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Ears, Eyes and a sense of Balance.


menzies233

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Welcome to the world of aging. I'd suggest it beats the hell out of the alternative, unless quality of life is no longer there. I have a lot of conditions at age 72; however, the various specialists cheerfully inform me none of them will kill me. My apologies if I disappoint some TV identities.

Most conditions can be controlled with the correct medication. The OP needs effective diagnosis and treatment. Meantime, however, he should stay off the roads until his symptoms are resolved by medical intervention. Before he kills himself or someone else.

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Moving to Health unless it's an excess of Chang.

As a fellow tinnitus sufferer (but not of the balance issues) I feel for you sad.png

Me to it started 22 years ago for me. There are various levels from a hiss to a roar. I fortunately have only a tune outable amount of noise. It seems to change in density from time to time. I do suffer balance problems from time to time as does my friend. He claims that the ear can be like a mercury switch and have a small amount of moisture/fluid build up. When the tiny bit of water moves around in your ear it can play heck with your balance. He claims that if you lay on the floor head flat the the water will move and your balance will be restored. He swears by this and claims he has used it a number of times. There can also be a calcium build up in your inner ear that throws your balance out of whack. Welcome to the wonderful world of aging. There unfortunately is no going back.

I have had tinnitus for about 10 years. Have learned to live with the ringing and mostly doesn't interfere with my daily life. Had never experience any signs of vertigo over the years, until last July. About 2 weeks before my return to Thailand, I got out of bed rather quickly and almost fell down. Sudden head movement would make room seem to spin. Had to use hands on handrail and wall to walk down the stairs. Then had an onset of nausea and sweating. If I would look straight ahead symptoms subsided. After 45 minutes, I felt better and was able to go to my doctor. Described what happened and my symptoms. He prescribed Antivert 25 mg 3X daily. After taking medication the first day, I was a lot better. But if I rolled over in bed too quickly, got out of bed or stood up to fast the visual room swimming would return. The symptoms gradually went away over the course of 6-7 weeks. Haven't had any issues since early September.

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I don't wish to be argumentative but with time and the proper medicine, my ear problems did go away. Also, by reading up on the Internet, I identified some medicines that I was taking that could have affected my hearing and asked my doctor to change them. OP, regarding your new medications, there are pill identifiers online that deal with shape, color and the numbers on the pills. It would be good to refer to one and find out what medications you have been given. Of course, you could just ask your doctor or his nurses. Good luck with your hearing.

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Yes, as advised, you must see a doctor.

l had the dizziness that you described, about 10 years ago.

l was living on my own & l just could not stand up or l fell over & also puked all over the place.

l was diagnosed as having Middle Ear lnfection.

lt affected the spirit levels that we have, somewhere in our heads, to enable us to keep our balance.

The doctor seemed to think that l could have picked up the infection by inserting earplugs with dirty hands.

l can never get rid of it but l now have pills to control it & they work well, when l remember to take them!

Definitely see a doctor.

The medical professionals may diagnose "Labyrinthitis". This is a highly technical term which doctors use - it roughly translates as "Don't really know - you'll just have to live with it...."

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Could be Ménière's disease because of the combination of vertigo and tinnitus symptoms. My mom has it but medicines help a lot and she is mostly symptom free now. But before running to a doctor try to see if the it's not just case of BPPV. Check some videos on the Epley Maneuver. No harm no faul in trying this first.

BANG! Sorry I'm late on this subject fellas! Dr. Gulfsailor, Nailed it right on the head!

My mother had this when she was in her early Sixties! Exactly as described and when it was suggested from her Internal Medicine Doctor to see a Eye, Ear and Throat specialise which the one she saw was pretty much world famous at that time. As soon as she heard her experience he did a few more test and came up with M, Disease! which is a imbalance in one of your ears with too much blood? The first sign as noted you hear a whisper type noise as if you are at a beach then the rest comes.

