Question About what to do about being light headed all the time?

timreichhart
timreichhart Member Posts: 194
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hey Guys
I just wanted to ask what I should do about being light headed all the time? Because it just started to do this last week it doesn't matter if I am sitting down or standing it feels like I am light headed all the time. But I also noticed that when my ears feel like they are popped I can hear my self talk and breath all the time and that is when I start feeling very light headed and feel like I want to pass out. I am one year post treatments so should tell my ENT doctor next time I see him or go to ER and get it checked out?

Comments

  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #2
    danger
    This could be dangerous if your light-headedness leads to falling (as mine did), so I would definitely talk to one of your doctors about it, either ENT Man or your GP. It may be that you are affected by low blood pressure for which they can provide a solution. But they are the ones to ask and you should do so sooner rather than later.

    Mine only occured when I rose quickly from a prone or sitting position (such as popping out of bed in the morning) but I fell the first time in an all-tile bathroom and that did not feel good in quite a few locations on my body :).

    Please do get that checked out.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #3
    blood pressure
    I too have "fainted" but not light headed all the time. Doc has had to work hard to get my blood pressure meds right and that has helped. Not certain it is perfect yet.

    Blocked ears - I had this real bad after treatments to the point my ENT had to insert tubes. Now I have it just in my right ear. It is being caused by mucus build-up. I have tried many things to fix it, all with some success. At first I had a nasal irrigator that connected to a Water Pic. I will never forget the relief I felt the first time it knocked that "plug" of crap out. I use saline nasal spray and hot steamy showers inhaling the steam through my nose followed by some serious coughing. Recently I have been using a generic Mucinex with some success. It really bothers me because I have tinitis (ear ringing) and the VA gave me two hearing aids to help with that and I have trouble wearing my right aid because of the pressure.

    I too think I would see a Dr if you are light headed all the time.

    Good luck and welcome to "New Normal"
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #4
    Greend said:

    blood pressure
    I too have "fainted" but not light headed all the time. Doc has had to work hard to get my blood pressure meds right and that has helped. Not certain it is perfect yet.

    Blocked ears - I had this real bad after treatments to the point my ENT had to insert tubes. Now I have it just in my right ear. It is being caused by mucus build-up. I have tried many things to fix it, all with some success. At first I had a nasal irrigator that connected to a Water Pic. I will never forget the relief I felt the first time it knocked that "plug" of crap out. I use saline nasal spray and hot steamy showers inhaling the steam through my nose followed by some serious coughing. Recently I have been using a generic Mucinex with some success. It really bothers me because I have tinitis (ear ringing) and the VA gave me two hearing aids to help with that and I have trouble wearing my right aid because of the pressure.

    I too think I would see a Dr if you are light headed all the time.

    Good luck and welcome to "New Normal"

    Light headed or are you
    Light headed or are you dizzy? Since my ears are clogged and have been popping in and out, and I can hear myself breathing all the time, that's about all I can hear :-/ ... You may have an ear infection. If there is something going on in the middle ear, it can make you dizzy, have vertigo, or make you feel like you are going to fall over.

    I'd make a call to the dr and get an appointment. Check your ears, pressure, see if you're dehydrated, perhaps a CBC if the other things are a non issue.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    carotid artery
    You might ask your ENT about checking your carotid artery to see if it was damaged during treatment. The carotid artery is what tell your body when and how to regulate blood pressure in the body.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo
  • timreichhart
    timreichhart Member Posts: 194
    #6
    sweetblood22 said:

    Light headed or are you
    Light headed or are you dizzy? Since my ears are clogged and have been popping in and out, and I can hear myself breathing all the time, that's about all I can hear :-/ ... You may have an ear infection. If there is something going on in the middle ear, it can make you dizzy, have vertigo, or make you feel like you are going to fall over.

    I'd make a call to the dr and get an appointment. Check your ears, pressure, see if you're dehydrated, perhaps a CBC if the other things are a non issue.

    About being light headed
    Well I believe its light headed and my right ear did have a ear tube in it before cancer treatments because I had a ear infection in that ear and that is how I found out I had NPC cancer.

    I already have a apt scheduled with my ENT doctor on 27th of sept.

    I drink probably 10-15 bottles of water a day.

    now how serious is vertigo and whats the treatment for that?
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #7
    timreichhart said:

    About being light headed
    Well I believe its light headed and my right ear did have a ear tube in it before cancer treatments because I had a ear infection in that ear and that is how I found out I had NPC cancer.

    I already have a apt scheduled with my ENT doctor on 27th of sept.

    I drink probably 10-15 bottles of water a day.

    now how serious is vertigo and whats the treatment for that?

    Light headed vs dizzy
    Well, if you are thinking it's light headedness, and not dizziness, then it's probably not vertigo. Vertigo is a type of dizziness, like when you have a feeling of motion when one is stationary. It could be many things that cause it, including an ear infection , well, all kinds of stuff, so the treatment would vary, depending on what is causing that symptom.

