Question: For the past three weeks I have been suffering from a strange condition that makes me feel light headed, tired (on occasion) and a feeling or sensation that I have a balance bias to the left. That is, that I will fall or stumble to the left if sitting or standing up, or that when walking I will veer off to the left. However I never fall, stumble or veer to the left. I also have what is best described as a feeling of being foggy in the head; like I’m a bit spaced out.

3 weeks ago I had a vertigo attack where my whole world was spinning, so I stayed home from work, rested, and it eventually resolved. However since that time I have had the issues I describe above. I have suffered a vertigo attack before, a few years ago, much worse than this one.

I also have chronic neck and right shoulder muscle problems and have been getting vague headaches. On a scale of 1 to 10 these headaches rate a 2 or 3. They don’t stop me from doing anything and usually resolve on their own. They may come and go during the course of a day. They never wake me in the night and I rarely wake with a headache. I do not experience any nausea or vomiting in association with this. My eyesight and hearing is normal with no double or blurred vision, strange hearing sensation or anything else suggestive of a problem.

When I had the vertigo attack 3 weeks ago, I went and saw my doctor about it, and to discuss the headaches. I was particularly concerned about the possibility of a brain tumour. He did a series of tests on me involving eyesight, shining a light deep into my eyes, hearing, touch, walking with one foot in front of the other, walking forwards on my toes and then backwards on my heels, and another one I can’t remember. He said I was fine and that the headaches are probably tension headaches caused by stress in association with my neck and shoulder issues, and that the vertigo should hopefully clear on its own.

I should point out that this “thing” doesn’t stop me from doing anything. If I am physically active, like doing house/yard chores I do not seem to be bothered by it (or notice it). Tiredness could be due to the Xmas/NYE cycle with late nights and a fair bit of alcohol consumption. Now that I’m back at work I’m limiting alcohol intake to weekends only and resumed going to bed at my normal work week time. The headaches, if I have them, don’t seem to be aggravated by anything in particular. For example, yesterday I developed a headache, that worsened as the day progressed. This is nothing abnormal for me. Occasionally it felt like it was reaching down behind my right eye and circling my eye. I woke this morning without a headache.

I have caught myself out on a couple of occasions struggling to string a coherent sentence together. I am not sure if this is due to tiredness, confusion due to the vertigo-whatever, or something else. Doesn’t happen often but I’ve noticed it. Perhaps I am over-thinking it and trying to make an association with something that isn’t there.

The light headedness and “bias to the left” issue is not resolving and I’d like a second opinion. I have moved house and am not able to easily go back to the doctor I saw last time.