Question: Hello. I have had sharp pains in one side of my head for 3-4 years now. They are sporadic with no warning but very sharp and disorientating. I have had painful ears for over a year now which feel swollen behind the ears and down either side of my neck some days feeling more swollen than others. I have numbness from this and there is also a lump under my skin on my neck left side under my jaw that I can physically hold between to fingers. What is the cause of all these issues?

Hello thank you for your response. I have copied and pasted your questions so that I can answer them as best as possible. I would like to ask you further questions- Do you have any photophobia? Yes sometimes I find it difficult to have the tv and lights on when I have a very bad headache. But not all the time. Do you have any phonophobia? Again, yes with the tv and sudden noises make me feel queezy. Do you have any nausea/vomitting? nausea when I feel dizzy which can come on at any time. Do you have any one sided headache? Yes. The pains I get in my head seem to have always been on my right side between the top of my right side and above my ear like a sharp object being inserted into my head. This can happen at any time with no warning. I can stand up and walk out of a room and get pains or my ears go full and slightly numb with a ringing in either one (but usually the left one!) Do you have any pulsatile pain? I have had pain in my left leg behind my calf for years which varies from my leg to my upper arm again this is much more noticable when I am due on my period (usually about 2-4 days before) How long does the pain last? varies from seconds to minutes on my head and hours and days on my leg/arm pains. Do you have any pain around menses? always. Do you have any other problems like hypertension? (Noted thyroid problem, and neck swelling) Do you have any reports or investigations, like MRI of the brain? no. I was sent to a neurologist when they first started and he just said I will put you on Beta Blockers to block the signals therefore you should not feel any more pains. Do you have any vision trouble? Yes, I have just been tested and they have perscribed varifocals. I have had three different perscriptions in as many years. Have you had an ENT and Eye and Neurological opinion before? And if yes, what did they say? See above for Neurological. ENT- I have an appointment with them on the 6th February in Portsmouth Do you have any pain in the neck? none more than anyone else. Think this is just work position. Do you have any pus discharge from the ear? no Do you have any tinnitus? I have sporadic high pitched sounds usually in my left ear but sometimes in my right. This usually happens when my ears seem to go full and hurt/ache and I am left with under my ears feeling slightly numb and this spreads down to my neck which can last for days. As for the swelling in the neck, How big is it? it is about an inch by half an inch maybe at seems to be longer across my neck that rounded. Is it growing? Im not sure but it has been there for a couple of years and im noticing it more and more if I put my chin down to read. Is it hard or soft? I think its soft but when you put pressure on it it is a solid lump. Does it move with swallowing? No Could you add a picture of the swelling? I will try Do you feel it beating like a pulse? No Any other swelling, like maybe in breasts? I do have a spot near my middle chest bone that if I lean or press on that area of my left breast it feels like I have a sharp bruise in that area. kind regards XXXX