Hi all, I’m really having a tough week this week with symptoms. I feel like I can’t find any head position that is working for me without either feeling dizziness and lightheaded (when turning away from the vascular compression - I’m waking out of sleep when my head is in this position feeling like I’m passing out) or fullness and head pressure when my head is straight or turning to the side of the compression. Obviously more symptoms pile on top of these the longer my head is in that position but those are what I immediately feel. I’ve also started to get random pains on the non-affected side around the ear and jaw.
I could have ES on that side too (and my CTA did show a similar compression here though not my dominant side I don’t think). I’m starting to wonder if something else could also be happening. When I feel for my hyoid bone, I can feel that it is sitting very tightly in behind what I think is the carotid sheath, and my CTA also shows rotation of the hyoid bone toward this side.
I’m wondering has there been any conversation about the effects of a calcified ligament on the displacement of the hyoid bone previously? Or if anyone else has read research on the hyoid bones impact on symptoms?
I imagine once the calcified ligament has been removed, slowly the other anatomy may reposition itself. I hope this is the case.
Here are images of the rotation a few years ago when I had the CTA. But the Hyoid feels like it has gotten deeper into my throat now and the end/horn when feeling it, sits quite far in behind the carotid sheath.
@BraveKat - I’m not used to seeing that sort of image of the hyoid. I do better w/ 3D rather than slices so I can’t comment. What I can tell you is a calcified stylohyoid ligament “tethers” the hyoid bone & keeps it from being able to move as it needs to when a person talks, swallows, breathes, burps, sings, sneezes, coughs, etc. This can cause pain, clicking & other uncomfy symptoms. I recall there have been a few discussions about the hyoid bone being pulled in the direction of a very calcified ES ligament especially after one styloid has been resected i.e. the remaining side can pull on the hyoid depending on how severe & where the calcification is on the stylohyoid ligament.
Here’s one post that mentions this & @a_catindisguise has written a lot about her experience with Hyoid Bone Syndrome & her successful surgery.
Same as @Isaiah_40_31 , I don’t feel very knowledgeable about the hyoid, not really sure what’s normal & what’s not, but in the last 3 images there certainly does look like there’s some difference between the two sides, the left side looking slightly shifted, is that what you can see?
One of the doctors researching ES described it as Stylohyoid Complex Syndrome
(SHCS was suggested by Candice C. Colby, MD; John M. Del Gaudio,MD in their paper ‘Stylohyoid Complex Syndrome- A New Diagnostic Classification’ on JAMA Network.
As well as elongated Styloid Processes and calcified Stylohyoid ligaments they also suggested that elongated hyoid bone processes could cause tension and reduced distensibility of the SHC, irritating the surrounding cervical structures with movement of the complex…
As you say, hopefully with surgery, it would free the hyoid if it’s being pulled off kilter!
