Hello everyone, my name is Steve. I’m new here and very happy to have found this forum. I’m a 66-year-old newly retired teacher. I’ve had a series of odd symptoms show up since getting rear-ended by a semi on the 605 freeway in Southern CA five years ago. I had a cervical fusion surgery on two levels after the accident and regained the grip strength in my hands. That was all to the good, as far as playing music and woodworking were concerned, but over the next couple of years I began to notice other unusual symptoms. Here they are:
-The vision in one of my eyes began to go temporarily blank. This is always in the same eye. I lose the lower half of my sight picture, or the right half, or the center, etc. Within five minutes it will return. The vision loss is accompanied by vertigo.
-Very intense tinnitus appeared in both ears–stronger in one ear, usually a loud jet engine turbine sound with tinkling of broken glass, but sometimes it sounds like music, sometimes like a roomful of voices down the hall.
-I lost the hearing in my ear in May, 2023. It literally completely disappeared overnight and has not come back. Over this past year (2025) the hearing in my left ear is disappearing as well, albeit more slowly. It’s down 20% from last year. I had to end my 42-year high school teaching career because of my hearing. Even with hearing aids I couldn’t understand my students.
-I’ve had very intense fatigue most of the time which is unusual for me as I’m an active person and not given to sitting around too much.
-My heart rate has slowed down to the mid 40s bpm to low 50s bpm.
-It’s getting very difficult to turn my head to the left.
-Over this entire time I’ve had an increasing problem swallowing. I feel like I have a shelf on one side of my throat. Food sticks there and won’t go down. I’ve been choking often and am continually clearing my throat.
I recently saw my ENT about the dysphagia. He ordered an endoscopy and found a strange finger-like growth/intrusion in one side of my throat. He sent me to get an MRI with and without contrasting fluid. I’m posting a photo from the endoscopy. I apologize for the poor picture quality. The lump is on the right side of the photo.
On the MRI referral, my ENT marked “Eagle Syndrome” in the space for the preliminary diagnosis. I had never heard of this before. The MRI results came back “unremarkable.” I received this news this morning in an appointment with my ENT. He told me that many people have lumps like this in their throats, and they simply learn to live with them. He thought I was perhaps overly sensitive to sensations in my throat. I pressed him and he agreed to order a CT scan as well as a referral to another ENT. That’s where my case stands now.
I’m frustrated and feel that my doctor has tossed my case in the discard pile. He doesn’t seem to think I have ES.
Does my story sound similar to any of yours? Are any of my symptoms similar to yours?
You need more opinions for sure. GI doctor might be able to help . You could have multiple problems combining to create a range of problems. I have silent reflux that makes my situation worse. Did modified barium swallow for that . did not do full barium swallow due to radiation . I probably have a stricture but don’t want to deal with a scope right now
I am kind of fed up with the same stories over and over again with Doctors gaslighting the patients. I hope the CT will show you something that you can show this ENT.
It is a battle we should not have to fight . I see you are in CA so once you get CT you might want to consult with Dr Osborne
Welcome, Steve! All I can say is WOW!! I don’t know how your ENT didn’t recognize the “shelf” in your throat as your styloid process!! It looks so obvious to me! I’m not a doctor so my opinion isn’t useful for diagnosis, but you’re certainly in the right place to get information & help with your situation.
Some of the symptoms you’ve mentioned align with vascular ES i.e. compression of either the internal jugular vein (IJV) or internal carotid artery (ICA), however, in your case, it almost seems you have symptoms of both (again, not a doctor…).
These symptoms can be caused by compression of the IJV or ICA.
These are symptoms I had & were diagnosed as Meniere’s Disease but eventually more accurately as IJV compression. If you do have IJV compression, getting them decompressed may provide some hearing restoration in your right ear & possibly even your left ear. I’ll PM you w/ my story.
Fatigue can go along w/ your very slow heart rate which is likely due to your styloid causing irritation or compression of your vagus nerve - also a common problem w/ ES.
