Blocked eustachian tube, no infection, facial and arm nerve trouble

[Cactus girl]

For the last month, I've had a pain in the middle left of my head.  It feels like it is at the top of the back of my nose....if that makes sense.  After the first week, it seemed to migrate down a bit and I felt like I had a deep ear infection in my left ear.  Simulataneously, I noticed problems with a numbness/tinglyness/warmness or weird feeling in my left arm.  It seems weakened.

I'm no stranger to ear infections, as I had them occasionally as a child (I never had tubes, though) and I get them as an adult usually at the tail end of a cold/flu.  So this seemed out of place because I have not had any cold or flu.

I went to the ER back in the middle of October and was shocked when they told me my ear was NOT red.  It hurt so bad and felt so much like an ear infection, I was convinced it was.  They gave me Roxicet for the pain and sent me on my way.

After 4 days, the intenseness pretty much went away, but I still felt a "sensation" in the middle left of my head.  I had an MRI for my arm numbness and blurry vision (to rule out MS) and although they found asymmetry of a gyrus in front of the right occipital lobe and under the corpus callosum, two neurologists agreed that it is normal "anatomical variation" like if you have one foot slightly bigger than the other.  

Well, that sensation has intensified in the last week in my head and ear and added was a slightly painful sensation under my left eye to the side of my nose.  It feels like compression of the nerve in my face.   I am still having trouble with left arm feeling strange.  

It occured to me that maybe my eustachian tube was blocked.  I noticed I could not get my left ear to pop.

I went and got Sudafed and had a lot of relief for about 12 hours.  I took the maximum dosage and quickly noticed that although the medication was being taken regularly, all the symptoms returned and failed to be alleviated again.

It seems to me that I have more trouble with the symptoms the later in the day it gets.  I feel best in the morning.  (I do have an anxiety issue and wonder how much of this is actually physical and how much is psychological.).  

I can finally pop my left ear on occasion by plugging, blowing, and wiggling my jaw.  But it seems to close right back up and I feel the ear squeeze pain.  I still have that weird sensation in my head and my arm.  I can also still feel it under my eye, but that symptom is better.

I can't find anything anywhere about a blocked eustachian tube causing nerve problems other than the nerves in the face.  It just seems to me that after a month of dealing with these symptoms, that my arm issue is directly related to the pain in the middle of my head/ear.

What could all of this be???

I hope someone can help me.

[taitoko]

I am experiencing many of the above symptoms including three bouts of severe vertigo over the last 5 years, lasting up to six weeks each time,. The last vertigo attack was August 2012. I had just recovered from the flu ( Type A) followed by a bad outbreak of cold sores inside my nose. The vertigo started soon after preceded by blurred vision, constant yawning and nausea. After the vertigo episodes abated I was left with badly blocked ears, foggy, tight head and a whooshing noise in my ears. I also have a numb/buzzy feeling in my left arm and hand, sometimes my legs as well. Like others have said it's worse from late afternoon. I now suffer from insomnia and am constantly tired. My doctor prescribed antibiotics, steroids, sudomyl and a steroidal nose spray to no affect.  I finally saw an ENT specialist hoping he would tell me my eustachian tubes were blocked. Instead he told me my ears were perfectly healthy! He suggested I suffered from Vestibular Neuritis caused by a virus damaging a nerve in my middle ear. I discovered through research that this condition has a strong link to the herpes virus. I have been taking a Lysine supplement daily along with Vitamin C, B, D. It seemed to be helping at first although the last couple of days have been pretty bad as far as my arm numbness and blocked ears go. I seem to have a good week followed by two or three bad weeks. I believe stress makes the symptoms worse which in my line of work is not easy to reduce. The winter probably doesn't help either. The more I learn the more I think many of my symptoms are due to anxiety brought on from the vertigo attacks and worrying that they will return.

[jsnramc1]

I have had the same symptoms for about 3 weeks now as described in the comments above. I was told I have a clogged eustachian tube...Is anyone else getting severe vertigo at times almost til it makes you sick to your stomach??? Please let me know. Also experiencing jaw pain.

[alexispeyton]

i doubt anyone checks this anymore its been so long but just incase did anyone actually find releaf from this i hate this feeling head neck arm all of it I've had all of these symptoms for at least a month now...it started with an ear infection i took amoxacilin and it went away then about a week later this arm feeling started and hasn't stopped i got a cold with bothered the ear again and now im on a zpack and some ear drops...please if anyone did find an escape from all of this post back i have a  one and a half year old and am scared there is something seriously wrong with me and i just wanna be able to play with him without all these worries.

[Stigmatisert]

Have a look at C4 and C5 in this figure.
Through C4, I've read, amongst others the nerve to eustachian tube runs.
Through C5, the nerves to the arms run.

Me and my thoughs: More important, I think, is the nerves for the mucos production in the eustachian tube, because if thei're clogged, it may be because they are dry. Mine stopped opening when swallowing. I don't know if it's because of lack of mucos-production, but after flushing them with neti-pot (Don't do it with air-pressure - I've got ringing-tone in my head) they opened again, and now it sounds like they're struggelig to open because of lack of mucos. Sounds like they're wery "sticky" - that they don't produce the oiling mucos themself. Gives me swallowing pain, becaus air don't elevate to the ears while swallowing, but are being pressed down into my swallow and get stuck, because  the swallow misunderstand it for food. (Yes it's been terrible, before I managed to re-open my tubes).

[justpassingthru]

Did you ever find any relief? Sure hope you did! :-)

[sk8ersublime]

I have all of the symptoms on this page and I have been dealing with it Since March 2011. It is the worst I have ever felt in my life. I have had all the tests as well and nothing has been found except a clogged left sinus that is under developed. I am going to have surgery done next month to fix that and I hope to god this pain goes away.

Anyone else try this.....When i get the ear pain, If I hold my nose, and suck in creating a vacuum in my sinuses  then let go and snort, I ALWAYS get blood that I can feel coming down from my ETs. The doctor thinks Im crazy too....But I only get the blood when I feel the ear pain...something is not right.

[bunky83]

I found this thread and have the same symptoms as people are describing. I have been dealing with this since the end of August. Two doctors though I had a sinus infection but 3 rounds of antibiotics didn't help. One of the doctors thought my ear drums were retracted. Had an MRI (to rule out MS and tumors) and CT scan (to check for sinus infection), saw an ENT who felt I did not have a sinus infection or ear drum issues and he gave me a device called OtoVent for me to blow up with my nose to clear the Eustachian tubes (for 2 weeks) plus a steroid nasal spray. No luck in feeling any better. Had blood work to check for Lyme and a glucose test and both were fine. Saw a neurologist and had a cervical MRI. Am going to a different ENT in a week but just can't get past this. I start off the day feeling pretty well but as I am up for a couple of hours, the symptoms start all over again and worsen throughout the day. I have pain in the tubes running behind my ears, facial pain and numbness, jaw pain, arm weakness and am very fatigued. I cannot do anything by about midday except lay on the couch.I cannot help but feel I have some sort of infection but my bloodwork does not indicate it and no fever but having had multiple sinus infections over the years, I feel that this is somehow related to sinus or ear issues. Please let me know if you had any luck with doctors diagnosing you. Or anyone else reading this thread...let me know what direction you have gone to get over it! Thanks!