Diagnosis of the Ear

[MaggieRedwings]

Morning,

Mike - Yes, I do eat fish since it is the only way I can get a sufficient amount of protein. Interesting article and am gluten free but at this point I am totally confused so will also address this with the neurologist.

Katy - Have been taking B12 supplements and folic acid and since entocort the only improvement has been with the D and that is definitely under control. Tuesday AM was back to watery D but since it plagued both Frank & I for about an hour we determined it was the champagne from celebrating. Each of us only a glass but instant burping and never had that from the bubbly before. New Brand of it and next time the old reliable Don.

Love, Maggie

[mle_ii]

Maggie, what types of fish and how much per day/week?

This site lists the fish that have more mercury than others.
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fishadvice/advice.html

And here's a calculator for estimating your weekly consumption of methylmercury from fish.
http://gotmercury.org/

Thanks,
Mike

[harvest_table]

Maggie,

It's also possible the recent major dental work you had done has played a role in the development of this ear problem. I'm seriously thinking this may have been the case with some vertigo issues I was having earlier this fall that seem to be at bay for the time being.

An increase in fluid volume in the inner ear, which raises pressure and disturbs normal hearing and balance probably, causes the dizziness, the ear ringing and hearing loss of Meniere's disease. The underlying reasons for the accumulation of the fluid are not very clear, even if the incidence of Meniere's disease is fairly common. Disturbances in the teeth or changes in the muscle structure and joints of the jaw lead to the onset of Meniere’s disease, so some evidence indicates, however, this has not been proved.

http://www.herbs2000.com/disorders/hear ... bances.htm

Just a thought..... Hang in there and thanks for the updates.

Love,
Joanna

[MaggieRedwings]

Morning,

Mike - I eat about 4 to 6 oz. of fish per day and it is either salmon, talapia or scallops - I ditched tuna. I buy only wild fish and not farm raised since I do not want to deal with the way they are fed and what they are fed. Will check the calculator.

Joanna - extremely interesting. I first noticed this around June and the teeth were done in mid-February but it takes about 3 months for the plate to settle in, etc. Actually, it is still settling. Will also let the neurologist know this and one would think that they just might have asked that at the ear doctors. My neuro appointment is next Wednesday so we will see what comes of it.

I honestly think I have much more intuitive and beneficial information from my family here than the medical community.

Love, Maggie

[tex]

Morning,

and one would think that they just might have asked that at the ear doctors.

Hi Maggie,

I think the biggest problem those of us with multiple autoimmune issues have to routinely face, is the fact that doctors are probably educated pretty much the same as the rest of us. Engineering and medicine, for example, are very similar in many ways, with regard to the way students are trained.

In engineering, one is taught how to break every design/anaysis problem down into tiny individual, (elemental), concepts, so that mathematical equations can be used to solve the problem on an elemental basis. In the real world, all that information would then be assembled, and integrated into the final solution/design. That's never taught in engineering school, however. During all the years spent in school, an engineering student is never really formally exposed to the real world situation where one has to look at a "real" problem, as a whole, and figure out for himself/herself, exactly which boundary conditions are important, and which ones are irrelevant or redundant, and view the entire project as a complete, stand-alone project - instead, all that has to be learned "on the job". Even in grad school, a student never sees that overall "project" concept, before taking the qualifying exams for a PhD. IOW, they never teach you this stuff, you're expected to somehow magically assimilate it yourself, and then, just before they hand you that piece of sheepskin, you are required to solve one real world problem, that actually requires you to do some original thinking. (This is for a PhD - for a bachelor's degree you only have to pass the coursework, but of course, a PhD is on the same level as a degree in medicine.)

I've never been to medical school, but I'm pretty sure that the same general routine goes on there. Students are taught individual concepts, and expected to assimilate all that information themselves, so that they can properly diagnose a patient's issues, after they graduate. The problem is, they tend to think in terms of individual diseases, rather than in terms of overall health, and they don't seem to recognize the importance of the fact that many medical issues have a very profound effect on any other medical issues that might be present. Specialists, the very people who should know the most about their area of expertise, and therefore should recognize how it interacts with other issues, seem to be the worst at actually utilizing that knowledge, because most of them seem to have tunnel vision, and everything that doesn't apply to their area of specialization, is off their radar. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I suspect that many of them are afflicted with the "that's not my job" syndrome, when it comes to the effects of other issues, (that is, issues outside their area of expertise).

I think that's why our GPs are so important for our overall health, because they have to learn to look at how our entire body is performing, not just how individual components are operating. And, since some of the most important stuff isn't even taught in medical school, their attitude, and experience, are of paramount importance.

At least that's the way I see it.

Love,
Tex

P S Joanna may be onto something there. I remember the time when I had a couple of wisdom teeth removed, (chiseled out), and blood flowed out of one of my ears, afterwards. The back teeth are mighty close to the inner ear parts, and I'm sure there are a lot of nerves all around there, too. And, of course, the brain hangs out in the same neighborhood, also.