Clogged/Fullness in Ears and Pressure/Vertigo in Head

[playaz]

Hi everyone,

I have been having this problem for the last 4 years and still didn't find a solution for my problems. It started with ear pressure and my ears feel clogged and full all the time and I keep trying to pop them every day. I keep opening jaw and pushing through nose to try to keep them open but with no longterm success. This has been happening on a daily basis for the last for 4 years and it is really hard to live like this.

The second problem is the head pressure and these weird feelings in my head. This is something that comes and go (or is bearable at least for some time), but when it is there I feel like there is constanly some pressure around my forehead, eyes, sometime at the back aswell and in my neck. I feel a bit of vertigo and I find it hard to focus because of this (with stress it gets even worse). If i lie down I can also very easily hear my hearbeat in my head.

I have already been to multiple ENTs,Neurologist, took CT of head, sinuses, went to TMJ specialist,chiropractor,bioresonance and probably some other stuff that I can't remember now. Thing is all results came back normal and noone could tell me what is wrong with me while I know something is not right.

If someone has experienced this or found a relief or know what it is, then PLEASE help as I am desperate to get better.

TY

[Drinigjate]

Wow I thought I was alone in this situation , this is the post I was about to write , I can almost copy it and post it on here, you just described the exact symptoms I have and the exact outcome thanks. Let's work on brake in this down as I have not had any help from the doctors all I get is nasal spray and allergy meds and a kick in the wallet.

[SugarJJE]

I thought I was the oddball out having these symptoms off and on for about 20 years. At first I thought it was just too much living and drinking in my twenties. When I stopped drinking, it was not as severe, but it was still happening. I did have a problem with high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. I got all that under control and for a long time I did not have symptoms. I moved to a healthier lifestyle with better eating, quit smoking and exercise. When the symptoms stopped, I thought I had it down. It had been about 4 or 5 years and nothing. But the last couple of months, I have been experiencing them almost daily and this last week every time I get up out of my chair here at work. I have ready so many of your posts and did also look into Meniere's  disease. I do suffer from chronic allergies so I find the post nasal drip theory interesting. My blood pressure is still normal, but I have to admit I have fallen off the healthy lifestyle wagon. You're posts have given me a lot to think about and discuss with my doctor.  Thanks again

[Whitelace7178]

Have you have you blood pressure checked regularly? I get that feeling when my bp is high. I've also had that feeling when I had a severe sinus infection. Go to an ear, eyes and nose dr. And ck your bp when you get that feeling in your head. Goodluck

[tmylius]

I'm no doctor and am responding way later but I had the same stuff....dizziness and fulness filling in my ears and continued to pop them to get relief. FINALLY I took a capful of Peroxide, lay on my side and poured it in. Stayed on my side for 20 minutes...as it fizzed and fuzzed in my ear. Sat up, drained it out...repeated on my right side, 20 minutes, drain it out....PERFECTION! Cheap fix for scary, annoying problem. It softens the wax in your ear and sets you right.

[joy_000]

I would recommend the Epstein barr virus panal bloodwork done, I also just had a sinus cyst removed in surgery ....I have hope it improves, I used tea tree and olive oil drops ( 8 drops olive oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil in my ear last night and today ...blessings!

[mur111]

I recently posted a question on here (sensation of fullness in ears) and when coming back to check for replies noticed this thread which I can definitely relate to.

I struggle with depression and anxiety both of which are due to personal issues with work/life and which are at least affected if not also caused by this medical issue. Trintellix and clonazapam perhaps reduce the feeling (or maybe better worded reduce any other headaches etc in these regions and help relax me) but do not seem to make the symptoms go away. Stress does make things worse but that goes for almost every disease and i have a hard time believing stress is what is causing these issues (although my doctor seems to think it is in my head...).

My main symptoms are fatigue, a sensation of pressure in the ears (although I can relieve the pressure using valsalva etc so don't believe it is a real pressure at least not in the ear cavity), my left temple region in specific has some weird symptom of almost skin tightness or someone lightly touching it, left eye sometimes feels like it has minor pressure behind it, left scalp sometimes feels odd like someone is touching it and at times has twitched. The ear issue affects both ears but temple/scalp issue is always left side only. As others have mentioned I sometimes feel like I have trouble focusing my eyes although I do decent enough at eye test (can focus, it just feels like I have to try to do so at times, I do have a minor prescription which means vision has degenerated since laser eye surgery 7-8 years ago). Optometrist did a field of vision test supposedly tests for pressure on optic nerve but it came back fine although the test seemed a little questionable to me. One other potential optical symptom is aniscoria although this is fairly common and minor in my case, the weird thing is that I do not remember ever noticing it until the past year or so which is during the time my other issues/symptoms have developed.

When I first talked to doctor about plugged ear feeling he looked in ear saw it has fluid in it and started me on nasal rinses. Have done nasal rinses for months now, tried nasal steroids, gone to an audiologist(hearing and tympanogram were normal). Believe it is better now but still feel the sensation most days in varying levels. Exercising can set it off and is the one time i can start to feel vertigo(if i exercise really hard sensation will build up and no amount of moving jaw, pressure equalisation etc will provide relief and this is the only time i have ever felt dizzy but it has happened a few times now).

I have never considered myself to have allergies but in fighting with this stuff I felt like at least some of the symptoms were allergy related. I started taking antihistamines(claritin) and leukotreine blockers(singulair) a couple weeks ago and found some relief but mostly to symptoms of nasal congestion, scratchy throat and sneezing. I stopped taking them for a couple days and symptoms were worse so seems to be some correlation but hasn't made the ear or temple stuff go away. I haven't played with the mediciation enough but am guessing it is the singulair that helps me more then the claritin. Have talked doctor into seeing an allergist, still waiting for appointment.

Doctor thought maybe it was something related to a TMJ disorder. Have had chiropractor help stretch it out, was tight at first but since has loosened up. Pops every once in a while. When I move my jaw i hear kind of a squishy sound especially on right ear not sure if that is normal or not. Saw a dentist who did some tests and checked teeth for signs of clenching and grinding, but only minor signs of clenching, no sore jaw muscles etc was determined TMJ disorder was unlikely (unless is a style that doesn't cause tenderness in muscles or messes up tmj movement which is really all that has been tested for).

I have been to a neurologist, appointment was mainly to review hand tremors(have had them for years now) he came to same conclusion as previous neurologist, essential tremors. He wants to send me for a head ct for these other symptoms but that hasn't happened yet.

So in short I have tried months of nasal rinses, nasal steroids, anthistamines, leukotreine blockers, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, tried taking more vitamines (b complex, vitamin d, calcium/magnesium, omega 3 and others), blood tests for most of the normal stuff, been to an optometrist, dentist, audiologist and now neurologist. Have only seen minimal improvement. Hoping the ct (might opt for private MRI first) will show something.

There were some more options listed in this thread (Lyme, Meniers, migraines, intercranial hypertension) which i haven't considered/looked into and will do so, thanks for others sharing their results.

Between this and the stress from work I have barely been able to function so I hope I find some sort of solution/relief because I do not believe I can keep up my stressful line of work while dealing with these health issues. Hopefully others are finding answer too and will share them as they do.