For about a year I have been dealing with what I believe might be chronic sinusitis, with the sphenoid sinuses involved (a less common occurance).
It all started with some random, brief dizzy spells. Not vertigo, but rather just a couple seconds of loss of balance.
Then one day it happened and lasted for several months, instead of a couple seconds. During this time I developed a terrible headache and various other symptoms which would come and go. These symptoms included dry irritated eyes, blurred vision, ringing ears, temporary hearing loss lasting a few minutes, fullness and popping in the ears, pain deep in the ears (with no ear infection visible when checked by a doctor), a feeling of falling (especially when laying on my back), difficulty concentrating due to a foggy headed feeling, general fatigue, muscle aches, a pain deep in my neck near the base of my skull, adrenaline rushes.
Also, within days of the onset of the constant headaches, my neck began to make terrible cracking noises and felt weak. It was as if the ligaments that hold everything together just sort of gave up.
The eye irritation that I feel from time to time feels like sand in the eyes. Once, I developed a very bad eye infection that would not respond to fucithalmic drops, or gentamycin. When these antibiotics failed I was given an urgent referral to an opthamologist who prescribed a combination of dexamethasone, tobramycin, and oflaxacin (all in eye-drop form). This worked and the infection cleared up after about two weeks, but it took about four months for my vision to return to normal (the optho said it would take months, so that wasn't a surprise).
Anyway, the reason I believe that I have a sinus problem is because I get a feeling of pressure in the typical sinus headache pattern: Forehead, nose, cheeks, behind eyes. I also have a post-nasal drip most of the time and if I sneeze really hard I smell something foul from the darkest depths of my nose/head/whatever... I think the sphenoid sinuses are affected because of the symptoms other than the typical sinus stuff ("brain fog", ringing ears, etc.)
STILL WITH ME?
So my question is, if anyone else has suffered from a sphenoid sinus infection, how did it affect your neck? That's the missing piece of the puzzle that seems to have my GP confused. I've had c-spine x-rays and there is nothing to suggest that I should have a problem with my neck, yet I do.
Do you ever find that walking causes your neck to click with each step? Does the impact of each footstep seem to worsen your headache or other symptoms (as if your head is very tender and movement is unpleasant for you)? Is this something that happens to people with sphenoid sinusitis?
I have an appointment to see an ear, nose, throat specialist in a couple weeks. I'm hoping to hear from others who have had sphenoid sinusitis or problems similar to mine so that if he tries to blow me off I'll be able to make a reasonable argument to have some testing or something done (MRI maybe?). Hopefully he will take it seriously, but if he doesn't, at least I'll know a little more about the subject so I'll know if I should just accept his response or not.
Thanks!
Mike
It all started with some random, brief dizzy spells. Not vertigo, but rather just a couple seconds of loss of balance.
Then one day it happened and lasted for several months, instead of a couple seconds. During this time I developed a terrible headache and various other symptoms which would come and go. These symptoms included dry irritated eyes, blurred vision, ringing ears, temporary hearing loss lasting a few minutes, fullness and popping in the ears, pain deep in the ears (with no ear infection visible when checked by a doctor), a feeling of falling (especially when laying on my back), difficulty concentrating due to a foggy headed feeling, general fatigue, muscle aches, a pain deep in my neck near the base of my skull, adrenaline rushes.
Also, within days of the onset of the constant headaches, my neck began to make terrible cracking noises and felt weak. It was as if the ligaments that hold everything together just sort of gave up.
The eye irritation that I feel from time to time feels like sand in the eyes. Once, I developed a very bad eye infection that would not respond to fucithalmic drops, or gentamycin. When these antibiotics failed I was given an urgent referral to an opthamologist who prescribed a combination of dexamethasone, tobramycin, and oflaxacin (all in eye-drop form). This worked and the infection cleared up after about two weeks, but it took about four months for my vision to return to normal (the optho said it would take months, so that wasn't a surprise).