    At 10 - 15 bottles of water, I would doubt dehydration. Hondo has a point with the artery. Could be many things. A CBC is a blood count, easy test that could show something like anemia.

    Could be something simple. I know when I used to drink too much caffiene, I'd get super light headed. Now that I don't drink it, even just one cup will make me light headed and or give me palputations. Could be blood sugar. I get low blood sugar and have almost hit the floor at work a few times. After a while my employees could see it coming before I did, and would make me go eat. Are you eating properly?
  • timreichhart
    timreichhart Member Posts: 194
    #8
    sweetblood22 said:

    Light headed vs dizzy
    Well, if you are thinking it's light headedness, and not dizziness, then it's probably not vertigo. Vertigo is a type of dizziness, like when you have a feeling of motion when one is stationary. It could be many things that cause it, including an ear infection , well, all kinds of stuff, so the treatment would vary, depending on what is causing that symptom.

    At 10 - 15 bottles of water, I would doubt dehydration. Hondo has a point with the artery. Could be many things. A CBC is a blood count, easy test that could show something like anemia.

    Could be something simple. I know when I used to drink too much caffiene, I'd get super light headed. Now that I don't drink it, even just one cup will make me light headed and or give me palputations. Could be blood sugar. I get low blood sugar and have almost hit the floor at work a few times. After a while my employees could see it coming before I did, and would make me go eat. Are you eating properly?

    About being light headed
    Well see the thing about it is I do have a hole in my right hear from the ear tube and yes I had it all the way through radiation treatments. My ENT doctor did that to take out the tube because of ear wax built up so ENT doctor said I will have a permanent hole in my right ear drum. I notice that when the ears pop I can hear my self breath which is really pain full when I take a walk I start to get light headed then it just go away. But now in the past 4 to 5 days its always there in the light headed and I try to eat like stuff with sugar and stuff and it dont help.

    To be truthful I only eat one time a day and its pretty big what I eat. Because I went from 130lbs to 160lbs since last november but I have been watching my weight and my weight goes from 154 to 161 in a week or so.

    I hope its something not serious because I am already dealing with lung problem and TMJD,hearing problems, neck and shoulder problems let alone being light headed all the time now.

    I also dont drink any pop or any sugar drinks anymore because I just cant stand it and I DO NOT LIKE SALT because that raises my blood pressure up so high that it can give me major headaches.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #9
    timreichhart said:

    About being light headed
    Well see the thing about it is I do have a hole in my right hear from the ear tube and yes I had it all the way through radiation treatments. My ENT doctor did that to take out the tube because of ear wax built up so ENT doctor said I will have a permanent hole in my right ear drum. I notice that when the ears pop I can hear my self breath which is really pain full when I take a walk I start to get light headed then it just go away. But now in the past 4 to 5 days its always there in the light headed and I try to eat like stuff with sugar and stuff and it dont help.

    To be truthful I only eat one time a day and its pretty big what I eat. Because I went from 130lbs to 160lbs since last november but I have been watching my weight and my weight goes from 154 to 161 in a week or so.

    I hope its something not serious because I am already dealing with lung problem and TMJD,hearing problems, neck and shoulder problems let alone being light headed all the time now.

    I also dont drink any pop or any sugar drinks anymore because I just cant stand it and I DO NOT LIKE SALT because that raises my blood pressure up so high that it can give me major headaches.

    Well, maybe it isn't blood
    Well, maybe it isn't blood sugar, but eating stuff with sugar isn't really a good idea either. If it drops you should eat something with quick acting sugar, but only a little bit. Like 4 oz of fruit juice or 5 life savers or a couple tbs of dried fruit, like raisins, but you should follow that with a high protein and carb snack. Like, saltine crackers and peanut butter, 1/2 meat sandwich, 1 slice toast and 1/2 cup milk, some almonds and a little milk...

    And eating once a day isn't eating properly. :) Sorry, I'm not trying to pick on you. Three meals and two snacks is ideal. I do two meals and two snacks. That keeps your body and sugar level on a more even keel.
  • MJ70
    MJ70 Member Posts: 75
    #10
    Light headed
    You should check your blood pressure say before you get up in the morning and stand up and take it..If there is a big drop..you could have ortho static Hypotension ....I have that and also experience big drops after I eat which are symtoms of Post Prandial Hypotension... which is blood going to your stomach and not adjusting well enough to go to your brain at the same time.ie effects of Radiation maybe? .Been going to lots of different Docs to find one who knows all about these problems..found one who knows and PPH has a lot to do with carbs and Proteins when I eat..Lots of carbs in Beer which i like a couple at Dinner because it makes my dry mouth feel moist....I have fainted three times trying to adjust my blood pressure.with meds . Sometimes it is very high 220/130 and then very low.90/45 ..weird...They have meds for Orthostatic but not much for Post Prandial Hypotension..Caffinated coffee helps me.. anyway start checking your BP when this happens..

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