ariella Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Any possible connection between ear infections and ANS impairment? Since my POTS started acting up, been having frequent outer ear infections. I imagine this is coincidental????Ariella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hi Ariella..Um.. I dont know if therre is a connection w/ear infection and pots or not.. but good question.I just wanted to say that since I was an infant I have gotten frequent severe ear infections. When I was alittle girl I lost alot of my hearing due to ear infection. I have regained most of my hearing since then.. but still am plaqued by ear infections.And since I have had pots ANS problems my whole life.. who knows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melly4 Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hi, Ariella. That is a great question!! I have frequent outer and inner ear infections, usually at this time of year. The outer ones hurt, and the inner ones give me vertigo. Do you have any balance issues?Melly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worththewords Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 I just came from my ENT and just had this same discussion. Last week I had tubes put in my ears because I kept having so much trouble with ear infections. I'm still battling with vertigo though. He did feel that there could be a relation between the two. When you get vertigo your body gets more adrenaline going therefore triggering an overactive nervous system. Unfortunately, antivert - the drug most commonly prescribed for vertigo - is a anti-histamine and the side effect is increased heart rate. He has suggested I go on a small dose of valium that apparently helps decrease chances of vertigo and supresses the nervous system. I was just about to make a post about valium when I read your post. My ENT also told me there is a test they can do to determine if you have an actual ear problem or a neurological balance problem - they pretty much induce vertigo and run some tests to see how you react. At this time I am not doing this as it tends to send my heart rate up and I would have to do it in a hospital setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunfish Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 i don't think that there is a direct connection but have a few thoughts, most prominantly that ear infections in the general population are not always symptomatic & thus don't always get treated, can go away on their own, etc. obviously this isn't the case for severe inner ear infections, but can be the case for some others...i know for me my autonomic symptoms often flare big-time when an infection is lurking which will get me to the doc when i wouldn't have otherwise. i've had several ear infections wherein i had some discomfort but not severe pain; i wouldn't have gone to the doc solely for the ear issue itself. so...maybe that's part of the "answer"?outer ear infections for me have always been "swimmers ear"; i haven't had them in years but got them a lot when younger. oddly enough i actually never had middle or inner ear infections as a child; my first was in high school. i had one that was inner & created some temporary balance issues (in the midst of my trying to dance in a school musical...it was a bit funny!) through college & beyond - most recently in september this year - i have had middle ear infections, often around times that were worse allergy-wise for me. and more frequent when i tried to cut back on my allergy meds.so...that's lots of ramblings without much conclusiveness. overall, i know for me that i'm definitely more sensitive to body-wide symptoms when i do get the infections. and i do get them more often than "normal" in the adult population, but think that perhaps it's that i just know more so when i get them than the "normal" folk....good luck! melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aprilmarie52 Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 good question. I have only had one ear infection my entire life, but then again, everyone is different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melly4 Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Okay, I've been jinxed by this topic. I woke up this morning with my head spinning violently , and it's my daughter's birthday!! I get vertigo every fall. I suppose it's due to allergy troubles, but it's absolutely unbearable!! I totally sympathize with anyone with vertigo. It's not like we don't have enough to worry about with falling down due to syncope, but then throw in the falling down due to lack of balance....Arghhh!! I guess this is why we call this time of year "fall". Bad joke. I'm going to go take a klonopin. Sorry for the moaning and groaning!!Melly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worththewords Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Melly,Does Klonopin help your vertigo? I take klonopin twice a day but I've never thought to take it during a vertigo spell. Curious to know if it helps you.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariella Posted October 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 Back from the ENT--He said that external ear infections are a skin disorder, nothing to do with POTS directly, but maybe related to an autoimmune diease which is also bringing out the POTS. Middle ear infections may be another story.Ariella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melly4 Posted October 16, 2005 Report Share Posted October 16, 2005 Worthewords, The konopin doesn't make the vertigo spells "go away", but it helps with the anxiety caused by them, if you know what I mean. I understand a lot of ENT's will prescribe Valium for vertigo. I've never personally tried Valium, just Ativan,which didn't help, and the Klonopin, which is starting to lose its effectiveness, I think. I understand that taking a benzodiazepam long-term will sometimes do this. I'm seeing a neurologist soon. I hope he can help, or send me on to the ENT. Sorry you have vertigo, too. Melly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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