The Doctor indicate if real bad it can be corrected through surgery but at her age cutting in the skull area is not a good idea. Generally,this type of disease like some is call " old man type disease " You can correct or control it through simple medication and diet, her being Asian he said it might be tough through diet since Asian in general use lots of sodium in their food like soy sauce?

In real bad cases like my mother, she would be bed ridden unable to even get up, each time she tried the room would start spinning. Whenever a attack came like this she had to go through a regiment of medication. First she would take one valium a day and start with something like 10 pills that were basically pills taken by people who get Sea Sickness( cheap and over the counter ) Within a few days she would reduce the number of Sea sickness pill to zero by then she was back to normal.

The key is never to get to this point. The biggest problem is not just sodium, but Alcohol ( yes fellas sorry for those living here that do nothing but drink ) and Caffeine ( Coffee/Tea ) My mother slowly reduced the sodium in her food, water down the soy sauce and stop drinking that powerful Chinese tea. She was cooking for my Dad, and the guy love sodium in his food, before he even taste the food, he would put sodium on it. My mother didn't want to cook twice so I suggested based on what my father did before he even tasted the food was reduce it when cooking and not let him know or see. The guy couldn't even tell the difference! Basically said Aroy!

My mom is near 100 now, and since she was 63-65, had only two episodes in 30 plus years!

Good luck fellas... just change your diet a bit slowly and I think you be o.k.!

Edited by thailand49
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I am currently suffering from slight vertigo, nausea, light headedness, fullness of the ear, etc. under treatment for Meniere's disorder. Already had scans to rule out tumors. I had the same thing 4 or 5 years ago but it disappeared after a few days. This episode seems a bit longer lasting, but the vertigo seems to have gone.

Doctor said I must cut out alcohol (difficult when I do not drink), and salt. Follow up visit on Saturday.

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Hi, just read your article and as I live in Cm for many months each year,humbly suggest you could try the Dr. In Loi Kroi Road. I have found him brilliant over the years, and if he cannot help I am sure he could suggest where you should see! Best of luck!

Thank you so much for that! If this place on Saturday doesn't bother to check my ear I will take a run into check the guy out, thanks a lot! appreciated!

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Moving to Health unless it's an excess of Chang.

As a fellow tinnitus sufferer (but not of the balance issues) I feel for you sad.png

Have theTinnitus myself for about the last 47 years....got it from shooting the guns in the army before muffs were issued....just learned to live with it.

I think a lot of mine is due to overly loud music, and loud gunshots. Used to listen to a lot of live concerts - stupidly right up front, Motorhead, G'N'R etc. and did some pretty loud shooting with some remarkable 12 bore guns. I also think that it is possibly also due to the BP medication reducing the blood flow to the brain.

The meds that I gor last week have not cured the tinnitus, but some days it just stops for no reason, however, after 5 days on the meds, the dizzy spells have gone.

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Could be Ménière's disease because of the combination of vertigo and tinnitus symptoms. My mom has it but medicines help a lot and she is mostly symptom free now. But before running to a doctor try to see if the it's not just case of BPPV. Check some videos on the Epley Maneuver. No harm no faul in trying this first.

BANG! Sorry I'm late on this subject fellas! Dr. Gulfsailor, Nailed it right on the head!

My mother had this when she was in her early Sixties! Exactly as described and when it was suggested from her Internal Medicine Doctor to see a Eye, Ear and Throat specialise which the one she saw was pretty much world famous at that time. As soon as she heard her experience he did a few more test and came up with M, Disease! which is a imbalance in one of your ears with too much blood? The first sign as noted you hear a whisper type noise as if you are at a beach then the rest comes.

The Doctor indicate if real bad it can be corrected through surgery but at her age cutting in the skull area is not a good idea. Generally,this type of disease like some is call " old man type disease " You can correct or control it through simple medication and diet, her being Asian he said it might be tough through diet since Asian in general use lots of sodium in their food like soy sauce?