This is because your left styloid is acting as sort of a “road block” not allowing free head movement.
You do have a shelf on one side of your throat. Choking & throat clearing are also symptoms of ES. In your case you have a visible barrier causing this problem. In most other cases, those symptoms are caused by nerve irritation.
If your CT scan isn’t scheduled yet, please contact your ENT & let him he know he needs to order it w/ contrast so your vascular tissues & styloids both are visible. A CT w/o contrast won’t show the jugulars & carotids which need to be assessed in your case.
I expect you’ll get some good input from other members. I’m sorry you’ve been put off & your ENT didn’t recognize what he was seeing. Once you’re diagnosed, you need to show him an image of your CT & your radiology report so he can learn something new.
Thanks for the response and support, Jugular Eagle! I‘ve been told I have reflux too but I don’t feel the effects of it. I have the CT scheduled for this coming Wednesday. I hope I get some answers from it.
Thank you so much for the encouraging and detailed response, Isaiah_40_31! You’ve given me a lot to think about and follow up on. A diagnosis of ES could explain so many things. A person can begin to get the idea that they sit around making up symptoms for fun–because they have nothing else better to do…
Your thoughtful response was very helpful!
I’ll call the ENT today and ask if they’ll modify the CT request to include contrasting fluid.
I think @Isaiah_40_31 has covered everything I would’ve said to you, it’s good that you have a CT organised soon & hopefully you can get it changed to one with contrast as some of your symptoms sound like Vascular ES…it’s so strange that your ENT obviously had heard of ES to put that down as a possible diagnosis, but doesn’t twig your symptoms are classic ES ones & that an MRI isn’t the best scan to show bony structures
If you can get copies of the imaging that would be helpful as you can then have them to send to another doctor more knowledgeable with ES, & you can always upload them on here too… Let us know how you get on!
Reflux can contribute to some of your symptoms. I pulled up my report to try to give you some context and I found something they didn’t even tell me about. This is a repeated problem with me and studies. I suspect it is a problem with some of the rest of the Eagle people. You have things you just aren’t told about.
So, for any of you that have these GI studies here was the phrase " prominent UES with contrast re-entering the hypopharynx after the swallow." So then I had to Search this morning and sheesh…here is info. Going to require more searching for me:
"
Zenker’s Diverticulum
Zenker’s Diverticulum (ZD) is an outpouching or, in effect, a hernia of the swallowing passage just above a non-relaxing cricopharyngeus muscle.
In essence, the forces of swallowing are delivered against a somewhat unyielding muscle, and this causes the wall of the swallowing passage just above the cricopharyngeus muscle (i.e., the upper esophageal sphincter) to balloon outward. Hence, unknown to many, the Zenker’s diverticulum is only the reflection of the main problem, which is cricopharyngeal dysfunction.
So the point to this is while Silent Reflux is a problem for me AND Eagle Syndrome is likely also a problem, I have something else that is contributory that no one said a word about for the past year
" Zenker’s diverticulum develops when the muscle between the throat and esophagus, known as the cricopharyngeus muscle, over-tightens, causing the throat above it to pouch out . Overtime, the pouch can enlarge as the muscles below it tighten excessively. Food can catch in this pouch or it can cause an obstruction"
here is some info for any of you that have weird throat issues. you can see if it sounds like you might also have this. it is possible Eagle syndrome might contribute to this developing but still trying to figure it out. I am shocked but not surprised at all that no one said a word about this to me. Zenker’s Diverticulum - Laryngopedia
Thank you so much, Jules! I’m actually just about to call the doctor with the CT modification request. I will definitely request a copy of the results.
Thanks for the information, JugularEagle. This is very interesting. I know nothing yet about my reflux, being that my ES (if that’s indeed what it is) treatment journey is just beginning.
