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Should I go to the doctor?


Should I go to the doctor?  

  1. 1. Should I go to the doctor?

    • Yes (urgent care today).
      13
    • Yes (urgent care tomorrow if not better).
      10
    • Yes (Monday, regular doctor if not better).
      16
    • No (wait it out, doctor can't do anything).
      6
    • Other (explain).
      3


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Approximately five and a half hours ago I was hit by sudden and severe dizziness. If I stay absolutely still (like here on the couch), then the dizzy sensation is mild. As soon as I move my head I feel like I've been riding the teacups as Disneyland on high speed. That brings on moderate nausea. I have mild ear pain and moderate ear pressure. I've had a runny nose this past week. I am effectively incapacitated in this condition. I've been lying down since the dizziness struck.

 

I'm guessing that the dizziness is caused by fluid in my ears. I feel pretty awful, but I don't want to go to urgent care unless that is likely to result in something to give me relief.

 

Should I go to urgent care tonight? Tomorrow if things aren't better? Monday (regular doc instead of urgent care) if things aren't better? Wait it out? WWYD?

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I agree with Denise. Try taking an OTC decongestant and/or antihistamine. If you don't feel better by tomorrow or Monday, I think you should see your doctor. I have been sick with a cold for over 2 weeks and have gotten much worse over the last four days. I haven't been able to go to the doctor since my husband had surgery. I have had a ton of pressure in my ears and head and dizziness, along with sore throat and cough. I finally went to the urgent care today, and I have a sinus infection and inflamed, though not infected, ear. I feel like crap. Don't wait like I did. :glare:

 

Stay hydrated, rest, and try some Sudafed. Go to the doctor if you don't feel better by tomorrow or Monday.

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I put other. I would take a decongestant and/or an antihistamine. If that didn't work, I'd see the dr. I do know that middle ear fluid can cause dizziness so please don't worry, even though this is VERY uncomfortable!:grouphug:

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_5993690_unstop-inner-ear.html

 

:iagree: But I would take both. I had that happen once, and it turned out to be a nasty cold virus.

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I took a Benadryl that has a decongestant and antihistamine. Hopefully that does something. It feels like there is fluid in my Eustachian tubes. I have never been this dizzy in my life.

 

Plain Benadryl doesn't have a decongestant. Did you take a med that has a combo? I really hope you feel better soon. Being dizzy sucks!!! :grouphug:

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Plain Benadryl doesn't have a decongestant. Did you take a med that has a combo? I really hope you feel better soon. Being dizzy sucks!!! :grouphug:

 

It was a sinus something-or-other. It also had acetaminophen. I've got a mild headache from the dizziness, so I suppose that should help as well. I hope.

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I've had occasional dizziness over the years, and for me it's almost always the result of an ear infection or a sinus infection. It's hard to beat an infection on your own, and if you're going to need an antibiotic eventually anyway, it's better sooner rather than later, imo. I would ask about other possibilities also, since I don't take antibiotics lightly. :grouphug:

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I had the exact same thing happen to me a couple of decades ago.

 

I believe you may be suffering from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Basically, what happens is that a calcium deposit ("ear rock") forms in your semicircular canals and then breaks free. When you move your head, this "ear rock" begins moving, brushing up against the cilia inside your semicircular canals causing a sensation of being dizzy.

 

BPPV is not generally treated with medicines, but rather by employing a maneuver which positions the "ear rocks" in an area of the semicircular canals which is not as sensitive. This basically eliminates the symptoms until the calcium deposit gets moved back to a sensitive location.

 

That said, you may need something to help you deal with the nausea until the problem goes away.

 

I recommend that you see an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist to confirm this is what you are dealing with.

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It could be vertigo, or it could be an ear infection.

 

If you have severe dizziness and nausea, then it sounds like vertigo. I had a terrible bout of vertigo this past summer. Gah. :tongue_smilie:I wouldn't wish that on anyone or anything. I was literally ON THE FLOOR, clawing the carpet, the whole room was spinning out of control....

 

It's caused by "rocks" in your ears. Seriously, the way my doctor explained it, your ear naturally sheds crystals waaaaaaayyyy back inside the ear, and these crystals normally wind their way through long tubes. Sometimes they get knocked into the wrong spot, and you feel dizzy as a result.

 

You could try doing these exercises to get the rocks out -- I did them for about two weeks, with my husband's "coaching," and they seemed to help.

 

http://www.dizziness-and-balance.com/disorders/bppv/bppv.html#home

 

(Scroll down to "Home Treatment").

 

If you have pain, pressure, fever, or ringing in your ear, you probably have an infection. Decongestant + Antihistamine + Vitamin C + pain reliever? I don't know, that's just how I would treat it until I could get to a doctor. HTH.

Edited by Sahamamama
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Diagnosis is BPPV. I'm supposed to do Eply's maneuver to help fix it. I also got an anti-dizzy/anti-nausea drug. If it doesn't stop after a couple of days I have to pursue other options with my regular doc.

 

Glad you know now, and I hope things get better quickly, especially the dizziness.

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Diagnosis is BPPV. I'm supposed to do Eply's maneuver to help fix it. I also got an anti-dizzy/anti-nausea drug. If it doesn't stop after a couple of days I have to pursue other options with my regular doc.

 

That's so interesting--I was struck with similar dizzyness yesterday, with a little nausea, too--I appreciate hearing of your experience. Hope you feel better.

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Diagnosis is BPPV.
Bright doctor! :D

 

For your reference, here is my experience with BPPV starting 20 years ago:

 

I got out of bed one morning and promptly fell down, unable to stand due to the dizziness. It was TOTALLY shocking and terrifying, since I did not have any medical history of issues and I was not able to function. I did not go to work that day or the next, IIRC. Diagnosis by doctor was BPPV, as was yours, though my doctor never taught me the Eply maneuver. The symptoms subsided slowly over a few days and I was able to drive and function again. Eventually, the symptoms went completely away.

 

The BPPV symptoms have come back many times over the years. As time has gone on the frequency, the severity, the duration and my level of alarm have reduced with each recurrence.

 

Today dizziness is simply something I experience occasionally but it normally does not have much impact on my life. Heck, I've been working on our roof over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and the dizziness didn't cause me to fall.

 

I will also say that when I first experienced this problem I heard several stories from friends who had had the same issue. Some of them had dealt with much more severe symptoms than I did, assumedly due to larger "ear rocks". Some were so dizzy that they were vomiting frequently and for weeks at a time. Hopefully you will not have such a severe case.

 

Best wishes for your prompt recovery. I'm interested to hear how well the Eply maneuver works for you.

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I've had BPPV for about 7 years now. It started suddenly and I was crazy dizzy--dh had to drive me to the doc. I thought it was pregnancy related but my iron was fine. So OB sent to the neuro who diagnosed BPPV. She showed me the Eply (though I didn't know it was called that until now). I tried it a few times but it didn't seem to help. Neuro doc said I would probably experience about one major episode a year. None have been as bad as that first one, though.

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