Anyone else have same sensations?

[Tim1982]

Hi all,

Last 3 to 4 weeks has been a rollercoaster for me. I'm hoping I'm not alone on this.

It all started after my ears blocked up from wearing airpods, or at least I assume that is the cause.

My ears got better, but I became impatient and stuck a cotton tip in my ear and felt like I pushed wax back in and got a sudden ringing in my ear. Sometimes I think I hear it in my other ear also. One side of my face felt numb and also that side of my head.

I went to the emergency and they said they couldn't see my ear drum but I had a lot of wax in it. They checked the nerves in my mouth, eyes and ears and all was fine. They told me the sensation feelings where normal.

I saw a doctor a few days later and they told me it was normal also and prescribed me antibacterial drops incase of infection for 7 seven days.

I moved to Adelaide in the meantime, and decided to see another doctor who syringed my ear and said I had a pimple and scratch in my ear and give it time for the ringing to go. He also said the numbness feeling in my head was normal.

Since the ringing, I feel like I'm coming down with all these symptoms and I'm constantly thinking or stressing over it. Sometimes, I feel like my head feels normal but then it goes back to how it was slightly numb or I get a what feels like tension.

I googled my symptoms and the worse results came back which put me in panic mode. Saw another doctor and they said I had fluid behind my ear drum and it could take up to 6/8 weeks to go away.

I Explained everything else and she said it's cause of anxiety/stress, which I have a history of but Ive never felt some of these symptoms before.

- tight jaw - tight nose - eyes feel funny - sometimes I get aches in legs and one arm - head gets tight - but mostly I have this slight numbness feeling on one side of my head. Most of these come and go but has anyone ever had a tension or numbness feeling in one side of the head? Sometimes it feels like it's always there and then for moments it feels like it is gone.

The doctor has told me it's nothing serious and if she believed it was, she would do the tests but believes it's normal and all signs of stress and anxiety.

She has put me on anti depressants and set up a mental health plan.

Just want to know if anything else gets funny head sensations. My thoughts keep going back to my head all the time.

[Petal22]

Hi Tim1982,

Im sorry you are feeling this way, I understand.

Anxiety has a way of making us worry…

Im sorry you googled symptoms because it only makes things worse.

Im glad that your doc has put you on antidepressants and your doing a mental health plan.

Antidepressants can take up to 6 weeks to work fully so hang in there.

[Tim1982]

Thank you for your message. I have to trust the doctor... But then I keep thinking about it.

I Just get alarmed because I don't know if it's normal to only feel tension or numbness on one side of the head... And it feels like it never goes away. The only time I've noticed it ease or feel like it's not there anymore is when I start focusing on another part of my body.

[Petal22]

I understand…..

From experience I use to obsess over certain things on my body …. I’d get it checked but still obsess over it.

Id google symptoms which was the worst thing I ever did because it made things worse.

This pattern continued for me…. I was diagnosed with OCD….. I’m not saying you have this it’s something I was diagnosed with.

When you have these thoughts try to turn your attention onto something in the present moment…… practice mindfulness and deep slow breathing……….meditation is also great..

Please stop googling I learned it was a compulsion of mine.

[Tim1982]

Hey Petal.

In 2017 I was diagnosed with PTSD, Generalised Anxiety disorder, depression and OCD.

I know what all these symptoms can do to the body and for a while I was doing incredibly well.

But since my ears back and only one completely felt normal again, the other ear turns out to have fluid behind the eardrum, which they say can take up to 8 weeks to correct itself.

Without doing any test, they are convinced this is the reason and also my anxiety and stress.

I don't get any headaches, just feels like tension on one side of my head and numbness... But I'm sure there have been a few times when it all felt normal except for my ear which feels blocked but I can still hear.

They said this can be the course of the ringing in my ear and odd sensations around my face and head. They said it's all normal and what I tell them they don't suspect anything sinister going on. They say all the things I'm worried about are missing key symptoms.

Everytime I'm told something by a professional, I trust it but then that trust turns into worry still - like, did I forget to them about this symptom I had.

So the last 3 days, Ive seen my doctor everyday and i always get the same response and there is no need to do anything because they're confident. The fear always comes back to me, well what if they're wrong and then it's two late.

I just hope they're right.

[Petal22]

Hi Tim1982,

Thank you for being open with me, I understand.

When I was in the grips of OCD I'd constantly obsess over many things that I thought were wrong with my body, i'd always seek re assure, id question my thoughts alot of what if s and Id annalyse my thoughts.

When a doctor would tell me everything was ok id still obssess....... maybe they have it wrong? maybe I have something else wrong with me.. what if?

Id dr google constantly... I learned this was a compulsion because I was searching for reassurance to try to bring my anxiety down but it would always comes back because I was stuck in a vicious OCD cycle.

I understand how relentless this cycle can be, it can really affect a persons life.

I understand what you are saying when a professional tells you that everything is ok ... you are ok with this in the moment because they have reassured you, but then the questioning begins again and the OCD cycle begins to repeat again and in the process it turns your anxiety up.

I have recovered from my OCD due to the therapy that I did, it was an intervention into the OCD. Have you ever done any therapy for your OCD? I learned what my OCD cycle was and then how to disengage from it . Ive been free of this cycle for over 4 years now. When I experienced it, it was at severe levels and impacted many parts of my life.

You may be interested in reading two threads that I have written.

From someone suffered with OCD and recovered

Effective treatment for OCD Metacognitive therapy

Please ask me any questions

I understand

[MainlyG]

In regards to ringing of ears, many people have told me they have this the last couple of months.

I feel it's anxiety or side affect of jab.

I had ringing in my ears a month ago for 2 or 3 weeks.

[Tim1982]

Thanks for that petal. That has given me some relief.

The hospital and doctors said a blocked hear, even though you can still hear can cause ringing in the ear or ears and it's normal to feel numb on that side of the face and head.

I do have fluid behind my ear drum. The doctor said it can takes weeks to drain.

She said I can have a scan of I want but they won't find anything.

The tension on that side of the head does go away but feels like it's there most of the time

This only happened after I stick a cotton tip in my ear and made it worse.

They said I'm not displaying any of the main key factors for something serious and are not concerned.

Did you experience numbness when you got ringing in your ear or ears?

[mmMekitty]

Please, don't stick cotton tips in your ears. That really can do more harm than the good you think it might do. After talking to a specialist Audiologist, I was also told, ears are supposed to have wax in them. It is a good idea to try to avoid water getting in. After removing my hearing aid, I will use a tissue to dry away moisture from the parts of the ear you can see, but not into the ear at all. That could help after wearing air Pods too.

Give it time. Try to leave it alone, too. Fussing with ears, eyes nose, cuts, scrapes, anything, doesn't help them heal.

What do you do when the thinking & focusing on the sensations gets really bad? Do you have things to do to distract yourself from the thoughts?

mmMekitty

[Tim1982]

Thank you.

Have you ever experienced blocked ears, fluid and it caused odd head sensation on the same side? It's like a pressure. All the doctors says it normal and I need to stop thinking it's brain cancer but everything on Google says it is.

I swear my head has felt normal a few times but it seems to come back quickly. Usually worse or I notice it when I'm focusing on that spot or thinking about it.