Welcome to our forum! I’m sorry you’ve got symptoms that could point to Eagle Syndrome, but I’m glad you found us. There is a lot of information about ES on our forum, & you will receive great support from our members.
You raised a good question about the cause of the symptoms and the answer is that it could be either or both the styloid and calcified ligaments that are problematic. Here’s a link to a post where ES symptoms & possible causes are discussed:
To get started on this forum, click on the “New User” link above (or under the General category on our home page) then click on the “New User Help” tab that’s just under the “New User Guide” heading, & review the information there. You can search any topic using the magnifying glass icon the upper right. Our Newbies Guide (under the Welcome category) has lots of information about ES, and there is also a tab under the General category that links to published research papers.
Eagle Syndrome is defined as 1) elongation of the styloid process(es) OR 2) calcification of the stylohyoid ligament(s) OR 3) a combination of 1 & 2. It’s not just styloid length but also the thickness, how curved they are & the angle they’re growing that can cause symptoms. Unfortunately, the only “cure” for ES is surgical removal of the elongated styloid(s) &/or calcified stylohyoid ligaments. A CT scan of the area between skull base & hyoid bone is the gold standard for diagnosing ES. If vascular symptoms are suspected then a CT scan w/ contrast is best.
The symptoms of ES are caused by irritation of up to 7 cranial nerves (facial, trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, hypoglossal, accessory, vagus, & maybe the vestibulocochlear) that “live” in your neck &/or near your skull base in the same area as the styloid processes & stylohyoid ligaments. Elongation of the styloid(s) &/or calcification of the stylohyoid ligaments can cause irritation to these nerves. Alone each nerve when “upset” can create painful & sometimes scary symptoms. When more than one is irritated the symptoms caused can be downright debilitating. Additionally, vascular compression of the internal carotid artery &/or internal jugular vein can occur which creates other miserable & concerning symptoms. Obviously, the solution for recovery is to remove the offending bones/ligaments so the nerves &/or vascular tissues can recover. You can search further for “symptoms” using the search tool & many discussion threads will come up for you to read.
We have a section on our main page called Patient Self Advocacy: Patient Self Advocacy - Living with Eagle . There is great information there on how to advocate for yourself in the medical world to get the tests, scans & diagnosis you need.
To start a new topic just click on the + Add New Topic button in the upper right of this page. To reply to something that’s already been posted, click on the Reply button at the bottom of a given post.
Use the magnifying glass tool to search topics by keywords.
Please join any conversation on the forum or start your own. We like our new members to share their ES stories so we know best how to support you. Though we aren’t doctors, there is a wealth of experiential ES knowledge here. Feel free to email me back if you have any specific questions.
Also, there is a Canadian group thread that I can’t find the link to at the moment. @Isaiah_40_31 or @Jules can hopefully pass it along shortly.
We hope you find this a friendly, caring place.
Wishing you the best,
Chrickychricky
https://forum.livingwitheagle.org/t/doctor-lists-no-discussion/10245/5