Expert: Harriet B Jacobster, Au.D. - 11/10/2008

Question
over the last 6years i have been having positional vertigo, fullness in my ears, feeling of having ears plaugged and nausea. lately just the last two years I have been experiencing extreem dizziness when getting up from sitting and reading or out of the car after 1 hour or so driving. the dizziness comes with plugges ears - so I feel I can't hear anything then the sound tends to come back in waves. lately I have been getting strong headaches that last just until the hearing has totally resumed, and sometimes slightly longer (1-2- hours. my doctor suggests my sinuses are full causing the carotid to act this way but he says because of my high blood pressure there is't much that can be done. do you have any suggestions

Answer
Hi jijuwee,
My suggestion is simple: you need to consult another doctor, an ear specialist.  Although some of your symptoms could be attributable to rapid changes in blood pressure, the fact that you are experiencing hearing loss, headaches, plugged ears, and now motion sickness warrant further investigation by specialists.  There is a strong relationship between motion sickness, headaches and Meniere's disease and you have described symtoms common to all three.  An ear specialist will order specialized testing, done by an audiologist, to determine if your problems stem from the inner ear. I would also consider consulting a neurologist for the headaches.
Hope this helps.
Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified in Audiology