Question: I have suffered with fear of open spaces and fear of falling since I was a little girl. I always had "issues" with excessive wax in my left ear. I am now 43, and my vertigo and balance has been increasingly worse. In 2008, I had a brain MRI and it was normal. I had two balance tests performed which came back saying that the eye tracking part was way off among other things. My latest issue with my ears has these whooshing/whomping sounds and noises seem to be louder than they actually are. Such as someone talking for example, would produce these whooshing type noises like one would get if they were in a nightclub or heard a loud crashing sound. My balance is way off, I walk in stores with a cart to help keep my balance, I need assistance when walking through parking lots, across streets etc.. anywhere that is open.. even a yard. Therapists have told me that they believe it to be a form of agoraphobia, yet I don't think so. Since elementary school??? Could all my symptoms be stemming from an inner ear disturbance or Meniere's Syndrome?? What is better to help with this issue, an ear specialist or a neurologist? Oh and I also take Lisinopril with HCTZ which I was told by a few people can cause a worsening of vertigo/faintness in people. Thanks for listening.

I forgot to mention that I have only been experiencing the weird noises in my ears this week. Its been occurring almost nightly for about 30 mins or less each evening. Then it dissipates. However, I have also been dealing with a head cold and bronchitis this week as well. Maybe that has something to do with the onset of those whooshing sounds????? .... As far as vertigo and balance issues goes, it seems like the older I have gotten, the worse those symptoms. There is also a sense of faintness involved and depersonalization, that may occur during a bad episode of vertigo or balance issue. It was recommended that I attend a sort of physical therapy at the Balance Center which will help train my eyes. These symptoms are so scary to me that I have myself convinced that I must have a brain tumor or aneurysm that is causing my vertigo and balance issues. I received my first brain MRI in 2008 which came back normal, no masses, no tumors etc.. still here we are 4 years later and I find myself begging my doctor to order a follow up MRI to rule it out again. So far, they feel no need to repeat that test since I was suffering from dizziness, vertigo and loss of balance in 2008 and received a normal result from that MRI. Am I just jumping to conclusions that I need another MRI, or do you think I should still pursue that testing? I will tell you that when I look up in the sky for example, I have to be grounded. That is that certain positions of my head like looking into the air, will make me experience vertigo. This is something that plagued me throughout my life. When I was in school, I couldnt play softball or other games in the field because it requires looking up to catch a ball. That left me feeling faint, dizzy and the vertigo would be unbearable. I have avoided places like beaches, football games, walking through a field, etc .. in my mind not out of fear, but from the unpleasant worsening of my vertigo and balance symptoms. Does this sound more like an inner ear issue? or an eye tracking issue? I have had a recent eye exam which came back fine. Thanks for your help, it is very much appreciated.