About Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Expertise I am a board-certified otolaryngologist with additional subspecialty training in otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery. This is the subspecialty of otolaryngology that involves the ear, hearing, balance organs, the facial nerve, and surgery of the skull base including surgery for acoustic neuroma and other benign and malignant tumors of the base of the skull.
Experience Medical school, residency in otolaryngology, fellowship in otology/neurotology/skull base surgery
Organizations American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
North American Skull Base Society
American Neurotology Society
Publications Laryngoscope Otology and Neurotology
Education/Credentials MD Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 2001
Otolaryngology Residency, University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology, Iowa City, IA
Otology/Neurotology Fellowship, House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
Expert: Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Date: 2/18/2008 Subject: Continual Vertigo
Question 31 year old male, very healthy, no underlying health issues, no medication. About 3 weeks ago I woke to discover my hearing was cavernous, and sensitive. I continued to have what I thought was a headache for a week, felt slightly off kilter, then I proceeded to go for drinks with my friends that Saturday evening, and Sunday woke up with a horrendous headache which I thought was a hangover, this was followed by 4 days of intense Vertigo, throwing up, couldn't walk, or see well. Symptoms have gone into a consistent state, everyday since then end of intense vertigo I've had continual dizzyness, focus issues, sensitive hearing, early morning double vision, from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep. Within the last week, I've developed a high pitch squeel ring in my right ear. The only thing I can think of as the underlying root is I started wearing earplugs at night due to my girlfriend snoring, I would reuse the plugs, and sometimes the cats would chew on them, and I will still use them..not knowing which ones they chewed on. Could I have a bacterial inner ear infection from the cats? I've been tested for BPPV with no eye movment. Any advice, what steps should I take at this point.
Answer Hi Tyoson,
You have been having some serious symptoms which warrant an aggressive evaluation. You should have:
1) a full ENT history and physical examination with neurological exam
2) a full audiogram with acoustic reflex testing
3) likely MRI with gadolinium contrast to evaluate your inner ear, brain and brainstem
4) possible balance testing to determine the etiology if the MRI is unremarkable
Hope this helps. Good luck!
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical
advice - the information presented is for patients education only.
Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your
individual case.
