Suggest Treatment For Dizziness And Congestion In The Ears

Posted on Tue, 28 Feb 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 Answered on

Mon, 27 Mar 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi! I woke up this morning feeling very dizzy. I did feel like there was some congestion in my ears. Also, I usually use two flat pillows, and one had moved out of place. Also, early this morning my neck felt pretty stiff. Could this just be from my neck having been in a much different position? The dizziness is gone now, but I wanted to ask about his as my father had died at age 54 from a massive heart attack. I'm 58. I have no known health problems (not on any meds), except prehypertension, rosacea, and a little arthritis in my hands. I had had a check up with my PCP within the last about 4-5 months, and she stated that I'm pretty healthy! Thanks, XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Noble Zachariah (19 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Likely to be from the stiff neck.

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

Welcome and thanks for your query.
The dizziness is likely to have been caused by the stiffness of your neck this morning. There are two blood vessels which supply the base of the brain called vertebrobasilar arteries. These arteries pass through the bones of the neck. Any change in the blood flow, which may be transient, can cause giddiness.
Your symptoms are not suggestive of any heart disease and so please do not worry about the same.
If you can manage without a thick pillow, it may be better. If the symptom recurs, it may be good to have an xray of the neck to check for cervical spondylosis.

Do get back to me if you have any further queries.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar