Post Concussion Syndrome and Running
 

Question,

If anyone read my last post I am at stage in not knowing if my clogged ears and airplane feeling are post concussion syndrome or eustachian tube dysfunction. Like I said, my doctor said my ears looked fine, but I had a lot of post nasal drip and my nostrils were completely clogged.

Anyway, onto my question. I just started a valet parking job. I enjoy it because it's easy and good money. I wanted to know though, if running with PCS causes brain damage. Even though my doctor did say my PCS is gone and I don't believe him i just wanted to know. Whenever I run, the ear plugging and airplane feeling gets worse and i get somewhat foggy but not that bad at all. I don't get headaches or feel more tired afterwards. I also feel like when I am running my brain is just floating around up there and just knocking around my skull. Either i am paying to much attention to it and it is normal or this isn't normal. Any thoughts?

If u don't feel right then u probably aren't. My doc always says it's up to the patient to share how they are the doctor just gives suggestions but in the end the patient is the one who is living with the problems.

About the ear thing...I have the same thing. My neuro wants my inner ear to be checked for trauma but I have to wait until September.

I have fullness all day and sharp pain with headache or sounds
vertigo, dizziness, off balanced and uncoordinated. Basically I walk like I'm drunk.

Insist to the doc what u are feeling and be direct.
I keep a list on my fridge and jot down a symptom as they come then scan them for each specialist I see. That way they take u seriously and u can't forget anything.

Good luck to you

Thanks,

I want to go to an ENT to get a ETD diagnosis and I pray to holy heaven that it is the reason I'm feeling this way. By the way, your story sounds horrific and I feel for you.

Not sure when your injury was but...
 

I had the same thing. I'm coming up on a year since my last TBI and I just went through a bout, and still am going through another round of floating brain and ear popping. I run, run miles distance not short stints of jogging and my head feels the same. I have alWays been told as far as my injury is concerned; if it hurts, don't do it.

Good luck,
Hilary

Running
 

Seems to be difference of opinions. I don't know whats right or wrong but the nuero I see said no running jars the brain. Its your body and ultimately it is up to you. I suggest investigating for a few weeks. It won't matter much in the long run time frame and you might find out important info.

Clogged ears and a post nasal drip could be sign of a cerebro spinal fluid leakage. It is usually also accompanied by a headache which gets better when lying down in bed but not always. The condition is uncommon after a concussion but does happen from time to time. This is of course only a qualified guess but i found some resources where you can learn more:

"Fluid fills my ears when i am exercising"
http://www.livestrong.com/article/38...im-exercising/

"CSF leak symptoms"
http://health.nytimes.com/health/gui.../overview.html

"Short Youtube video of cerebrospinal fluid leakage example"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAB1PRCigqc

You also ask if running with PCS can cause brain damage and the answer to that is yes for some & no for others. It is quite common for the brains auto regulation system to be compromised when suffering from PCS. If this is the case, serious injury may occur. In some cases the jarring of the brain while running can also be enough to cause a set back, especially if running in terrain or on a hard surface. The best answer to your question is that if you get worse after exercising then there is something wrong. Your body tells you the answer :)

That being said, if the symptoms subside quickly then it might get better over time as the brain retrains itself to handle the vascular load.
The problem when running can either stem from a cerebrospinal fluid leakage which is worsened when exercising or an autoregulation dysfunction of the brain. That would in my opinion be the most likely causes, although others may exist of which i have not heard.

-GlassHead

There is a very quick and simple test the doctor can do to check if it's cerebrospinal fluid leakage. They simply have you "drip" (or go after a drop with a swab) and put it on a little chemical strip to see if there's sugar in it. Cerebrospinal fluid contains sugar.

I couldn't run for ages, indeed I was so vulnerable to any sort of jolt so that each stride whilst running was too much. I even had to walk carefully.

I couldn't really find any evidence or guidance on this symptom though judging by this forum it is not uncommon.

I figured that something that uncomfortable was probably bad for me and didn't chance it. It improved very slowly and now I can run fine. So that would be my advice, wait until it feels ok before you run.

Good luck!

I have recently started feeling my never ending sensitivity getting a little better and i could manage to do very slow jogs. However, i feel some sort of irritation in my throat and my upper neck as if the jolts are irritating my upper neck and throat ( not sure if this is the case as i maybe be experiencing it because i am concentrating too much on my neck ? ) and i feel fogginess, disoriented and cant think straight ( kind of exhausted) after exercising ( maybe because i took exercising after a long time? And my body is overwhelmed with sudden activity?) Any thoughts ?

I wonder if you are so caught up thinking about the process of running you are not breathing properly? i.e. tense. This could account for fogginess. It does take a while to build up fitness. Have you tried swimming?