Vertigo Archives

chronic labrynthitis...or something else???

About four and a half years ago I was in a car accident and as a result got chronic labrythitis. All the doctors have done is lay me on a table and quickly sit me up and watch the reaction of my eyes. My question is, what if it is something else? I went to see nuerologist and found out that I have some sort of swelling at the base of my neck to the right side of my spinal cord. The doctor never ordered medical test to see what it was, he just sent me to physical therapy. It took the swwelling down for a short time but then was no longer effective. My insurance company would not pay for any tests such as MRI or CAT.

My symptoms are:
I get dizzy EVERY time I stand up. My ears start to ring and then they sizzle and feel warm. My eyes then black out and I feel as if I am falling. I get tremendous pressure around the base of my neck and I have a hard time focusing on things in general. My ears are very sensitive to sound. I hear background noises better than I do foreground noises. ( the humming of the computer, or the chirping of crickets sound as if they are right next to my ear drum )
This creates a headache of pressure over my entire head and neck.
Sometimes when I am sitting down and concentrating on sounds, I notice that it comes and goes. My hearing goes from normal to that of what I have described above.
Is this chronic labrynthitis, something else or both? I have a newer and better insurance now, but I would still like to be better informed before I go into my new doctor. I do not want my doctor to talk to me as though I were an idiot. Please help me.