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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / January 2005survey - RA and ears/balance
Hi! The thread on tinnitus (ear ringing) made me wonder - How many of you have balance trouble? Or don't handle changes in elevation well because of your ears? Balance problems were one of my first symptoms. In fact, initially, I only had neuro-muscular symptoms, which is why the docs first thought it was MS. I can't do rides which have me change elevation. No ear pain at all, but the feeling of my stomach dropping out from under me is not something I enjoy, even though other people think its fun. I can do spinning rides like teacups or tilt a whirl's at speeds other people cannot stand. But changes in elevation are out. Motion simulators of roller coasters are OK, but not real ones. Water slides (or playground ones for that matter), are out. Even swinging higher than a gentle arc is uncomfortable. And my Mom, also with RA, has the same problem. We both also have depression/anxiety issues, so I always chalked it up to that. But now with other people talking about tinnitus (a problem I have had intermittently since childhood) it makes me wonder whether its an arthritis issue.  SignatureAdelle [please remove the obvious to respond] Adelle, this sounds familiar. I have had balance problems since my early twenties when first diagosed with RA. I used to be able to ride roller coasters without any problem but walking up or down hill or on a slanted surface caused me to stagger. I have been tested for everything under the sun and the last series of tests about three years ago, when the tinnitus got really exasperating, turned up nothing except a slight hearing loss in one ear. Now with the recent neuropathy problems I don't walk well at all. The neurologist even laughed with me when she asked me to close my eyes and walk a straight line. We decided it's a good thing I don't drink! Interesting premise that it might have something to do with the RA. Ann adelle, i don't have ra but i do have tinnitus, and balance problems. and i have taken antidepressants off and on for many years. gwen > Hi! > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > other people talking about tinnitus (a problem I have had intermittently > since childhood) it makes me wonder whether its an arthritis issue. It is absolutely an arthritis issue. Just not a 1:1 correlation. Tinnitus can be worse for some people than arthritis, as there is no treatment and no cure. How disturbing it is varies from person to person and from time to time. And it is like pain. No one can tell how loud it is or what sounds are involved but the person that has it. It has driven people to suicide. There are tinnitus groups out there or used to be. I avoid them as they weren't supportive like this group, and because the only way I cope is to ignore the sounds as much as possible. That means not thinking about them. I used to put my fingers in my ears to tell if the furnace fan was running or if it was just me. Now I know its just me cause I'm way too deaf to hear the furnace fan for real. Jo > Hi! > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > other people talking about tinnitus (a problem I have had intermittently > since childhood) it makes me wonder whether its an arthritis issue. Adelle wrote and asked: > The thread on tinnitus (ear ringing) made me wonder - > > How many of you have balance trouble? Or don't handle > changes in elevation well because of your ears? I've never had balance trouble, and I've been above 1 mile elevation with to problem. Loved most of the rides with my sons at Disneyland - Materhorn and Pirates of the Carribean, even. But I've had a hearing loss since at least 7th grade and tinnitus for 25+ years - shortly after I was dx'd with AS. I have had ear troubles since developing RA. My motion sickness has gotten much worse, I am prone to ear infections and suffer from vertigo. Currently, I am experiencing some problem where I hear things a few tone notes below what they really are. If it keeps up I will go to an ENT. It is odd though...the car horn sounds like the battery is dying and everything sounds dull. The volume is ok though. Shandi :) > Hi! > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Adelle > [please remove the obvious to respond] >I have had ear troubles since developing RA. My motion sickness has gotten > much worse, I am prone to ear infections and suffer from vertigo. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Shandi :) Please, call and make an appointment with an ENT now. What you are describing is typical of the first stages of hearing loss. Everything starts sounding flat or lower in pitch because you usually lose hearing at the higher ranges first. Jo I thank you for scaring me to death and making an appt with the ENT. I will be going on Monday @ 9AM. Here's to hoping it's a weird infection, inflammation or a drug related problem! Shandi :) > >I have had ear troubles since developing RA. My motion sickness has gotten > > much worse, I am prone to ear infections and suffer from vertigo. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Jo >I thank you for scaring me to death and making an appt with the ENT. I >will > be going on Monday @ 9AM. Here's to hoping it's a weird infection, > inflammation or a drug related problem! > > Shandi :) Here's hoping for a good visit. I'm deaf and would truly hate to see anyone lose even a bit of their hearing if it could be avoided. Jo >> >I have had ear troubles since developing RA. My motion sickness has > gotten [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >> >> Jo >I have had ear troubles since developing RA Ditto here. My RA is in my TMJ and the changes in the joint keep my ears from draining. I had tubes put in a week and a half ago. Feels rather strange. The hearing is starting to get better but at first when I talked, it sounded like I had my fingers in my ears. Everything was muffled and I couldn't judge volume at all. I still have the ringing. ENT said it would take 2 weeks to "normalize". We shall see. As for balance, I am pretty wobbly but I'm not sure if that due to balance or the instabillity of my joints. I even fell last week at work because my ankle gave out. Here it is a week later and the stupid ankle decides to start swelling. Sarah L "Friends are those people who know the words to the song in your heart and sing them back to you when you have forgotten the words." (unattributed) This is interesting. I've always had bad ears. I've been told that I must have lost both ears twice at least! Hummm, Vickie B. > This is interesting. I've always had bad ears. I've been told that I must > have lost both ears twice at least! And they grew back? Sorry, Vickie. It just hit me that way, and though I tried to resist... I failed. ;) luv&delirium, Denise > Hummm, > > Vickie B. I do not have RA but did have tinnitus and a balance problem...I ended up needing surgery to correct the balance problem. I had a perilymphatic fistula in my right middle ear...I ended up having a skin graft taken of my right ear lobe to block the fluid that was going back and forth in my ear...now, 10 years later, no balance problem and no tinnitus! I got the fistula from a head on collision...Before the surgery, I was warned it may not work and/or I may lose some of my hearing! My hearing was on the high end of normal, meaning I heard things the average human does not, and now, I think it is closer to the real normal... Get more than one opinion is my own suggestion! Oh and one other thing, feel better! We are behind you no matter what you do! Froggy > > This is interesting. I've always had bad ears. I've been told that I must > > have lost both ears twice at least! [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > > > Vickie B. I have balance problem. I lost my equilibrim when i started vancomycin for a bone infection.. when i ride in a car i get dizzy or turn too fast i fall over. I hope you get to the bottom of your problem. God Bless audie |
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