Left side head pressure, tender spot, neck issues
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Hello, I am new here but I am a little concerned. I am a healthy 35yr old male however I have been dealing with left side head pressure for the last 5 weeks. I don't get a real bad headache but its mostly just pressure and its pretty much with me 24/7. I have noticed when I lay down or go to the gym with my headphones on it is not as bad but always there, I seem to feel it more when standing but again its always there even when sitting at my desk at work. I will list a few of my symptoms below in a moment but I did want to mention the last 2 years have been rough after going through a tough separation with my fiancée and only seeing my son a couple days a week instead of daily so my stress and anxiety was really bad for a while however I am dealing with that better now so I have a hard time believing this is stress related. I am a very anxious person and do not do well at the doctors, my blood pressure and heart rate go through the roof even just at a check up.
The last few months I have not felt like myself, I have had a bad stomach my whole life but it got worse around November 2015 and I was having chest pains and tightness, long story short I saw my doctor multiple times and was diagnosed with GERD and I also had an EKG and Stress Test Echo on my heart which all came out fine thank god. Now a couple months later I was finally feeling a little better, chest issues and stomach still kind of there but no where near as bad and then randomly get hit with this head pressure one Sunday night after just laying on my couch. I went to the doctor after 2 weeks of the head pressure and he tried 2 weeks of muscle relaxers thinking it was my neck, my neck is super tight especially left side where the head pressure is and he told me to stop going to the chiropractor. I was going to the chiropractor for just a couple months before all this happened because my neck and left shoulder always hurt (I work out in the gym and think part of it is from that, I used to lift very heavy but I don't as much anymore). The funny thing is a week before this head pressure started my chiropractor did his usual neck crack on both sides and I remember it almost hurting, feeling different then normal and sent pain through my head. I honestly wonder if he did something to me and if this is from my neck however almost 6 weeks and still feel the same? Advil doesn't do much, muscle relaxers didn't work. I am doing neck stretches and just bought a hand held massager this past week for my neck and head. My doctor did not think brain tumor at my visit based of my symptoms and said my reflexes were good. Sorry for the long post but hoping for some help, my doctor is now referring me to a neurologist but I am trying to hard to push it off a little more hoping it gets better, I have enough medical bills and I am trying to tell myself this has to be from my neck or something that will heal eventually. I know brain tumors are pretty rare but of course I am having anxiety over that.
Symptoms:
-left side head pressure 24/7.
-some pressure in left eye and ear but not terrible.
-neck issues, especially left side, recently got a massage and the massage therapist said my upper back and neck were extremely tight. Chiropractor although I haven't been in a few weeks doctors orders said my C-1 or 2 joint cant remember which one was out of place. I have been doing neck stretches and using a tennis ball.
-some lightheadedness and fatigue, nothing crazy and could be stress since I think about this and worry all day.
-just noticed this week I have a tender spot on the bone top left back side of head.
-no weight loss, no fever, appetite ok for the most part, stomach ache some days but no vomiting.
I do get a little bit of facial tingles in the left side of my cheek and especially my chin, it is not constant and comes and goes. This did start a couple months before this and I went to the dentist because I still have 3 of my wisdom teeth. He did say they could come out and my bottom right one was coming in a little crooked and could be causing some pressure. He did I could hold off for a bit and it wasnt an emergency and that could be causing some of my chin numbness and tingles. Also I am constantly popping my ears because they feel a little blocked and my nose feels a little congested but this has been going on for a while and is not something new, maybe allergies
Hopefully some suggestions and feedback will help, I will see neurologist if this doesn't improve but again I am trying to wait just a little longer on that.
7 likes, 265 replies
kathleen53214 kg81
Posted
I'm having the same problem it's a lot to do with your posture holding your head down in the same position causes your muscles to tighten up and then it pinches a nerve which the ache in the back of your skull then radiate to the top of your skull mines the right side try not to hold your head down in the same position for to long and get up and walk around also use heat packs to relieve muscles and stop getting cracked go to a physio they work wonders and stop stressing out it's not good as this will cause this mines sore at the moment holding my head down in the same position just try to relax and have a nice massage to loosen those tight muscles that go into spasms I know the feeling it's like you have a tight band around your head just learn to relax I need to do this myself but it's a nerve pinching also go to the pool not swim just walk up and down also have a relaxing spa it works wonders hope this helps you and stop stressing it's doing you no good and give the gym up for a few weeks and get yourself better hot packs and even cold packs and antinflamtorys to get the blood flowing back into your muscles take care kathy
jessica96909 kathleen53214
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Yep, I've been told all of what you said and this does contribute to my head and neck pain I'm sure. I do stretching yoga and it seems to help. I would have never kept pursuing into something more, except when the odd temple aches and burns started and my ear feeling full. This is what led me to the doctor really. Glad I kept pursuing and they found my TMD in my left side of face. The TMD is also making my head muscles tense up and cause all kinds of odd aches. Funny I went to 12 weeks of physical therapy where I basically got massages and I actually got worse. Maybe it was just in my case, but the first two visits to a chiropractor and I was already feeling better. And this was before my TMD diagnosis. I've heard it both ways... guess just depends on your case specifically. But I absolutely agree that deep breathing and trying to relax can only help.
terrie27149 jessica96909
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Home from work today. Vertigo with the throwing up..now I wonder if it's to do with any of this other mess. Been feeling lightheaded on and off for about a week, nothing major, just a Lil noticing. But then awok this morning and tries to get up and the whole room was spinning and tilting. Awful.awful feeling. Have had this b4, but only once like this..
jessica96909 terrie27149
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TMD can cause bad vertigo and dizziness. I have had this for years but just shrugged it off. I'm just pasting a clip from a link since it takes so long for links to be approved...
