Anxiety exasperating ongoing sinus issues??

[tasha 87]

Hey all,

For the last 10 days or so I've been having really bad headaches (mainly in my forehead,  pains between my eyes and general face pain) my teeth are also sore on and off and extremely I've sensitive to cold or hot. I  also had a blocked or runny nose almost constantly.  Not to mention the sneezing. Especially if I experience a temp change, like going from indoors to outdoors. I have always had sinus problems,  as in everrry morning as long as I can remember i would sneeze about 20 times and my nose would run like a tap.  Sometimes it would stop, others It would last all day. I just kinda gave up on trying to treat it and learned to live with it. I can't go anywhere with a pack or 3 of tissues!

Anyway, what I am getting at it is, could my anxiety be making me notice it more? As in I always had it, but never noticed the head pain,  tooth pain, ear pain etc. Just an annoying runny nose. But now its almost debilitating. The face pressure is horrible. And naturally I like to think the very worst 

It's like I am hypersensitive to everything! I am also very dizzy at times.  Its just starting to become annoying now. 

I am thinking of asking my GP to refer me to an ENT specialist because it's really making my anxiety worse.

Any insight anyone?  :)

Thanks

[ejmommy]

Yes I get these exact same issues. I don't know if the anxiety makes it worse but I would guess yes. I know it makes my anxiety worse and then I focus on them a lot more!

I got so paranoid about it (I see you fear brain tumor, I fear MS but similar symptoms), I went to neurologist who found nothing. Then went to the ENT. Of course the ENT told me most people do it the other way around but oh well!

Anyway, I found out that not only am I suffering from chronic sinusitis, but inner ear issues as well. That may be the source of your dizziness, especially since you have ear pain (I have that too). Or sinuses on their own. I get headaches, eye pain, vision issues, dizziness, runny/stuffy nose, pretty much everything you mentioned. And now from the health anxiety it has caused me I have a whole host of other problems like twitching, tingling, on and on in addition to what I was already dealing with 

For me personally, it did not respond to any of the conventional treatment, and I'm going to need surgery to fix it. Just a minor endoscopic surgery to clear the infection out and fix a few structural issues. Hopefully then it will help the inner ear as well, just getting that fluid and infection out of there.

I would ask for the referral if it's that bothersome to you. There are treatments, and you don't have to suffer like that! They can also check to see if you have allergies that may be causing it all. They thoroughly checked me for all kinds of allergies. Nothing came up, but at least I know now that's not the cause.

I know I'm actually looking forward to that surgery as weird as that sounds. I just want to feel better, and hopefully a by product will be helping my anxiety if I can get those symptoms to go away!

[tasha 87]

Thanks for your reply :)

Sorry to hear you go through this too!  I also experience the twitching and tingling now too, especially in my legs.

I think it would be good if I did get it checked out because it will help with my anxiety. I have tried antibiotics etc and nothing works.

Do you find anything brings you relief??

Thanks ejmommy :)

[ejmommy]

No, nothing that brings me relief so far on the sinus/ear stuff unfortunately. I have tried several courses of antibiotics, and do this nose rinse thing every day but I think it's pointless. Otherwise, I'm waiting on insurance to ok the surgery and will be scheduling that in the next month or so.

They have me going to a physical therapist to work on the inner ear stuff. Something called vestibular rehab therapy. Hard to say if that's helping yet, the jury is still out!

My twitching, tingling and whatnot is the worst in my legs as well. I also get burning, pain, stiffness, the works pretty much! Drives me insane. My physical therapist works with me on that a bit as well. Just loosening up.

I really feel like I could get rid of all that if I could accept the sinus/ear diagnosis rather than my own MS diagnosis! I'm a work in progress 

Hope you feel better soon.

[tasha 87]

Isn't anxiety fun, I think most of us on here are a work in progress 

Nothing seems to work for me either, nasal sprays, antihistamine etc. Its a bummer!
Hope everything works out for you and get the relief you deserve! And I know what you mean, I can't fully accept its my sinuses either, its like I'm afraid to!

Best of luck with everything  :)

Take care