Hi everyone. I've had PT since late 2010-early 2011. It started during cold/allergy season and was accompanied by light-headedness, dizziness, and a mild headache. Naturally, I assumed it was sinus-related and treated it that way for a long time. When my PT first started, it was very distracting. I was just finishing my undergrad and beginning an internship preceding grad school. I sometimes couldn't hear instructors or sleep at night because of the sound in my ear.
Two years ago I saw an ENT who told me that I could have a glomus tumor. He scared the crap out of me and sent me to have an MRI which was normal. I didn't go back.
Recently, my symptoms have been worse:
I have frequent headaches. Actually, I've always had frequent headaches but the duration seems to be longer. I often wake up in the morning with a headache. Sometimes it improves after I've been upright for a little while and sometimes (like right now) I have a headache that lasts for days. It's usually not an intense headache--just a dull pressure across my forehead and around my eyes. I often feel like I have a fever, but the thermometer always reads normal.
My PT is right ear only. It sounds just like a heart ultrasound and sometimes it's very loud, sometimes I can barely hear it. It changes volume with the position of my head, and becomes quiet when I press on my carotid artery (?) or tilt my head just right. I can also feel the pulse in my ear--like a momentary pressure. Oddly, intensity does not seem to correlate with my headache symptoms.
My teeth hurt! The pain travels to my top and bottom teeth, usually on my left side but sometimes everywhere. The tooth pain is worse than the headache by far. It feels like a generalized toothache. I have had my teeth checked multiple times at the dentist and x-rays taken. The dentist has told me multiple times that my pain is "nerve pain" and likely referred from somewhere else, since the trigeminal nerve spreads across the entire side of the head and face. So basically, he thinks I've having headaches in my teeth.
I have some dizziness off and on, but even more disturbing is this feeling of disconnectedness and light-headedness that has begun to interfere with my life. I also feel off-balance at times and stumble for no apparent reason.
I have had some occasional tunnel vision, but I don't know if my peripheral vision has changed. I have noticed that my night vision is becoming terrible. Lights make it very difficult for me to see to drive, as they have a large halo around them. I don't know if this is due to my near-sightedness or not (I am legally blind without contact lenses).
I am often tired. Today, I dropped my son off at school and slept until his bus brought him home. This was after a full 8 hours the night before. I do not think I am depressed, but I am in grad school so I am under stress.
Other problems I have which may or may not be related:
I am slightly overweight, but I was not overweight when my symptoms began.
I have pre-hypertension.
I have palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis.
I am 33 years old.
Upcoming tests:
Recently, I visited another ENT. She confirmed there is nothing wrong with my ears/nose/throat and my hearing is great. She thought my symptoms could be intracranial hypertension and referred me to see a neurologist, who will see me in a couple weeks.
Tomorrow I am seeing an opthamologist to check for optic nerve swelling and having an MRA.
I welcome any suggestions from the group or advice as I proceed. Also, I would like to know if anyone else has hyperhidrosis. I have read that IH can cause parasympathetic neuropathy which can sometimes manifest as hyperhidrosis. This is all speculative, but wouldn't it be crazy if this is all related?
Two years ago I saw an ENT who told me that I could have a glomus tumor. He scared the crap out of me and sent me to have an MRI which was normal. I didn't go back.
Recently, my symptoms have been worse:
I have frequent headaches. Actually, I've always had frequent headaches but the duration seems to be longer. I often wake up in the morning with a headache. Sometimes it improves after I've been upright for a little while and sometimes (like right now) I have a headache that lasts for days. It's usually not an intense headache--just a dull pressure across my forehead and around my eyes. I often feel like I have a fever, but the thermometer always reads normal.
My PT is right ear only. It sounds just like a heart ultrasound and sometimes it's very loud, sometimes I can barely hear it. It changes volume with the position of my head, and becomes quiet when I press on my carotid artery (?) or tilt my head just right. I can also feel the pulse in my ear--like a momentary pressure. Oddly, intensity does not seem to correlate with my headache symptoms.
My teeth hurt! The pain travels to my top and bottom teeth, usually on my left side but sometimes everywhere. The tooth pain is worse than the headache by far. It feels like a generalized toothache. I have had my teeth checked multiple times at the dentist and x-rays taken. The dentist has told me multiple times that my pain is "nerve pain" and likely referred from somewhere else, since the trigeminal nerve spreads across the entire side of the head and face. So basically, he thinks I've having headaches in my teeth.
I have some dizziness off and on, but even more disturbing is this feeling of disconnectedness and light-headedness that has begun to interfere with my life. I also feel off-balance at times and stumble for no apparent reason.
I have had some occasional tunnel vision, but I don't know if my peripheral vision has changed. I have noticed that my night vision is becoming terrible. Lights make it very difficult for me to see to drive, as they have a large halo around them. I don't know if this is due to my near-sightedness or not (I am legally blind without contact lenses).
I am often tired. Today, I dropped my son off at school and slept until his bus brought him home. This was after a full 8 hours the night before. I do not think I am depressed, but I am in grad school so I am under stress.
Other problems I have which may or may not be related:
I am slightly overweight, but I was not overweight when my symptoms began.
I have pre-hypertension.
I have palmar/plantar hyperhidrosis.
I am 33 years old.
Upcoming tests:
Recently, I visited another ENT. She confirmed there is nothing wrong with my ears/nose/throat and my hearing is great. She thought my symptoms could be intracranial hypertension and referred me to see a neurologist, who will see me in a couple weeks.
Tomorrow I am seeing an opthamologist to check for optic nerve swelling and having an MRA.
I welcome any suggestions from the group or advice as I proceed. Also, I would like to know if anyone else has hyperhidrosis. I have read that IH can cause parasympathetic neuropathy which can sometimes manifest as hyperhidrosis. This is all speculative, but wouldn't it be crazy if this is all related?
Manager
