I rarely come down with a real cold, but when I do, it’s a doozy like the one I have now. Sneezing and runny nose aren’t so bad, but the really annoying thing is this woozy feeling I have, not dizzy but more of a lightheaded, disconnected feeling. I don’t think I have a fever. So where does this come from? Should I blame the virus, or my body’s efforts to get rid of it?
Also, anyone want some mucus? Got plenty here, don’t be shy.
I am no doctor, but I’d always put that down to congestion, and that congestion in part affecting your balance (inner ear and all that, don’t ask me to be specific, technical or accurate). Often accompanied by a dull headache that normal pain killers struggle to shift. Have you tried taking a good decongestant (the sort of pill designed to clear/ease the pressure on your head, not your chest)?
When I was a pre-teen, I used to get that feeling on occasion. However, it would not be what seems to be affecting you, because in my case it turned out to be very low blood sugar.
But you did describ the feeling exactly.
I had that this winter after a cold. I went to the “minute clinic” to see if I had an ear infection. They said no, but that there was some fluid trapped behind my eardrums that would eventually go away. It did.
Now, this summer, it has come back, along with some sinus trouble and clogging of my nose. I went to the real doctor this time, who found nothing wrong but thought it might be an allergy. She sent me to an ENT, who looked up my nose with a scope. All he found is that I have a deviated septum which was apparently caused by a broken nose which I don’t even remember! He says he can do surgery to help restore some breathing in my nose if I want him to. He also thought I might have an allergy and gave me some Nasonex after I told him I had tried Zyrtec already with not much success. He saw no polyps, adenoids, infections or any kind and nothing wrong with my ears.
I have no idea if the Nasonex is working, because the day after I started taking it, I got a bad cold–fever, chills, horrible runny nose, etc. And I still get that disconnected feeling often…usually once a day now, in the morning.
LiveOnAPlane, I’ve been concentrating on my ears because they feel plugged and sometimes they crackle and pop (and even clear up occasionally)…but I’m starting to suspect it’s something else. Did you feel anything in your ears? I’m just wondering what avenues I should try next if I don’t feel better soon.
I call that feeling “marshmallow head”. I find that if I take decongestants & antihistamines to get the airway open, I am much more functional.
I have reactive hypoglycemia, which is likely what LiveOnAPlane experienced. Basically, if I take in simple carbs, especially sugars, my body reacts by producing too much insulin, which will drive my blood sugar into the depths in sufficient amounts. If I were to eat a piece of cake, I would likely faint, after feeling dizzy, light-headed and disconnected for a bit. My advice, should you be considering other things to examine before you make it back to the doctor, would be to avoid sugar and white flour, and other high carbohydrate foods for a couple of days. If you suddenly feel better and less disconnected, definitely mention this to your doctor. That’s what I did, and it helped the doctor zero in on the problem.
I’ve never read that hypoglycemia has any relation to ear problems like that(it can cause ringing in the ears), but it’s interesting that you should mention your experiences with fluid in your ears. I also went to a minute clinic over the winter, where I was told I simply have fluid in my ears. It did go away, but mine is back as well.