Stress Center Peer Support

I've been an anxiety sufferer for 10 years. I'm 27 years old. Pretty healthy, but should definitely exercise more.

Does anyone ever experience ear fullness, pressure or pain? When I swallow I get a bit of pain in my throat, which oddly enough radiates to my ear and sometimes I feel it on the side of my head (same side as the ear). It all comes and goes within seconds. When those symptoms subside, others sneak up, like tingly sensations in random places on my skin that come and go within seconds?

I mostly obsess about the quick head pain that comes and goes within seconds at various parts in the day. It feels like it's on the top of my skull, perhaps even the muscle. I keep thinking about it. Like, you know when you focus on a body part you begin to feel that body part more? I do carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders and I've had some wonderful jaw crunching sounds on the same side, next to my ear (tmj perhaps?)

I've been having these physical symptoms on and off for about a month and a half. And through journaling, I've come to realize that they started about a week after I began a new job - a job I've been working very hard to get, which right after I got it, has been nothing but a disappointment. And it seems everytime I start getting these symptoms is when something stressful happens at work. The symptoms come and go throughout the day and subside within a week or two. Then something happens at work and bam, either the tingles start, or the transient ear/head pains. Now I've been focusing on the symptoms for quite sometime, I'm doubting myself with every thought, freaking out that I have a brain tumor or something. But I keep trying to (hopelessly) reassure myself that the anxiety is just a distraction to something I don't wanna deal with (that I either chose a wrong career, or that I now feel trapped by a job I'm supposed to be happy with) and I just gotta figure that out and the physical symptoms will go away on their own.

Does anyone else get these symptoms? I didn't know stress could cause this, as most of my anxiety attacks before were dizzy spells and feelings of unreality. I haven't had them for a while before this, sigh.

I'm just looking for some reassurance...thanks.

-Mike

Hi Mike-

Where do you live? I live in a cold place, and this time of the year especially, I sometimes get ear pain. Once I went to the MD, and he told me that it was Eustachian tube dysfunction. Basically the tube was pinching sometimes when it was to be equalizing the pressure from inside your head to the outside.

Maybe you are clenching your jaws when the stress comes at work?? I found out that I was grinding my teeth by my dentist telling me I was wearing out the enamel on my molars.

Let yourself just be. You likely don't have a brain tumor. You are just trying to get used to having a new job. You don't have to be happy forever in the job. If you don't like it, you can change at a later date.

Good for you for journaling and noticing the connection between pain and stressful happenings in your life. I think you are on to something. Remember to decide if it's something you can control or not before you stress too much. If you can control it, do you want to change it now or leave it alone. It's all your choices.

Hope you are having a better day.
Newrunner

Newrunner, thanks for the reply! I actually live in Southern California. It's gotten down to the 30s here on some nights, but that's no where near what you guys get in Minnesota. I do notice that I clench my jaw and have been working on that and actually I think I have a cavity I need to get fixed.

I spoke with my doctor today and he didn't even flinch at the symptoms, saying they were all signs of stress induced anxiety. He also said that his father unfortunately died of a brain tumor, so he definitely knows what to look for. His advice was basically what you said, let it be, work on the actual stressor and if I need extra help to call him back for medication.

I'm starting an exercise regimen again, coupled with yoga and meditation and I'll continue journaling. I know it takes a while for physical symptoms to subside even when we start feeling better emotionally, so I'll just try to let it be.

Thanks for the kind words,
Mike

Many times when I have been anxious the muscles in around my head will become tense. This will sometimes cause me to feel dizzy or have pains in those muscles. The problem solvers we anxious people are, try to attribute it to any condition that can kill us. What we should do is understand that it is temporary and nothing severe. What if thinking makes us wander if we are under reacting to the sensation. I have been there man.

Hi Mike-

You are welcome for the ideas I shared.

I LOVE my yoga class that I do twice a week. I noticed a Huge difference in my demeanor after I had been doing it only a short time. And that is after I had already been exercising pretty much daily. Even a trainer at my club told me that I just acted more calmly, etc. It's just different. I hope you have as much of a connection as I do.

For your jaw clenching-- it sounds dumb, but can you go to the drugstore and get one of those generic mouthguards that you put in hot water and it forms to your teeth? If you are in a cubicle or something, could you wear it at work, or at the least at times when you are alone and/or don't care. That really lets your jaw muscles relax as there is now some give between the tooth surfaces. I wear a guard at bedtime, every night.

Good luck to you--- in the job and in the journaling and self healing. You'll do great. You are already on your way.

Webb -- the whole "what if thinking makes us wander if we are under reacting to the sensation" is right on the nose. That puts it right into perspective, thank you.

Newrunner -- you know, I think it's about time I make a dentist appointment anyway and I'll ask him about my clenching, thanks again for the encouragement.

Hope you're both having great days!

I also get those quick pains that happen in one spot of the head and then go away after a few seconds. I remember having them when I was in middle school (I had anxiety), and now Im 23 dealind with anxiety and get that pressure feeling in the ears..tense neck muscles and the head feelings..Im guessing is the muscles,kinda like when people get them in the chest, except we get it in our heads...lol...but in a way is nice to know that im not the only one.