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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Bad Flu After Flu Shot, Congestion, Ringing In Right Ear, Sinus Around Eyes. Any Suggestions ?

I got a flu shot last Fall at Wallgreens, but the regular nurse was at lunch and a guy from the pharmacy gave it to me. Have to wonder if I got the right shot cause in December I got the flu bad, possibly that h2n3 everyone was talking about. Chills, body aches, fever of 103, and a dry cough lasting for a week. Then the norovirus in January, then the flu again in late February as bad as the first round. It was just a few weeks later the right ear problem started first with congestion and ringing, then the noise sensitivity and the talking-in-a-barrel effect with the sound of my own words booming in the right ear. But I could also hear and feel it in my right sinus under the eye and in the upper nasal area when I talked or coughed. Then flash of ring of light in eyes just started a couple weeks ago. (I was laying out in the sun without eye protection, though only for 10 minutes a few times but doc said that the sun could cause problems with the vitreous gel creating more floaters.) I know flu can cause complications including infections and even meningitis. Is it possible that I have an upper nasal infection or viral, bacterial, or fungal meningitis that's hung on for over 3 months? ENT only checked for ear and nose infection. CT would've presumably shown any lymphoma in the sinuses. I see another ENT specialist in Indy next week. Any suggestions?
Thu, 11 Jul 2013
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Hi,

The flu shot is not a fool-proof vaccine owing to the highly variable antigenic nature of the Influenza virus. It confers immunity for around a year & against specific existing virus only; whereas there are at any point of time more than a dozen types of viruses which present with similar symptoms as yours. So, it is not uncommon to see flu affected patients even within a month after they have received a vaccine.

The chances of you having meningitis is bleak, as you have not mentioned to be suffering from any of the major symptoms- headache, neck rigidity, psychiatric complaints- confusion, behaviour problems etc.

I suggest you t go ahead with the ENT consultation as you indeed seem to be having an Upper respiratory tract (including middle ear) infection.

Wishing you good health

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Bad Flu After Flu Shot, Congestion, Ringing In Right Ear, Sinus Around Eyes. Any Suggestions ?

Hi, The flu shot is not a fool-proof vaccine owing to the highly variable antigenic nature of the Influenza virus. It confers immunity for around a year & against specific existing virus only; whereas there are at any point of time more than a dozen types of viruses which present with similar symptoms as yours. So, it is not uncommon to see flu affected patients even within a month after they have received a vaccine. The chances of you having meningitis is bleak, as you have not mentioned to be suffering from any of the major symptoms- headache, neck rigidity, psychiatric complaints- confusion, behaviour problems etc. I suggest you t go ahead with the ENT consultation as you indeed seem to be having an Upper respiratory tract (including middle ear) infection. Wishing you good health