Ear Fullness And Head Congestion. Taken Bactrim, Amoxicillin . On Tekurna For Hypertension. History Of Vertigo. MRI Needed?

Posted on Mon, 25 Jun 2012

Question: I have had ear and head congestion for over 2 weeks now. I went to Urgent Care and was given Bactrim and an injection for inflammation since I have blood pressure - I take 150 mg of Tekturna. No improvement so I just went to an ENT and was given Amoxcillan 875mg taken twice a day and 5 pills of Desamethasone for 5 days. Also
nasal spray and asked to do a Sinus Rinse. It has only been 2 days but I still have so much ear fullness and head congestion that I am beginning to really worry. I recently had two Vertigo attacks as well. Can you give me your thoughts on this......should I have been given and MRI or scan?

Answered by Dr. Sumit Bhatti (2 hours later)

Hi,
Thanks for posting your query.

1. You need to get a PTA (Pure Tone Audiogram) and an Impedance Audiogram (I/A or Tympanogram) to assess the severity of the middle ear congestion.

2. I would add an anti-allergic decongestant, steam inhalation and anti-vertigo medication. You may discuss this with your doctor.

3. If your vertigo persists, a computerised tomography scan (CT scan)/ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) needs to be done to rule out labyrinthitis and sinusitis. Sinusitis usually leads to ear congestion due to blockage of the Eustachian Tube which connects the nose to the ear.

4. You may share your audiometry and scan results here for an accurate assessment. You may also share the details of your vertigo assessment by a neurotologist.

I hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries, I will be available to answer them.

Regards.

Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli