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Head pressure, eye floaters, light sensitivity (I need some insight.)
Hello everyone,
I have an undiagnosed condition which started three years ago, in December 2009. My family doctor doesn't take me seriously, so I am switching to another doctor soon. I'm male, 26 years old, non-smoker & non-drinker. Blood pressure on average 130/80, pulse rate around 70. I am 6 foot 1 tall, and weigh around 214 pounds (97 kg).
My symptoms:
- Head pressure (especially around the temples)
- Feeling my heartbeat pounding in my head (i don't hear it, but i definitely feel it)
- Massive eye floaters in both eyes (always present)
- Light sensitivity (always present)
- Slight blurry vision from time to time (depending on the severity of the "head pressure")
- Eye pain (also depending on the severity of the "head pressure")
What makes it worse:
- When I eat something very salty
- When I am very nervous, or very angry
What makes it better:
- When I press on my temples
- When I tie a piece of cloth around my head
- Diazepam 5mg
Worth mentioning:
- No fatigue (i have a lot of strength & energy)
- No appetite loss
- No sleep problems
A detailed history of my condition:
My problem began in December 2009 as just a strange feeling in my head. I started to literally feel my pulse pounding inside my head. This was accompanied by a feeling of pressure in the head, especially around the temples and around the eyes. It felt like extremely high blood pressure, but only in the head. I ignored all of this, thinking it's something that will go away quickly, but I was wrong.
After a couple of months, in the spring of 2010, the head pressure decreased somewhat, but then I began to have eye problems. There was a dull tension-type pain, first in my right eye, then in my left eye. This type of eye pain is very difficult to describe: A strong tension/pressure type of pain, which feels exactly like the pressure in the entire head. This lasted for several days, and then comes the worst part: massive eye floaters in both eyes, accompanied with light sensitivity. The eye pain went away, but the floaters & light sensitivity remained, as well as the head pressure. The floaters & light sensitivity are always present, 24/7, so it's definitely not a migraine.
The problem "stablized" in the summer of 2010, and remained very stable or "tolerable" I should say. Head pressure reduced by more than 50%, no eye pain, and only 5 or 6 floaters. Then in October 2012, for unexplained reasons, the whole thing came back with a punch. The pulse pounding in the head, the head pressure, and the eye pain all increased about threefold. Then a few days later, new eye floaters came along (more than 10 new floaters!). Now the whole thing is somewhat stable, but definitely not as good as it was before.
Why was it "ok" for more than two years, and then came back like this? The only thing I can think of is bodybuilding. In October 2012 I began to lift weights, mostly benchpress, and about a week after that, the problems began to intensify. This is the only thing I can think of that might have played a role.
Here are the exams I have had done in the past few months:
- Extensive blood work, including TSH test (thyroid function): all clear, except for somewhat high cholesterol (255)
- Abdominal ultrasound: completely normal
- Ophthalmoscopy with dilated pupils: no retinal tears, no holes, no damaged blood vessels
- VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) test: completely normal
- Carotid doppler ultrasound: completely normal (I really insisted on the carotid doppler ultrasound, because of the feeling of high blood pressure in the head.)
I didn't have health insurance for a long time, which is why I started to see doctors only a few months ago. Now, I have learned to control this condition by avoiding salty foods, avoiding stress, and avoiding weightlifting. By "controlling" the condition I mean preventing it from getting worse. But nonetheless I want to know, and absolutely have to know, what is causing this problem, and how to treat it.
My family doctor does not want to do an MRI or a CT scan. He thinks this is all stress related without any physiological causes whatsoever, which I think is completely absurd, and this is the reason why I'm switching to another doctor very soon. In any case, my questions are as follows:
1.) Is it possible that these symptoms could be caused by a deformity of the neck and/or the spine? I have had a really terrible posture since I was a little kid, but my family doctor (as well as my neurologist) dismisses this idea, saying there's no chance it could cause these problems.
2.) Is it worth doing a contrast-enhanced thyroid ultrasound?
3.) Should I do an electrocardiogram & treadmill stress test?
4.) What medical exams would you recommend me? MRI? CT? If so, exactly what kind of MRI? Cervical? Head only? Whole body? I really don't know much about this subject.
5.) Is it possible for the eyes to really be healthy, but for a person still to experience floaters & light sensitivity, for example because of something neurological?
If there is anything at all you could say about this topic, I would really appreciate it. To this day I am not able to find on the internet one disease that has all of these symptoms. The whole thing really feels as if the blood pressure in my head is extremely high, but obviously that's not it. I would very much like to know if you were in my shoes, what exams you would like to have done.
Thank you very much!
Eraphim
I have an undiagnosed condition which started three years ago, in December 2009. My family doctor doesn't take me seriously, so I am switching to another doctor soon. I'm male, 26 years old, non-smoker & non-drinker. Blood pressure on average 130/80, pulse rate around 70. I am 6 foot 1 tall, and weigh around 214 pounds (97 kg).
My symptoms:
- Head pressure (especially around the temples)
- Feeling my heartbeat pounding in my head (i don't hear it, but i definitely feel it)
- Massive eye floaters in both eyes (always present)
- Light sensitivity (always present)
- Slight blurry vision from time to time (depending on the severity of the "head pressure")
- Eye pain (also depending on the severity of the "head pressure")
What makes it worse:
- When I eat something very salty
- When I am very nervous, or very angry
What makes it better:
- When I press on my temples
- When I tie a piece of cloth around my head
- Diazepam 5mg
Worth mentioning:
- No fatigue (i have a lot of strength & energy)
- No appetite loss
- No sleep problems
A detailed history of my condition:
My problem began in December 2009 as just a strange feeling in my head. I started to literally feel my pulse pounding inside my head. This was accompanied by a feeling of pressure in the head, especially around the temples and around the eyes. It felt like extremely high blood pressure, but only in the head. I ignored all of this, thinking it's something that will go away quickly, but I was wrong.
After a couple of months, in the spring of 2010, the head pressure decreased somewhat, but then I began to have eye problems. There was a dull tension-type pain, first in my right eye, then in my left eye. This type of eye pain is very difficult to describe: A strong tension/pressure type of pain, which feels exactly like the pressure in the entire head. This lasted for several days, and then comes the worst part: massive eye floaters in both eyes, accompanied with light sensitivity. The eye pain went away, but the floaters & light sensitivity remained, as well as the head pressure. The floaters & light sensitivity are always present, 24/7, so it's definitely not a migraine.
The problem "stablized" in the summer of 2010, and remained very stable or "tolerable" I should say. Head pressure reduced by more than 50%, no eye pain, and only 5 or 6 floaters. Then in October 2012, for unexplained reasons, the whole thing came back with a punch. The pulse pounding in the head, the head pressure, and the eye pain all increased about threefold. Then a few days later, new eye floaters came along (more than 10 new floaters!). Now the whole thing is somewhat stable, but definitely not as good as it was before.
Why was it "ok" for more than two years, and then came back like this? The only thing I can think of is bodybuilding. In October 2012 I began to lift weights, mostly benchpress, and about a week after that, the problems began to intensify. This is the only thing I can think of that might have played a role.
Here are the exams I have had done in the past few months:
- Extensive blood work, including TSH test (thyroid function): all clear, except for somewhat high cholesterol (255)
- Abdominal ultrasound: completely normal
- Ophthalmoscopy with dilated pupils: no retinal tears, no holes, no damaged blood vessels
- VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) test: completely normal
- Carotid doppler ultrasound: completely normal (I really insisted on the carotid doppler ultrasound, because of the feeling of high blood pressure in the head.)
I didn't have health insurance for a long time, which is why I started to see doctors only a few months ago. Now, I have learned to control this condition by avoiding salty foods, avoiding stress, and avoiding weightlifting. By "controlling" the condition I mean preventing it from getting worse. But nonetheless I want to know, and absolutely have to know, what is causing this problem, and how to treat it.
