Does a degenerated disk in my neck cause headaches, ear aches, arm pain and dizziness?

Question

I have been having an ache in my right side of my head. It effects my right ear my right eye and my right arm and shoulder. Lately it has been effecting my right leg. I was diognosed with a narrow disc in my neck, could this be causing all this discomfort? Do I need surgery?I am only 48 and I would hate to think I have to live this way for ever. Sometimes it is hard to concentrate it feels like my brain hurts. Sometimes I wonder if this is part of menopause.

Answer 1

Tingling in limbs with vision problems headaches and dizzyness
Link 1
know i see people saying "same symptoms" a lot, but these are in deed very much the same. the one symptom that sticks out to me is the "throbbing" behind the ear. that is so very true. All the dizziness and numbness is true as well. any luck on updates with you?
link 2 Diagnose your symptoms

*** Mechanical Disorders: Degenerative Disc:
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is part of the natural
process of growing older. Unfortunately, as we age, our intervertebral discs lose their flexibility, elasticity, and shock absorbing characteristics. The ligaments that surround the disc, called the annulus fibrosis, become brittle and they are more easily torn. At the same time, the soft gel-like center of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, starts to dry out and shrink. Degenerative disc disease is as certain as death and taxes, and to a certain degree this process happens to everyone. However, not everyone who has degenerative changes in their cervical spine has pain. Many people who have "normal" necks have MRI's that show disc herniations, degenerative changes, and narrowed spinal canals. Every patient is different, and it is important to realize that not everyone develops symptoms as a result of degenerative disc disease.

When degenerative disc disease becomes painful or symptomatic, it can cause several different symptoms, including neck pain, nerve root pathology, and spinal cord compression. These symptoms are caused by the fact that worn out discs are a source of pain because they do not function as well as they once did, and as they shrink, the space available for the nerve roots and the spinal cord also shrinks. As the discs between the intervertebral bodies start to wear out, the entire cervical spine becomes less flexible. As a result, people complain of neck pain and stiffness, especially towards the end of the day.
Symptoms:
The common symptoms that suggest that degenerative disc disease may be responsible for a person's pain include neck pain, pain that radiates down to the back of the shoulder blades or into the arms, numbness and tingling, and sometimes even difficulties with hand dexterity or walking. Muscle weakness occurs at a later stage in the degenerative process than pain does, and it is a sign that disease is relatively more serious. In severe cases of cervical DDD, where there is evidence of spinal cord compression, individuals may experience symptoms of sciatica and back pain, and lower extremity weakness.

Degenerative disc disease is not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the interlocking bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine. The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine; however, it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back (lumbar region) and the lower part of the neck (cervical region).
The changes in the discs can result in back or neck pain, as well as:

Osteoarthritis, the breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) that protects and cushions joints.
Herniated disc, an abnormal bulge or breaking open of a spinal disc.
Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal , the open space in the spine that holds the spinal cord .
These conditions can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to pain and possibly affecting nerve function.

The onl y way to correctly diagnose this is to see a nerologist and do a full workup / M.R.I. etc...
TO FIND A DR? USE THE LAST LINK ~Cheers~

Answer 2

Degenerative Disc Disease is not a disease, but part of natural aging. What happens is the discs those sponges between the vertebra, spine bones, dehydrate and so the discs shrink and eventually become solid rather than sponges. A narrow disc means the process has started, the nice big thick water filled disc had dehydrated, now shrunk and narrow. I assume this showed on a MRI and the natural process is normal, no disc bulge, no prolapse, all is normal. I am menopausal or climacteric, nice word and my symptoms, where do you really want to start. Head ache, ear ache, throbbing, woke up this morning and had a numb ear could not hear anything, it just goes on. Chances are these symptoms are all hormonal. I am 48 so this Climacteric is 'fun?' Fallen down the teak stairs three times, why who knows?

Answer 3

In the first place I've been there: Cervical spine. You have to have a CAT Scan, the new three dimensional CAT scan can show wonders for you and let the doctor know what's going on in there.
Yes, it can make your brain make you feel like it's coming apart. It'll go up across your head and into your eye, sometimes Topamax will help. A muscle relaxer will help the neck in the meantime also but, this is only temporary relief.

I had three vertebrae slip out of alignment and the disc with them, they all put presser against the spinal column. This in turn created pain along my arms down to my hands, spasms to my hands, my heads, terrific headaches. It wasn't menopause, I'm a man. They had to realign the vertebrae and fuse them in with cadaver bone and wire.

Answer 4

Can Spinal Stenosis Cause Dizziness

Answer 5

im initial response is to tell you to drink more water, being dehydrated can cause headaches and general body aching as well, but on second thoughts i watched an episode of the big bang theory recently and sheldon was experiencing a high pitched tone in his ear, he had his ear checked, it was fine, so put it down to a brain tumour, have a nice day x

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

WOW.,. Hi'` It might be a part of it or a sign!?1Now I was thinking to reading half of your post that you should hurry to a hospital & tell them you want to prevent a stroke!?!"PLEASE have someone take you to the hospital !!S00N!! it might be past a stage that will be easy to maintain !?! "HURRY"!! "R"r`r,r'

Answer 8

YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!