Daily Head Pressure and Ear Ringing

[Glenville86]

Background:  Retired from the Army in Nov and had a complete physical.  Everything was fine except for lower back degenerative disk diease and mild hearing loss.  All bloodwork was normal.  Took a job in Iraq where I am currently.  Arrived in Feb.   In Jun, I was sick with extreme fatigue, headaches, and dizziness.  Saw a doctor in Jul and was given OTC headache meds.  They did bloodwork that came back normal.  Since that time I have had daily head pressure and tinnitus.  The tinnitus comes and goes and can be really loud and annoying.  Visited another doctor in Sep who thought it might be an allergic reaction and was given zyrtec for a month.  No change with the head pressure.  Saw an ENT in Oct who feels that it just a left-over from whatever made me ill in Jun and thinks it will get better with time.  I have a slight clicking in my jaw and he thinks TMJ might be a factor but I have no jaw pain.  I sit in front of a computer at least 10 hours a day.

NOTE:  I am 44 and had never had a headache prior to this.  Have never had any TMJ problems.  Tinnitus was never a problem. Never noticed any allergies before this.  Never had sinus problems.  Am in decent health and walk daily for 45 minutes. Thought it might be some sort of reaction to something here in Iraq but do not have typical allergy or sinus symptoms.  

Questions:  1) What can be the cause of the daily head pressure?  No pain, just a heavy and tight feeling from my eyebrows, temples to the back of my head.  Wake up with it.  Only goes away when outside exercising.  2) What can cause the tinnitus?

[young at heart]

Viral infections can cause head pressure , tinnitus , dizziness,fatigue and headaches.
Neurological disorders can present themselves in this manner also.Sinse the tinnitus has continued,maybe contacting your ENT again or a neurologist.
I suffer from tinnitus daily its a bother.Mine is auto-immune related

[mike1105]

i agree lyme disease in this case does not seem like an accurate dx. the original post only mentions tinnitus and headaches. the list of lyme symptoms huge. everything and anything could be lyme according to this list. i'd explore neurological/muscular causes first.
to the original poster: the fact that you are in front of a computer 10 hours a day to me is important. muscular spasm/imbalance can cause headaches and headache related symptoms, especially when the  the neck musculature is involved. the delicate/small muscles of the neck are extrememly overtaxed when sitting in fron of a computer. the fact that your symptoms improve with exercise supports this idea--- when the muscles "loosen up" with activity and are no loger in spasm, your symptoms get better.
i'd pick up a book on posture/neck pain. you can also do a search for jole bookspan and read her website.

[mike1105]

sorry, that's jolie bookspan. she is a renowned expert on muscle pain/imbalance/posture etc..

[Chris_VA]

Reading your post I know EXACTLY what you are talking about.  I used to wake up with the WORST headaches, like my head was going to explode.  The presure behind my eyes and the back of my head was incredible and eventually over the years became unbearable.  I could barely lift my head off the pillow.  I also developed the constant ringing in the ears, which also got worse over the years.  Getting up and getting in the shower and moving around would eventually help but again over the years got harder to elivate the pressure in my head.  I was diagnosed with migranes, went through MRI's, the whole nine yards.

One day, at my normal eye exam, the optomitrist told me that she believed I had PSEUDOTURMOR CEREBRI and URGED me to get to the opthomologist.  After several hours and tests at the opthomoligst, they also agreed w/ her diagnosis and scheduled me for a spinal tap and MRI.

Pseudotumor Cerebri is not a very well known disease.  It is caused from the spinal fluid not draining properly and it builds up pressure in your brain, basically its just backing up in your head.  That's why after sleeping your waking up with the really bad headaches.  I actually see a Neuro Opthomologist.  (Never even knew that kind of doctor existed).  He put me on Diamox to relieve the pressure, it helped, but it is a HORRIBLE medicine.  

Please urge your doctor's to look into the disease.  Like I said, not many doctor's know about it.  I was misdiagnosed for 3 years by a neurologist.  It wasn't until I went to someone that just happened to know about it that it was recognized.  

Mine, thankfully was caused by obesity and was able to have a gastric bypass and now all symptoms are gone.  

But, if it is pseudo, I truly urge you to get to the doctor and have them test you.  The spinal tap is really not that bad, not like everyone made it out to be anyway.  Your better off knowing though.

Please let me know what your doctor's say.  I'm really hoping I helped you.  

[Citizen T]

Carol, I am interested to know that if after 3 years of anti-biotics (as you said in the patient to patient neuro section in my thread), has your Lyme disease improved?   3 years is a very long time to be on antibiotics.  What type and strength do you take?

[KIENOW]

cris va...I was diagnosed with a psedotumor last week and I am thinking of having a shunt put in...what was you're opening spinal pressure mine was 40cc and my second was 28cc. also what were you're symptoms...i have dull headaches/ear plugged/concentration problems/dizziness/ and fatigued..any info would be great.
Scott