Anyway, the reason I believe that I have a sinus problem is because I get a feeling of pressure in the typical sinus headache pattern: Forehead, nose, cheeks, behind eyes. I also have a post-nasal drip most of the time and if I sneeze really hard I smell something foul from the darkest depths of my nose/head/whatever... I think the sphenoid sinuses are affected because of the symptoms other than the typical sinus stuff ("brain fog", ringing ears, etc.)
STILL WITH ME?
So my question is, if anyone else has suffered from a sphenoid sinus infection, how did it affect your neck? That's the missing piece of the puzzle that seems to have my GP confused. I've had c-spine x-rays and there is nothing to suggest that I should have a problem with my neck, yet I do.
Do you ever find that walking causes your neck to click with each step? Does the impact of each footstep seem to worsen your headache or other symptoms (as if your head is very tender and movement is unpleasant for you)? Is this something that happens to people with sphenoid sinusitis?
I have an appointment to see an ear, nose, throat specialist in a couple weeks. I'm hoping to hear from others who have had sphenoid sinusitis or problems similar to mine so that if he tries to blow me off I'll be able to make a reasonable argument to have some testing or something done (MRI maybe?). Hopefully he will take it seriously, but if he doesn't, at least I'll know a little more about the subject so I'll know if I should just accept his response or not.
Thanks!
Mike
Hi there I think that you are definitely suffering from some sort of sinus issue as that would cause the clicking that you are referring to. Are you seeing a doctor to confirm the diagnosis? I think that would be your best course of action. What do you think?
I agree. I think that he should seek the professional help and he should really ask his doctor more about how to relieve internal sinus swelling. I think that I have problems with sinus for my entire life. I am always trying to find certain treatments, but nothing seems to help me totally. Also, you should know that Sinusitis is also referred to as rhinosinusitis and that is all because inflammation of the nasal mucosa generally accompanies sinusitis. Acute means that infection can last between 7 to 30 days and chronic more than 90 days. Symptoms are pretty much the same in every patient.
I am suffering with this, did you find out the cause and get treatment?
Its driving me mad and I have had this terrible deap headache for as long as I can remember, nothing gets rid of it and I am suffering more with other sinus problems too.
Its driving me mad and I have had this terrible deap headache for as long as I can remember, nothing gets rid of it and I am suffering more with other sinus problems too.
Hi
I had an opeartion to remove nasal polyps at the beginning of August. To cut a long story short 3 weeks later after taking various antibiotics , (as I still had infection), I was hospitalized as I had an acute infection, I had a CT Scan to see if I perhaps had a brain abcess or abcess behind my eye, this was not the case. I was given intravenous antibiotics for 2 days and then sent home with a further weeks course of Augmentin. I was told to push, Salt, Bicarbonate Soda and Sugar, this is done through a syringe , (which am still doing once a day).
I started to get head pain 3 weeks after coming out of hospital and in the meantime was admitted once again last week with suspected appendicitus. This in fact was a bout of Colitus as a result of overload of antibiotics killing the good bacteria(apparently). My head pain comes either as sharp shocks on the top of my head then to the left and down my neck. I get puffy eyes and feel like i have fluid all around my head, as if its ready to explode (like a pressure cooker). If I twist my head from side to side, I hear crunching in the back of my neck. My head feels like somebodys has it in a vice lock (pressing sensation). I am now getting a burning feeling in my right eye. I visited my GP who gave me Temazapan to help me sleep and thought it could be tension headache from all I have endured. My GP says i still have crusting high up in my nostril and so probably still have infection. I am due to see the ENT clinic on the 22nd to ask their advice. I'm still getting a swishing noise in my left ear and feel like I'm going off my trolley. I just want to feel normal again. I have been out running the past three days to try and run away from the uncomfortable pain, initially it works but then is back again at the end of the day. Anybody with any advice, I would greatly appreciate. Although I had a CT scan three weeks ago, does anybody know if abcess could materialise in a short space of time, ie , the past 3 weeks? or should I stop worrying
I had an opeartion to remove nasal polyps at the beginning of August. To cut a long story short 3 weeks later after taking various antibiotics , (as I still had infection), I was hospitalized as I had an acute infection, I had a CT Scan to see if I perhaps had a brain abcess or abcess behind my eye, this was not the case. I was given intravenous antibiotics for 2 days and then sent home with a further weeks course of Augmentin. I was told to push, Salt, Bicarbonate Soda and Sugar, this is done through a syringe , (which am still doing once a day).
I started to get head pain 3 weeks after coming out of hospital and in the meantime was admitted once again last week with suspected appendicitus. This in fact was a bout of Colitus as a result of overload of antibiotics killing the good bacteria(apparently). My head pain comes either as sharp shocks on the top of my head then to the left and down my neck. I get puffy eyes and feel like i have fluid all around my head, as if its ready to explode (like a pressure cooker). If I twist my head from side to side, I hear crunching in the back of my neck. My head feels like somebodys has it in a vice lock (pressing sensation). I am now getting a burning feeling in my right eye. I visited my GP who gave me Temazapan to help me sleep and thought it could be tension headache from all I have endured. My GP says i still have crusting high up in my nostril and so probably still have infection. I am due to see the ENT clinic on the 22nd to ask their advice. I'm still getting a swishing noise in my left ear and feel like I'm going off my trolley. I just want to feel normal again. I have been out running the past three days to try and run away from the uncomfortable pain, initially it works but then is back again at the end of the day. Anybody with any advice, I would greatly appreciate. Although I had a CT scan three weeks ago, does anybody know if abcess could materialise in a short space of time, ie , the past 3 weeks? or should I stop worrying
Everyone's symptoms sound exactly the same as I am going through (and have been for nearly a year now). I have a severe sphenoid sinus infection and have got dreadful pain in my neck, nausea, fatigue and problems breathing properly.
Has anyone who has posted here found a solution or received help from a Doctor that has got rid of their infection? I'm getting desperate.
Has anyone who has posted here found a solution or received help from a Doctor that has got rid of their infection? I'm getting desperate.
Hi,
I have sinusitis for past four months and just saw a ENT specialist two days ago after waiting for over a month to see him-longest month of my life. My sphenoid sinus is enlarged and this was and is causing dizziness, head pressure, massive headaches and now I cant ly on my head for lnog as my head is so pressurised and I get jolts of pain like my nerves in my head or my brain are going to explode! It is a dreadful feeling! You think you are going to die. This has been my life for the past four months and he put me on strong antibiotics and a nasal spray and I have to revisit him in two months. This is standard procedure apparently before the oprate on the sinus becuase it may be just an infection and be treated simply! Hope this helps. Also for about two weeks straight I went around holding my neck up cos it felt like it was falling! The pain was cruel to say th least and basically because the sphenoid sinus is probably enlarged with you to as is with mine it is full and is weighing down your head-thus causing the neck pain as the necks main responsibility is to hold up the head.
I have sinusitis for past four months and just saw a ENT specialist two days ago after waiting for over a month to see him-longest month of my life. My sphenoid sinus is enlarged and this was and is causing dizziness, head pressure, massive headaches and now I cant ly on my head for lnog as my head is so pressurised and I get jolts of pain like my nerves in my head or my brain are going to explode! It is a dreadful feeling! You think you are going to die. This has been my life for the past four months and he put me on strong antibiotics and a nasal spray and I have to revisit him in two months. This is standard procedure apparently before the oprate on the sinus becuase it may be just an infection and be treated simply! Hope this helps. Also for about two weeks straight I went around holding my neck up cos it felt like it was falling! The pain was cruel to say th least and basically because the sphenoid sinus is probably enlarged with you to as is with mine it is full and is weighing down your head-thus causing the neck pain as the necks main responsibility is to hold up the head.
