be the same...I believe flying on planes, swimming, bathing (puting your head under water) all contribute....I don't swim anymore or submerge my head under the bathwater....women are  more prone to it and it's likely to get worse as they age....how fun, huh??? I'm afraid to hike & camp above 5,000 feet....no fun.
Helpful - 0
530500 tn?1212908136
I have a similar situation, I was diagnosed with vertigo a few years back but when it wouldn't go away I was sent to a neurologist and was told that it is Vestibular Neuronitis. I was also told that it can be caused from pressure in the ears. I sometimes have this pounding in my ears that happens when I stand up too fast or when I first lay down. I have had this happen for years and years and years. I've always called it a head-rush but it seems to happen more and more frequently and I wonder if it has anything to do with the vertigo. Anyone have any ideas?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, any advice would be great. I always have a permanant post nasal drip, my nose is always bunged, the only time it is'nt is when i sneeze. I get shooting pains in my temples on both side or one side at a time, my ears feel like they are going to burst, with pressure. I also get alot of shooting pains in my head mor at the top on the side, it goes from one side one day and the other, and at the same time i get pains behind my eyes, down the side of my nose feels bunged, around my eyes feels bunged up, and when i touch my nose and face it makes it worse like i have been punched. At times i can be sat and also feel like im moving. Ringing in my ears and at times pain in my jaw, and then it all goes and comes back its driving potty, i feel like im goin potty.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too went through a whole year with lightheadedness. I went to 3 different doctors and a chiropractor just grasping at straws. The ENT doctor said that he could send me for some expensive extensive testing but that he see's hundreds of people a year for dizziness and there never turns out to be anything wrong. Im home from work today as a matter of fact because occasionally I will wake up dizzy and it will take hours for it to clear up and then Im still left with a weird dull pressure feeling in my head. I too was told it could be anxiety but I truly believe thats not the issue. It itself causes anxiety!
I just dont understand why so many people can have this problem and no one can tell us what it is!!
The only thing I will recommend is trying like hell to relax and realize that if youve been to the doctor and they dont seem to be concerned about it, relaxing will help it pass. Anxiety just prolongs it. I honestly think it does have something to do with sinus' but I just dont understand why nothing seems to help.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How old are all of you?

I am 22 with the same symptoms, I ve been told that this ussually happens with older people. My mother, 42, has the same thing. Neurologyst said that its crystalls detached in the inner ear, that send false signals to the brain and causing disbalance.

Just wondering whats the average age. THANK YOU.
Helpful - 0
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.
Helpful - 0
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!  
Helpful - 0
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
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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