Ringing in ears, off balance, dizzy...you too?
Posted , 4 users are following.
For the last couple of weeks I have been extremely light headed, off balanced, and having some tension headaches. I have pretty bad health anxiety but I try not to let it take over my life. I got a CT scan 2&1/2 years ago, and blood work which all came out normal. I had the same symptoms during the time of my tests but they all subsided after they came out normal.
I'm now working with another doctor who is having me get another CT scan, more blood work, and to see an ENT doctor for the ringing in my ears since the symptoms have returned.
Has anyone else experienced ringing in your ears and light headedness dealing with anxiety? I mostly get worked up over nothing and then my symptoms come. They have never lasted this long though so I was wondering if this is a normal thing for other people as well. I don't feel anxious majority of the time, but when I do it's pretty overwhelming.
1 like, 7 replies
jan34534 GettingBetter33
Edited
it’s interesting that your symptoms subsided when all your testing was normal. That can point to anxiety. Anxiety can cause ringing in the ears. And I know that because many years ago I came down with a lot of weird sensations including ringing in the ears. all of my testing was normal and in the end it ended up being all caused by severe anxiety and stress. I still get ringing in the ears when I am very anxious. It comes and goes but it doesn’t bother me like it used to because when you don’t pay attention to it it tends to not be noticed as much. I also do get very lightheaded when anxious.
IF your testing was all normal the first time you had a CT scan , why is this doctor having you do another CT scan? With my ringing in the ears, I had an ABR Test which tests the nerve in the ear. It’s non-invasive, no radiation and very safe. you can also have an MRI test which is also very safe with no radiation. I don’t know why your doctor ordered a CT scan to check ringing in the ear. Be careful how many CT scans you get because they emit radiation. having one should be fine but talk to your doctor.that’s why I decided on MRI and ABR tests
you said that you get worked up over nothing and then your symptoms come. That’s exactly what happens to me and many other people who have anxiety. For me it pointed directly to anxiety. Of course the testing is completely up to you and your doctor . I wish you the best take care
GettingBetter33 jan34534
Posted
At first I was totally against the CT scan again because of that exact reason. My doctor said it will show any inner ear issues and she wants to rule all of that out. I talked to my stepmom who is a labor and delivery nurse about it as well and she said it's best I do it just to calm me down and that I'm exposed to a lot more radiation through everyday life than what a CT exposes me to.
I have a new doctor and I discussed with her that I received a CT scan just 2 years ago. It didn't raise an alarm for her and she is a wholistic doctor (I hate taking any medications so I don't want a typical MD). She noted that the CT scan I had before was for my head and not my inner ears and that's what we need to focus on.
I don't want to, but if it helps with my anxiety I'm okay with it.
Sitting in silence definitely makes the ringing in my ears even worse, so I try to always have a subtle white noise. I TOTALLY get worked up over nothing. Someone stole the phone I ordered a couple weeks back and I was so p****d about it (even though I resolved the problem) that it threw me all the way off and it took me days to finally be okay when I thought about it. That's when the symptoms started. I know I have to figure out a way to control my stress since symptoms can come with it. I wish I was just a normal person that was chill about life :[
Guest GettingBetter33
Posted
Hi, sorry you are going through this too. I went through a bad spot several years ago of health anxiety. I had shortness of breath, racing heart beat, skipped beats, panic attacks, headaches, dizziness, balance issues, tinnitus, dry mouth, random aches and pains. It started when I was given a wrong diagnosis and underwent tests which made my anxiety worse. All my tests came back normal yet still I have never really fully shaken the anxiety off. I was taking citalopram 10mg for it but as I began to feel better I started reducing it, I'm now on 5mg. Since having the covid jabs I have all those old symptoms again and this has been going on for 10 months. Many of my symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, balance issues, in my belief, are an adverse effect to the jabs and this has given me anxiety again. I can understand how you feel, it's exhausting. Ringing in the ears and light headedness are anxiety symptoms. Ironically, ringing in the ears is also a side effect of certain medications such as citalopram and aspirin just to name a couple. I hope your tests come back normal and hopefully you can put your mind at ease.
GettingBetter33 Guest
Posted
Thank you for responding! The ringing in the ear is so annoying. My doctor keeps suggesting what different things it could be not realizing that my health anxiety will make me believe I have everything she suggests lol. I've been stretching my back and my neck at night because it holds so much tension and I'm sure contributes to all of the issues. Has your doctor suggested anything helpful? Have you tried therapy?
Thank you for confirming the tinnitus. It's so random that it's hard for me to think that its something super serious when it only really happens if I get worked up. It's so hard to control my anger which is where my anxiety stems from, I'm sure.
CT scan is tomorrow and labs on Saturday so i'll keep you posted. Maybe I'll get something helpful that I'll be able to share with you. We'll see =/
Guest GettingBetter33
Posted
Hi, I went to ENT re my tinnitus but nothing was found and no real explanation was given. I was advised to listen to delta wave sounds at night to help me sleep. I do find stress music helpful on youtube. If I get stressed it's worse, also if I take the medications I mentioned. For the dizziness I was first prescribed pochlorperazine and the betahistamine but they didn't help. I'm not taking anything at the moment. Good look with your scan and further tests. Please stay in touch.😊
lisa215 GettingBetter33
Posted
Hello
I'm currently battling with health anxiety and having a lot of ringing in my ears, feeling off balance etc. The noise in my ears is worse when I'm in a quiet environment and my off balance feeling is much worse when I am outside of the house. I'm finding it hard to walk anywhere without getting incredibly anxious and feeling like I'm going to collapse. I've had an ECG and some blood tests which have all been normal but I'm convinced that I have something seriously wrong. I'm currently having CBT with the hope that it can give me my life back. I wish you well xx
GettingBetter33 lisa215
Edited
Have you gone to an ENT? Sometimes it can be inner ear issues you may not detect. It may not even cause pain, just crystals in your inner ear out of place. The ringing in my ears will come and go, and my balance issues do as well. They were pretty constant for about 3 weeks but I started to feel some relief during the week while at work and focused on other things. Any time I drink alcohol, it takes 2, sometimes 3 days for the dizziness to go away. I've stepped away from drinking until I can get a hold of my symptoms and what could be causing them. So far it seems like when I'm stressed, when I'm drinking, and when I hyperfocus on the issues that I notice them.
I've been going for walks outdoors which always helps ground me. I also go for "anxiety drives" where I turn on some tunes and just drive around for a little bit. Things that I know will help to calm me down and help my negative thought process. I get it though. I understand how scary it can be to think something is wrong and not have any definite answers. If you try the vertigo maneuver every night for a while, you might feel a little more balanced. You can youtube it or they have tiktok videos on it as well.
Feel better! Keep me posted.