Hi,
I am 24 yrs old and have been in great
health until recently. It all started
with numbness in my left toe and a twitch
in my left eye a couple of weeks ago.
Whether they are related or not I don't
know. Then for the past week I have had a
constant pressure headache that has only
worsened. I get a stiff neck and some
pain or more like fatigue in my left arm
and left leg. I family practitioner is
doing tests but doesn't seem to think its
cause is a neurological one. I am getting
frustrated with not knowing what is
causing these headaches and pain. Any
ideas? Suggestions? I am afraid it could
be something serious, but the doctor
didn't seem so concerned.
|
rIcHrD
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 19
Posted: 02-03-05 18:32pm
There are certain properties of your
symptoms that would be key to
understanding the cause. Are they
persistent? Are they progressing? For
the first question, the first thing i'd
ask is: is your left toe still numb?
What do you mean by a twitch in your left
eye? A twitch of the extrinsicl eye
muscles themselves (e.G. Leading to
blurred visions, disturbances in vision)
would be suggestive of significant central
neurological involvement. However, as I
presume, if the twitch is elsewhere, like
in the eyelids or the ring of muscle
around the eye, this is less indicative of
very serious conditions.
A progressing pressure headache can be
suggestive of raised intracranial
pressure, which your doctor will
presumably have checked for with an
opthalmoscope (to check for outward
bulging of the retina, papilloedema). In
the absence of this, a rapidly progressing
neurology is unlikely.
A stiff neck and fatigue in areas of the
body are, in the grande scheme of things,
non-specific symptoms (could be a result
of unrelated problems/anxiety). However,
if they are indeed pertinent and your
somatic experiences are indeed entirely
left-sided as you describe, then there is
the distinct possibility of neurological
involvement.
Possible neurological conditions are:
communication hydrocephalus (could be
secondary to a tumour), right-sided silent
stroke, right-sided tumour around the
central sulcus. Lack of raised
intracranial pressure would exclude a
rapidly developing tumour or communication
hydrocephalus - two conditions where
speedy intervention is preferable. A
silent stroke is a relatively common
event, from which near-complete or
complete recovery should occur over
time.
If your symptoms progress/remain, consult
your doctor.
The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made.
Schizophreniahealth
This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
