Although ringing can happen with Bell's Palsy, by this time you should have had some unilateral facial weakness along with the change in sensation, so that's unlikely.
It's reasonable to get a second opinion when the first is not to your satisfaction.
Enoch Choi, MD
For some reason dizziness doesn't get a response on this board so I thought I would comment on it since I am experiencing the same thing for the last three weeks. I'm not a doctor just another patient (disclaimer alert!). Dizziness should be diagnosed and treated. Don't let your doctor brush this off since it is a very frustrating and annoying symptom. In 99% of cases dizziness is not serious. At least that's what two ENTs told me. Well, that's all good and fine but it's very difficult to function when the world is spinning and/or shaking!!!
That being said, the doctor should have referred you to his/her audiologist to perform a VRT test. This test takes about an hour and has several parts. The first task is looking at moving light with your eyes, following it up and down and side to side while you wear an annoyingly heavy eye mask. Then you are asked to move your head up and down and side to side while following a light. The next part consists of head movements and body turning. Finally water or air is pushed into the ear to induce temporary dizziness. All the while you are being monitored via video to see how your eyes are reacting to the stimulation. This is recorded and played back. The reason for these tests is to determine WHY you are dizzy and which ear is causing the problem.
If you haven't gone through these tests INSIST that you do. If an inner ear dysfunction is detected, your doctor might prescribe you medication (antibiotics in case of infection) and cortisone for possible inner ear inflammation. Unfortunately, the inner ear is NOT visible to the doctor so much of the cause of the dizziness is speculation. There are also exercises that the doctor should give you to do to help the brain adjust to an inner ear problem or damage to the labyrinth of the ear that regulates balance. These exercises are pretty simple.
Sometimes dizziness is caused by inner ear infection or a virus. Other times it is caused by the crystals in your inner ear. I know that sounds made up but it's not. Read more here: http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html .
You'll have to copy and paste the URL into your browser.
Thanks for the info.
I am going to get a second opinion sometime this coming week and I will bring up the VRT test to the doctor.
Sure I can cope with the dizziness if I just want to lay around on the couch all day and not have a life, but when your job is driving a truck, safty is my first concern and this of course is not safe.
Did you get the VRT test?
Enoch Choi, MD