Cronic splenoid sinusitis showed on ct. scan in dez. 2010. No Dr. thinks that is serious ,even with many health symptoms.giddines ,bad headaches ,facialpain,jaw pressure,as well as a pain in the neck.
imbalance for 3 years. Miserable and scary. second MRI reveals chronic sinusitis particularly in the sphenoid. neck tension also present for the past three years. ENT wants me to start taking nasal sprays. I do not suffer from common sinus problems as far as i can tell. not interested in starting medication. want to explore homeopathic options first.
Hello. I hope the ENT got it figured out for you because that was going to be my first suggestion. A little under a year ago, I had sinus surgery due to structural problems and chronic sinus infections( mostly ephmoid and sphenoids:).. I did get symptoms like "brain fog" - including almost passing out in the grocery store once. It was really bad- beyond just a stuffy nose and headache. Horrible horrible neck and shoulder pain- unbearable and nothing eased it. Ask the doc to take a sample, as that may determine the particular bacteria- as many antibiotic wont work on certain ones( I tried 3 before getting one that worked). My doc also told me that after the surgery, I would have no more neck and shoulder pain- which was chronic with my sinus infections. Ask for a CT scan, and not an MRI. also, after you have tried the drugs, the sprays, the allegry treatments- push for surgery. It truly saved my quality of life. Good luck.
I feel your pain, I hope the ENT can hep you.
I feel your pain, I hope the ENT can hep you.
See an ENT. have them swab and sample it. They can give you a specific antibiotic for the bacteria. Second option- surgery. it changed my life.
My own personal option- a giant shot of peppermint schnapps:)
My own personal option- a giant shot of peppermint schnapps:)
I too have suffered with these type of symptoms for 7 weeks. The worst part are the horrific headaches located on the top and back of my head. My neck also hurst and apply ice and heat. Regular analgesic do nothing for the pain. I also have some dizziness and balance issues in addition to left ear pain. I just had an MRI w/contrast yesterday and the Neurologist called me with the news I have severe sphenoid sinusitis which is contributing to the headache. He wants me to call my Pcp tomorrow about getting started on an Antibiotic. I'm wondering if I should contact my ENT instead? This has been a long and arduous process and I feel like my life has been on hold this summer.....sure hope this is the answer.
My neck always feels sore and like there is a giant weight on it that is hard to keep up. It cracks more, but I do not feel the popping you do. When I take steps, it feels worse at every impact.
Yes all the things you are feeling in your head is real, don't stop until you get an answer .
I just had surgery Sept. 24, 2012, my headaches, neck, dry eye ,pain is all gone.
The second day after surgery was the worst, I couldn't read close my vision was
blurry. My vision came back the third day , I think it's from the swelling in the
brain that caused my vision problem. I have been suffering with this for two years now
my Ige levels were 745 , normal lge levels are 0-119. If you are having problems like me have
your Dr. run a Ige test. This all started with living in a house with toxic mold.....
Erica
New Orleans
hi.
i normally have a runny nose and have to blow regularly. i easily use a box of kleenex per week. when my nose is not runny, when it is clear and dry, that`s when i get my headaches. this august, i did a summersault in the pool and that was it. since then i`ve had nausea, dizzy, headache, stiff cracking neck, fatigue and loud ringing in the ears. i`m associating this with labyrinthitis. so has a doctor. my family doctor has referred me to a ENT. that`s coming up. i`ve had these symptoms already., probably once a year. this year seems to be more pronounced and seems to be lasting longer.
i normally have a runny nose and have to blow regularly. i easily use a box of kleenex per week. when my nose is not runny, when it is clear and dry, that`s when i get my headaches. this august, i did a summersault in the pool and that was it. since then i`ve had nausea, dizzy, headache, stiff cracking neck, fatigue and loud ringing in the ears. i`m associating this with labyrinthitis. so has a doctor. my family doctor has referred me to a ENT. that`s coming up. i`ve had these symptoms already., probably once a year. this year seems to be more pronounced and seems to be lasting longer.