I do know that food is constantly getting stuck in my throat. Also, I will feel the need to swallow and try to do so, but my swallowing mechanism just won’t engage. My brain says, “swallow.” My throat says, “nope, not happening right now; try again later.”
you have a long way to go but you have got the start of figuring it out. A modified barium swallow involves a speech therapist who does the testing as opposed to the regular barium swallow. I had the GI Dr order both but I have only done one. Given your problems with swallowing I think you can make a case for getting that test but it does expose you to radiation. A GI person might tell you if they can see something from that scope where you might avoid the modified barium swallow.
It seems to me Eagle syndrome could contribute to this problem with the Cricopharyngeal muscle but it may be they havent discovered the connection yet. I might be the only one here that has had this notated but not the only one that has had the issue.
I asked AI if there might be a connection. here is the response
"Could Eagle Syndrome Cause or Worsen the UES Dysfunction Noted in Your Study?
There’s a potential connection, but it’s not straightforward, and the evidence is limited. Here’s how Eagle syndrome might relate to your finding:
Mechanical Compression:
An elongated styloid process or calcified stylohyoid ligament could compress the pharynx, esophagus, or nerves (e.g., glossopharyngeal or vagus nerves) involved in swallowing. This might lead to impaired UES relaxation or coordination, contributing to a “prominent UES” or retrograde flow.
Compression could also cause local inflammation or muscle dysfunction, affecting the cricopharyngeus muscle’s ability to open fully during swallowing.
Neurological Impact:
The glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves play critical roles in swallowing. Compression or irritation of these nerves by an elongated styloid process could disrupt the neural signals that coordinate UES relaxation and pharyngeal muscle contraction, potentially leading to the observed dysfunction.
Worsening Symptoms:
If Eagle syndrome is causing throat pain or a foreign body sensation, it might alter your swallowing mechanics (e.g., compensatory behaviors like incomplete swallows), which could exacerbate UES dysfunction or contribute to contrast re-entering the hypopharynx.
Chronic pain or irritation from Eagle syndrome could lead to muscle tension or spasms in the throat, further impairing UES function.
However, Eagle syndrome is not a common cause of UES dysfunction. More common causes of your finding include:
Cricopharyngeal hypertrophy or spasm (tight UES muscle)
Neuromuscular disorders (e.g., myasthenia gravis, ALS, or stroke)
Reflux (e.g., laryngopharyngeal reflux or esophageal reflux)
Structural abnormalities (e.g., Zenker’s diverticulum, tumors, or strictures)
Aging-related changes in swallowing mechanics"
I encourage everyone who is starting out this process that is having weird throat things to ask your Doctors about this as a concurrent problem.
Here are the symptoms listed on Google, I have all of them except pneumonia . They come and go to various degrees.
Difficulty swallowing, especially with large pieces of food
Feeling of food sticking in the throat
Coughing or choking when eating or drinking
Nasal congestion
Recurring pneumonia
A “lump” feeling in the throat
one more thing..the older you get the more risk there is for this which might be why some symptoms dont clear up after surgery:
“Likelihood: Osteophytes (mine are at c-5 and 6) are a more common cause of dysphagia than Eagle syndrome, as they can directly indent or compress the esophagus/pharynx. They could be a primary contributor to your UES dysfunction, with Eagle syndrome playing a secondary or synergistic role.”
Thanks for that info @JugularEagle , that’s interesting! I know we don’t want to go through surgeries unnecessarily, and it’s important to get a proper diagnosis, but just wondering if going down the rabbit hole as it were of swallowing / GI studies could delay the ES diagnosis, or result in being fobbed off towards these issues…we’ve had lots of members diagnosed with GERD, fobbed off with treatments for that, sent for swallowing studies etc which have not helped at all, instead of being given an ES diagnosis?
@Steve Specifically, the order should be CT Angiogram with Contrast of the Head AND NECK, with Venous Phase. Venous phase is IMPORTANT, as it will show the jugular veins.