In real bad cases like my mother, she would be bed ridden unable to even get up, each time she tried the room would start spinning. Whenever a attack came like this she had to go through a regiment of medication. First she would take one valium a day and start with something like 10 pills that were basically pills taken by people who get Sea Sickness( cheap and over the counter ) Within a few days she would reduce the number of Sea sickness pill to zero by then she was back to normal.

The key is never to get to this point. The biggest problem is not just sodium, but Alcohol ( yes fellas sorry for those living here that do nothing but drink ) and Caffeine ( Coffee/Tea ) My mother slowly reduced the sodium in her food, water down the soy sauce and stop drinking that powerful Chinese tea. She was cooking for my Dad, and the guy love sodium in his food, before he even taste the food, he would put sodium on it. My mother didn't want to cook twice so I suggested based on what my father did before he even tasted the food was reduce it when cooking and not let him know or see. The guy couldn't even tell the difference! Basically said Aroy!

My mom is near 100 now, and since she was 63-65, had only two episodes in 30 plus years!

Good luck fellas... just change your diet a bit slowly and I think you be o.k.!

You might have just hit the nail on the head! I must admit I do enjoy a few beers or more, I never realized that this could be alcohol related. Guess I will just have to buy some sea sickness pills and put up with the noise! It was the dizzy spells that were getting to me, but they seem under control for now, I suppose I can live with the hissing noises if they do not get any worse. Thanks again for your info, appreciated. (I also take in too much sodium, however do not drink coffee - only green tea.....you are going to tell me green tea has caffeine aren't you.....bugger it!

Edited by menzies233
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I don't wish to be argumentative but with time and the proper medicine, my ear problems did go away. Also, by reading up on the Internet, I identified some medicines that I was taking that could have affected my hearing and asked my doctor to change them. OP, regarding your new medications, there are pill identifiers online that deal with shape, color and the numbers on the pills. It would be good to refer to one and find out what medications you have been given. Of course, you could just ask your doctor or his nurses. Good luck with your hearing.

Cheers, I use a site called MIMS (I think) it has identified many weird pills from Thai Dr.'s over the years here, however the latest batch are not to be found. They look more like cat biscuits or kids sweets than pills, like a mixed bag of M&M's! nice colours interesting shapes but virtually no identification marks.

Thanks anyway.

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Could be Ménière's disease because of the combination of vertigo and tinnitus symptoms. My mom has it but medicines help a lot and she is mostly symptom free now. But before running to a doctor try to see if the it's not just case of BPPV. Check some videos on the Epley Maneuver. No harm no faul in trying this first.

BANG! Sorry I'm late on this subject fellas! Dr. Gulfsailor, Nailed it right on the head!

My mother had this when she was in her early Sixties! Exactly as described and when it was suggested from her Internal Medicine Doctor to see a Eye, Ear and Throat specialise which the one she saw was pretty much world famous at that time. As soon as she heard her experience he did a few more test and came up with M, Disease! which is a imbalance in one of your ears with too much blood? The first sign as noted you hear a whisper type noise as if you are at a beach then the rest comes.

The Doctor indicate if real bad it can be corrected through surgery but at her age cutting in the skull area is not a good idea. Generally,this type of disease like some is call " old man type disease " You can correct or control it through simple medication and diet, her being Asian he said it might be tough through diet since Asian in general use lots of sodium in their food like soy sauce?

In real bad cases like my mother, she would be bed ridden unable to even get up, each time she tried the room would start spinning. Whenever a attack came like this she had to go through a regiment of medication. First she would take one valium a day and start with something like 10 pills that were basically pills taken by people who get Sea Sickness( cheap and over the counter ) Within a few days she would reduce the number of Sea sickness pill to zero by then she was back to normal.

The key is never to get to this point. The biggest problem is not just sodium, but Alcohol ( yes fellas sorry for those living here that do nothing but drink ) and Caffeine ( Coffee/Tea ) My mother slowly reduced the sodium in her food, water down the soy sauce and stop drinking that powerful Chinese tea. She was cooking for my Dad, and the guy love sodium in his food, before he even taste the food, he would put sodium on it. My mother didn't want to cook twice so I suggested based on what my father did before he even tasted the food was reduce it when cooking and not let him know or see. The guy couldn't even tell the difference! Basically said Aroy!

