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What Do Episodes Of Facial Numbness, Ringing In Ear And Heat Rushes Suggest?
Question: Hello..i'm a 28 year old male...5'11" 200lb
I've been having these weird..attacks..or...sudden onset of symptoms that freak me out.
I'm sleeping and then suddenly I wake up and my ear rings, my face feels numb(sometimes) and I get these heat rushes through my chest and face and I feel a little faint. It's been happening the last few weeks in small episodes (once every few days)..it'll wake me up in the middle of the night and I get scared and try to relax..then I go back to sleep. ..a few days ago it happened again just sitting on the couch..and it was a lot worse..I went to the hospital and my BP was 156/92..they said I was fine and sent me home (of course..and didnt even do any bloodwork ..just had a neurologist look at me for a few minutes and shrug me off)
I know something isn't right...
Should I be worried...
I've been having these weird..attacks..or...sudden onset of symptoms that freak me out.
I'm sleeping and then suddenly I wake up and my ear rings, my face feels numb(sometimes) and I get these heat rushes through my chest and face and I feel a little faint. It's been happening the last few weeks in small episodes (once every few days)..it'll wake me up in the middle of the night and I get scared and try to relax..then I go back to sleep. ..a few days ago it happened again just sitting on the couch..and it was a lot worse..I went to the hospital and my BP was 156/92..they said I was fine and sent me home (of course..and didnt even do any bloodwork ..just had a neurologist look at me for a few minutes and shrug me off)
I know something isn't right...
Should I be worried...
Brief Answer:
may be a panic attack.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I completely understand your concerns.
You have Ringing ears, heat rushing through chest, feeling of faintness and numbness of face which disturb you from sleep. You also had similar symltoms while awake.
In my opinion, these symptoms do not point towards an obvious brain lesion.
I feel these might be the symptoms of a panic attacks. These can even occur in sleep.
Your BP was 156/92. This is on a higher side. But as there is autonomic hyperactivity during panic attack, this can cause increase in BP.
I would also like to tell you that panic or anxiety disorder is a diagnosis of exclusion when other medical illnesses are ruled out.
Complete blood count and clinical neurological examination and neuroimaging should ideally be done to rule out medical cause of your symptoms.
Also, practice relaxation exercises like deep breathing and meditation.
Hope this helps.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
may be a panic attack.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I completely understand your concerns.
You have Ringing ears, heat rushing through chest, feeling of faintness and numbness of face which disturb you from sleep. You also had similar symltoms while awake.
In my opinion, these symptoms do not point towards an obvious brain lesion.
I feel these might be the symptoms of a panic attacks. These can even occur in sleep.
Your BP was 156/92. This is on a higher side. But as there is autonomic hyperactivity during panic attack, this can cause increase in BP.
I would also like to tell you that panic or anxiety disorder is a diagnosis of exclusion when other medical illnesses are ruled out.
Complete blood count and clinical neurological examination and neuroimaging should ideally be done to rule out medical cause of your symptoms.
Also, practice relaxation exercises like deep breathing and meditation.
Hope this helps.
Feel free to ask further.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Dr XXXXXXX sorry I didn't write sooner. I thank you for your time and helping me understand what it may be. I wanted to add that I am okay but I did have an SVT episode. I never experienced this before and I thought I was having a heart attack. ECG, Echo, and bloodwork show I'm healthy. I do have a mily mitral valve prolapse though. With my SVT came many symptoms..probably manifested from my fear of a heart attack. I was VERY nauseas, dizzy and sweating profusely. Few nights after the episode I woke up many times with a tingling in my throat and sweating/nausea I'm fine now though and the only symptoms I'm having of anything are some heart palpitations
Brief Answer:
Symptoms of SVT and Panic are overlapping.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Good to hear that you are fine now.
All your cardiac tests are normal. Thats great.
SVTs are not life threatening. The symptoms of panic attack and SVT are overlapping and difficult to differentiate.
There are some maneuvers including holding one's breath for a few seconds, coughing, plunging the face into cold water, drinking a glass of ice cold water, which can help to abort an acute attack of symptoms.
Beta blocker drugs like atenolol or propranolol (prescription drugs) can also help to control the symptoms (like your palpitations).
It would a good idea to be in touch with a cardiologist as well.
You can discuss about these drugs with your doctor.
Hope this helps you.
You can also approach me directly, if you have more queries in future.
I wish you well.
Regards.
Symptoms of SVT and Panic are overlapping.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again.
Good to hear that you are fine now.
All your cardiac tests are normal. Thats great.
SVTs are not life threatening. The symptoms of panic attack and SVT are overlapping and difficult to differentiate.
There are some maneuvers including holding one's breath for a few seconds, coughing, plunging the face into cold water, drinking a glass of ice cold water, which can help to abort an acute attack of symptoms.
Beta blocker drugs like atenolol or propranolol (prescription drugs) can also help to control the symptoms (like your palpitations).
It would a good idea to be in touch with a cardiologist as well.
You can discuss about these drugs with your doctor.
Hope this helps you.
You can also approach me directly, if you have more queries in future.
I wish you well.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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