New to Forum and to ES

General
1

Hello All!

I'm a 46 year old male living in Essex UK.

This is all very new to me.... I went to ENT doc on Thursday with a bone like lump on my left tonsil

(aprox 30mm x 15mm)

After a ten minute chat and camera down my nose and throat he told me he could see nothing!

With a few promps from me he decided to have a feel. He looked like he had a Eureka!! moment.

Ah! I know what that is! You have E.S. He advised me, I will need a C.T to confirm his thoughts.

(CT contrast now booked for the 18th March) All very quick for the good old NHS!!

At the time of the appointment he asked do I have any pain. By that I thought he meant on the lump.

I said no, just mild discomfort. He advised I could have surgery, however if its not such a big problem for me it is more risk than its worth, but that choice is up to me. At that point I said no i don't think I need it as my pain is so minor.....

Now after reading up on E.S here and else where, I realized my issue has been going on longer and has been affecting me much more than I gave it credit for on my appointment day......

Here is the history....

For at least 8 years, maybe more I have been suffering with dizziness/light head feeling and a rushing tinnitus with constant dull head ache, sinus issues and sometimes a shooting pain behind my ear. Most of the time I just want to be alone and away from noise.

In the past I have seen several GP's and a neurologist. I've had blood tests, a 24 hour BP monitor and an ECG.

Nearly all the docs I have seen gave me the brush off and one even said Its all a bit vague,

Its just how you are and you will have to put up with it!!!

Now i'm left thinking, are all these issues due to ES? Maybe I could have a better feeling of well

being if surgery is an option.... What are other members thoughts?

Thanks for reading

Mel

2

Those symptoms over the last 8 years could well be ES- that's the trouble, some symptoms can be vague, variable, and seemingly unrelated, dismissed as down to something else, even imaginary! It's great that you have been diagnosed, and also that you're booked in for the CT with contrast. It's a very personal decision about whether to have surgery or not- there are some risks, as with any surgery, and as there are a lot of major blood vessels plus lots of cranial nerves in quite a tight space, this means a lot of surgeons are wary about operating. The CT with contrast will show if there's any vascular involvement- the light-headedness and rushing tinnitus could be vascular symptoms. (I had that as both styloids were compressing the jugular veins. When I saw how much they were being compressed by the styloids, it made the decision to have surgery a lot easier. Like you, the pain I was getting was not as severe as some people on here, but the off-balance feeling , headaches, pressure in my head and pulsatile tinnitus were really affecting me badly.) The shooting pains in your ear could well be geniculate neuralgia; caused by pressure on that nerve. Other members have had sinus problems, although not always helped by surgery. (You can search the past discussions for more info on some of those symptoms if you want to find out more.)

Sometimes surgery is the only way to find out what symptoms are down to ES and what's not! But see what the CT shows, and that will help you decide, plus how confident are you in your doctor? Is your ENT doc prepared to do the surgery, or would you have to look elsewhere? Most people opt for an experienced surgeon who is willing to take out as much of the styloid as possible.

Let us know how you get on with your CT scan!

3

Hello Jules,

Thanks for the reply and previous welcome! Not forgetting all the info and support you give.

As you say, the results of the CT will be the big factor on what happens next, so i'm not going

to worry or do to much thinking until I have all the facts. (easy said!!)

I will keep you posted.

Thanks again!

Mel