My mom is near 100 now, and since she was 63-65, had only two episodes in 30 plus years!

Good luck fellas... just change your diet a bit slowly and I think you be o.k.!

You might have just hit the nail on the head! I must admit I do enjoy a few beers or more, I never realized that this could be alcohol related. Guess I will just have to buy some sea sickness pills and put up with the noise! It was the dizzy spells that were getting to me, but they seem under control for now, I suppose I can live with the hissing noises if they do not get any worse. Thanks again for your info, appreciated. (I also take in too much sodium, however do not drink coffee - only green tea.....you are going to tell me green tea has caffeine aren't you.....bugger it!

The scratching sound or hissing noise is a sign you have over did it and if you do not stop here it comes, The sea sickness pills or as they call them Dramanine? is not a replacement to go overboard, not sure if you take them in volume and continue what you do would ever help. With sodium it is all in one's head, I know it is tough if you do not cook and eat out a lot especially if you live in Thailand. Even with Thai food like Chinese they use lots of sodium, their fish sauce is loaded with it like Chinese Soy Sauce, then here they use lots of MSG, that is why Aroy Mak? Sodium is also a contributor to high blood pressure. Here, my regular place I eat I tell the cook " no salt " it takes a while like when you try to tell them " not spicy "? I too like Green Tea, I have not been able to find any Green Tea here that does not have caffeine so I break lots of it from home, they have De-Calf..

Good luck

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Went to the clinic today to renew my BP pills and told the Dr. about the symptoms of the dizzy spells and the noise in my ears.

He simply said "Not enough oxygen to the brain- Vertigo" He never even looked in my ear!

Prescribed 3 additional meds, none of which I can find any details on, a tiny white round pill about 5mm diam. with a "W" and 500 marked on it, a green triangular pill and a pink square pill, both of which have no markings at all.

(The Doctor here only prescribes the meds. his girls in the front office bag them into little plastic bags which only have your name and dosage on them, and if you are really exceptionally lucky, they might just write on the bag what it is for, one bag was lebelled Vertigo, that was for the green pill.

so we will see how it goes!

Just like the U.S.! Except for the bill..........."take three of these, call me if any further trouble". 10 minutes =300$US

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Be aware you can make telephone appointments at the Loi Kroh Clinic and the once I have done that they more or less stuck to it and I saved the normal longish wait.

Don't ask me the number get it off the signboard......or actually I'll check if it's on my phone later.

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Be aware you can make telephone appointments at the Loi Kroh Clinic and the once I have done that they more or less stuck to it and I saved the normal longish wait.

Don't ask me the number get it off the signboard......or actually I'll check if it's on my phone later.

I do have it:

Loi Kroh clinic 053 271571

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As always, get a proper diagnosis. However, if your OP were a test question and I suspected your age to be over 50-60, I would choose Ménière's disease. An NHS post from google search suggests this is a rare disease. No, it is not that rare. It is defined by the two primary things you complain about. While there may also be nausea and related symptoms its not necessary these things present at once. I would seek a doctor's help and ask him/her to consider this possibility when evaluating you. I wish you good luck.

http://www.msdmanuals.com/en-gb/home/ear,-nose,-and-throat-disorders/inner-ear-disorders/meniere-disease

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/ear,-nose,-and-throat-disorders/inner-ear-disorders/meniere-disease

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  • 7 months later...

I've found some interesting stuff on this. The first is a link to personal experiences. Quite a lot of people experience balance issues. There's a lot of mystery to it.

 

http://patient.info/forums/discuss/will-it-ever-end--103961?order=oldest&page=0#topic-replies

 

This seems to help some people at least for the moment with dizziness and balance issues.

 

 

 

 

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