AboutDina Q Goldin, Ph.D. Expertise Information and advice for Acoustic Neuroma patients who would like honest patient-to-patient interaction about their symptoms or about treatments and related medical procedures. If you are unsure if your experience is "normal", or are wondering whether your information is complete, feel free to ask.
Experience I am an Acoustic Neuroma patient and the founding editor
of the Acoustic Neuroma Patient Archive (http://www.ANarchive.org).
Expert: Dina Q Goldin, Ph.D. Date: 5/18/2008 Subject: impact of symptoms on quality of work
Question Hello, hope you can suggest something; all of the below sounds so stupid. I'm based in the UK. About 3 years ago I had a severe pain in my left ear with heavy discharge, severe loss of security in balance, and heat down left side of face. This followed months of tickling and dryness in ear. On the last occasion my doctor prescribed anti-biotics but previously had told me the 'viral condition' would go away. It took a week to have confidence in my balance again. Tinnitus started occasionally prior to this episode and is almost constant in left ear now, but I also now have numbness on right side of face, wriggling sensation on right scalp, no loss of pain reaction, significant problems with blurred and double vision again in right eye only, and have to put extra effort in to keep my right eyelid up. I get pin-prick pain behind right eye from time to time. Summer 07 had excruciating pain behind both eyes, witnessed by work colleague who said whites of my eyes went completely red and eyes glazed over. Has happened 3 times all last summer. In addition, although I can understand spoken word, I have enormous difficulty articulating either by spoken word or in writing, and also retaining what I've been told, or using the info effectively. Hearing and sight tests are normal for my age. Blurring and double vision are not indicators of decreasing eye-sight. Now affecting my work significantly. Some minor balance under-confidence now, but not substantial.
Answer It sounds as if there are either residual problems from the earlier 'viral condition' or a new problem that's affecting your nervous system (hearing, eyes, facial sensation nerves, short-term memory). This might have very serious consequences is not treated properly, so you owe it to yourself to get a correct diagnosis. Please make sure to see a good neurologist SOON so you do not risk permanent disability.
