concerend about my symptoms

[rssparks17]

about 5 days ago i was having a lot of itching and irritation in my left ear.  so as a natural reaction, i scratched and poked at it all day. probably a bad decision.  the next day i woke up i was very light headed. this lasted all day.  the following my day my left ear began to have some pains, very mild though, and the light headed feeling was still there.  then the 3rd day, i began getting very intense headache pains off and on, the ear pain was still there, and the light headed feeling was still there.  also, my face on the left side began to feel numb and i couldnt function on the left side of my face, most noticably i couldnt move my mouth on that side only, which is very frustrating.  now for the last two days, my ear really doesnt hurt anymore, my head has mild pains every now and then but ibuprofen pretty much takes care of that, but the numbness and light headed feeling is still there, so i have been light headed for 5 days straight with no break in that feeling, and numb on the left side of my face for 2 full days, no break in that feeling.  most of my friends and family say its probably an inner ear infection.  i am concerned and am just curious if this sounds like inner ear infection symptoms?  any help is greatly appreciated

[LisaOC2633]

You can have herpes zoster oticus with little or no outward symptoms, and this seems to be what you have described.  Unfortunately, the window of treatment is within 72 hours of the onset of symptoms in order for the anti-viral medications to be effective.  I would say get to an ENT as soon as possible.  Steroids may still help at this point.  Good luck.

[rssparks17]

thanks for your help.  when i say numbness im guess maybe thats not the proper word. i have full sensation in that side of my face but i have a decreased, almost a complete inability to move the muscle in that side of my face.  i read up on Herpes Zoster Oticus, everything i am reading about it refers to blisters or irritations around the area, of which i have none,  my biggest concern was that the ear pain has went away for the most part but yet the inability to use my muscles on the left side of my face, as well as my equilibrium being completely out of control is still there.

[ENTMD]

When you say "numb", should that be interpreted as you having decreased sensation on that side of your face or decreased ability to move the muscles?

Read up on Herpes Zoster Oticus (as known as Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome) and see if that makes sense to you -- that's what I would think of.