We face such an uphill battle that to me it doesn’t really matter. I had an ENT at a University hospital who does internal Eagle surgery completely dismiss my CTA and said I don’t have Eagle syndrome despite having calcified ligaments and elongated styloids and a jugular that is getting crushed in the neutral position. He put a note in my file “Do not see. Does not have Eagle Syndrome”. Thus no appointment
The fact that I have silent reflux or some weird other stuff and issues with the c-5-6 didn’t even enter into it at all. I still got dismissed.
Doctors have and will continue to fob off Eagle Syndrome patients for a myriad of reasons. What you are saying is don’t give them one more reason. I can understand that. On the other hand, once you have the CT scan that says Eagle Syndrome will the Doctors blame everything on that and not look at the rest? Some will.
It’s just a thing we have to fight through. A good example that happens much more often is the autoantibody issue. I was complaining to my Rheumatology Dr. that once they know you have tested positive for some autoantibody everything gets blamed on that. He said he sees it all the time. Not only that, they also put all autoantibodies on him when he doesn’t deal with all autoantibodies.
There is no easy answer. I just know that this problematic muscle and the c-5 -6 bone spur issue might play a bigger role in my throat issues than Eagle Syndrome or at least be a contributory factor. And I believe it gets ignored . They didn’t even bother to tell me I had it.
We hear the, 'They didn’t even bother to tell me I had it." comment all too often on here, & not just for ES, so I’m sorry for all that has been “hidden” from you by the lack of knowledge, observation, or plain old neglect to mention it, on the part of the doctors you’ve seen as well as radiologists who didn’t write complete reports. I’ve never understood why radiologists aren’t more observant when there are things obviously “off” on a scan, or they only report on the things they were asked to & don’t comment on their other observations.
My symptoms also started with evaluating my neck first. I have an adie tonic pupil, so my pupil is dilated most of the time on one side, however it does not affect my vision beyond difficulty seeing with in bright light. Your visual symptoms, however, sound like a migraine aura. Migraine auras don’t always result in a headache. Scotomas can be caused by infarct (stroke) or simply migraine causing the compression of the vessels, it’s hard to say. With the episodic nature of your vision loss and associated vertigo, it sounds more like migraine. I recommend looking at a google image search of scotomas to see if it matches.
Vestibular migraines also cause vertigo (such as in my case), which is related to hearing as well (inner ear). For me, sometimes these migraine auras will cause my hearing to disappear for a few seconds and then come back. Hearing requires bone conduction as well as sound waves. Hearing is complicated because there are different types of hearing aids and you may need something beyond amplification and something to stimulate the nerve (like a cochlear implant or bone conduction device). This is just speculation, I am not an expert on hearing loss.
For the slowing heartrate, this could be related to a medication you are on, active lifestyle like being a runner, or something more serious. That is a symptom worth talking over with your PCP or a specialist.
I’m sorry you’ve had the experience a lot of people have had in this community of not feeling validated or heard about your symptoms and suffering. I hope you’re able to assemble a care team that works for you and with you on these symptoms if they are affecting your quality of life. I have used a lot of “alternative” medicine for better results including acupuncture, rolfing (I have a lot of muscle tension and pain overall), and hydrotherapy in addition to working with an ENT, neurosurgeon, etc.
Good luck to you, I am hopeful things will get better.
Good points, @tanava. Since the symptoms @Steve has mentioned are also associated w/ ES, it’s easy for us to blame them on the styloids/calcified stylohyoid ligaments when in reality, there can be other causes.
Many of our members have co-morbidities so we recommend they rank their diagnoses in order from least complex to take care of to most difficult. Some doctors recommend starting at the top of the body & working down in more complicated cases.
Though ES surgery is considered major surgery, it’s usually pretty straightforward so is often a good place to start if one has an ES diagnosis & symptoms that coincide. Unfortunately, ES surgery often doesn’t provide immediate symptoms relief. Severe symptoms that remain 6+ months post op can then be evaluated for other treatment. It can take a year or more for irritated nerves to recover after ES surgery & up to 9 months for compressed vascular tissues to re-regulate & regain proper blood flow equilibrium. These extended healing times can be frustrating for those who experience them, so we are here to listen & encourage during the process.