"The inner ear contains a small structure known as the labyrinth that is a crucial part of the body’s balance, or vestibular, system. The vestibular system also includes the eyes, nerves, bones, and joints. The labyrinth contains fluid that moves around as you move, helping to send signals to the brain about balance and the body’s position. When any part of the vestibular system is disrupted, including the labyrinth, the brain receives mixed signals that can cause a feeling of dizziness or vertigo.
It so happens that the labyrinth is located in your temporal bone in your head – and your TMJ attaches to the skull at the temporal bone as well. So, when misalignment or inflammation from TMD occurs, the fluid in the labyrinth can be disrupted, and its important signals become unclear
."That is an article from a doctor that specializes in TMD. I've heard several folks on here mention eye pain and ear fullness. That is a strong sign of TMD.
I've got my appointment today for my 3rd round of treatment for TMD. I really think I'm better. This past weekend I had to lift a lot of heavy objects moving stuff around and normally this would have got me down for a week or so, but I'm at work today and not feeling too bad.
Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad today. I hope that you will get answers soon.
kim27383 jessica96909
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jessica96909 kim27383
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Hi Kim... Neither actually. It's a dentist that specializes in cranial facial pain. There was one doctor like this in the state I live in! I really had no idea what to expect but I just knew a lot of my symptoms fell under TMD. Even the neck issues I've been having. I got lucky and happened upon a great doc... After my consultation where they did a CT scan of my entire face, he sat down and explained it all to me in how where the temporal bone and the jaw bone connect was way too close and more than likely causing all of my head, neck, dizzy symptoms. Not many doctors know about TMD in this depth. And in my instance my bones were too close causing nerve issues that was affecting my eye and left ear and causing odd pains in my head and very bad neck tension. TMD just means an issue where the temporal bone (goes up into head) and the jaw bone connect. I've ready stories where a ladies was cracked from an accident years ago and it suddenly started causing issues. Whiplash could cause it, grinding teeth, arthritis... Very eye opening on how many issues TMD could actually cause.
kim27383 jessica96909
Posted
Wow that's fascinating. I read up on a lot of this stuff because my anxiety makes me. It also interests me. I'm having a very panicky day at work today and feel sick to my stomach. I'm hoping it goes away.
terrie27149 jessica96909
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Jessica, are u still improving daily.? Iv got a dental appt in a few weeks, going to share all this. Did you say you had tinnitis and dizzy or was this from the ear fullness and eye aches? I forget. I have so many issues going on and talk 2 different ppl on different forums I forget which forum is which. Had a horrible virtigo attack yesterday and lasted till this morning. Couldn't walk, couldn't focus my eyes. Felt lie I was sideways like the room was tilted when I tried to stand. Getting tired. So tired of all the issues..
kim27383 kg81
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I also have thes symptoms. The dizziness started months ago. I had an MRa to rule out aneuryms but they didn't do an MRI. I have pressure in the right side of my head although not all the time. I have pain behind my right eye and in the bone over my eye sometimes. I lso have neck and clavicle issues on the same side. I saw a neurologist who thinks I just have headaches. I also have a flashing light in my left eye sometimes that he says isn't serious. I also have acid reflux and chest pain they say is costochrontitis I also have high anxiety and have a hard time accepting these answers. I worry all the time.
kathleen53214 kim27383
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Kim try not holding your head down for to long it can cause a wire neck and will cause all these symptoms and don't settle for not having a MRI I had two and it showed that I had problems in my neck region causing a impingment on my spinal cord a nerve pinches and causes a spasm causing a knot in the top of shoulder then when this muscle knot forms it causes havoc headaches to the bass of the skull and tightening on the side of your head as you can't even touch your head it's tender to touch first go and have a massage to get that knot out stop holding your head down in the same position for to long heat packs and antinflamtorys will get the swelling down I use nurofen advance to relieve the tension I'm ok today it's a lot to do with your posture Kim but if your not any better I'd see another doctor and demand a MRI to see if it's a pinched nerve in your neck and there painful also Google your symptoms there's a video on this on utube that will show you gentle exercises for your neck just follow what I'm doing and hopefully you will feel better also remember a lot of this can be caused from been on your computer or phone for to long our head is the heaviest part of our body and holding it down to long in one position will cause this so take care I hope this has helped you it did for me
terrie27149 kim27383
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Kim, I'm right there with u. I have neck acjes, I have tinnitis, I have eye pain or shall I say aches in my left eye, I have arthritis on c5 I think vertenrae, I sometimes have tingling pain in jaw area..my ear on left side feels full, which ent said does have pressure in it. I have an indention/ridge on top of my skull as well..I'm like....seriously?? My anxiety is worse than ever. So I'm breathing and just trusting that whatever happens the good Lord will c me thru..
kim27383 terrie27149
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I have horrible posture and I was seeing a chiropractor and he said my nerves are all bunched up back there and everything is out of alignment. I try not to stress over it but it's almost impossible for me right now. Thank you I pray all the time and it helps some.
terrie27149 kim27383
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kim27383 kathleen53214
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I would like to have an MRI I don't know how I would demand one though. My doctor is looking at me like I'm a hypochondriac at this point. I go to work and all I can worry about is my health. I don't feel like me with all of this anxiety. I will try to do those things I know the chiropractor was helping for awhile but I stopped going because of the chest pain. I really need to get it together.
kim27383 terrie27149
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Do you get those from the doctor's office?
terrie27149 kim27383
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