My family doctor does not want to do an MRI or a CT scan. He thinks this is all stress related without any physiological causes whatsoever, which I think is completely absurd, and this is the reason why I'm switching to another doctor very soon. In any case, my questions are as follows:
1.) Is it possible that these symptoms could be caused by a deformity of the neck and/or the spine? I have had a really terrible posture since I was a little kid, but my family doctor (as well as my neurologist) dismisses this idea, saying there's no chance it could cause these problems.
2.) Is it worth doing a contrast-enhanced thyroid ultrasound?
3.) Should I do an electrocardiogram & treadmill stress test?
4.) What medical exams would you recommend me? MRI? CT? If so, exactly what kind of MRI? Cervical? Head only? Whole body? I really don't know much about this subject.
5.) Is it possible for the eyes to really be healthy, but for a person still to experience floaters & light sensitivity, for example because of something neurological?
If there is anything at all you could say about this topic, I would really appreciate it. To this day I am not able to find on the internet one disease that has all of these symptoms. The whole thing really feels as if the blood pressure in my head is extremely high, but obviously that's not it. I would very much like to know if you were in my shoes, what exams you would like to have done.
Thank you very much!
Eraphim
Best Answer
Does anyone else have any insight? The last response was three months ago. Thank you very much for your help.
Thank you very much for your answers Dr. Kaul. I do have a strong feeling that this could be related to my cervical spine. I have one more question, if it's not a problem:
Would an x-ray be sufficient to diagnose problems of the cervical spine. If not, what would be a better solution: MRI or CT?
Thank you,
Eraphim
Would an x-ray be sufficient to diagnose problems of the cervical spine. If not, what would be a better solution: MRI or CT?
Thank you,
Eraphim
Thank you for your reply, but I don't think it would be possible to live for more than three years with a slow bleed within the brain, at least not without experiencing a massive amount of other symptoms.
While intracranial bleeding *does* have light sensitivity associated with it, eye floaters are unheard of in such cases. Other symptoms of intracranial bleeding include (among other things) balance problems, nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness. I don't share any of these symptoms.
Bleeding in the brain would also be unaffected by Diazepam, and Diazepam helps me if the pressure is more intense than usual.
I also don't think it's a good idea to say that light sensitivity is the hallmark of a slow bleed in the brain, seeing how almost every migraine sufferer experiences intense light sensitivity.
In any case, I thank you for your insight.
While intracranial bleeding *does* have light sensitivity associated with it, eye floaters are unheard of in such cases. Other symptoms of intracranial bleeding include (among other things) balance problems, nausea, vomiting, and muscle weakness. I don't share any of these symptoms.
Bleeding in the brain would also be unaffected by Diazepam, and Diazepam helps me if the pressure is more intense than usual.
I also don't think it's a good idea to say that light sensitivity is the hallmark of a slow bleed in the brain, seeing how almost every migraine sufferer experiences intense light sensitivity.
In any case, I thank you for your insight.
Light sensitivity along with your other symptoms is the hallmark of a slow bleed within the brain. An brain scan MRA (with dye contrast) is indicated. Preferably with s 3T (Tesla) imaging machine. The MRA shows blood distribution. This should have been done as square one.
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Well, without a detailed clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include primary cranial headaches, cranial neuralgias, stress/ anxiety, causes related to the eye such as inflammation, refractive errors, increased pressure etc.,
1. The symptoms may be caused by issues related to the cervical spine.
2. Radiological tests of the thyroid may not be suggested unless advised by a medical practioner.
3. Though one may consider an EKG, a treadmill may not be indicated unless specifically advised by a medical practioner after a clinical evaluation.
4. The choice of the radiological test is best decided by the treating doctor after a clinical evaluation.
5. It is very unusual to develop eye symptoms with a completely normal eye exam.
Hope this is helpful.
Take care!