Hey Pfunk

I have a definite association between an ear infection in my left ear (cluster side) and increased ch activity. The question I can't answer though is what causes what, is it the cluster activity that causes stress in my ear or is it the ear that exites the cluster. I haven't managed to quantify the effect of antibiotics though. All I know is that when my ear is blocked and sore the ch is worse, antibiotics help the ear and I get back to normal. Interestingly I am very prone to infections in the left ear (twice a year at least) - and Drs are at a loss to explain why - whereas my right ear is fine.

Yeah....cause and effect......always a tough one. I had constant ear aches as a child, stopped at about 10 years old, and don't believe I ever had a sinus infection. So no help here!

Joe

just went to my gp yesterday to get my right ear (cluster side)  checked cause it was sore and found out I had a ear infection.been in cycle for a couple of months now he put me on anti biotics for the ear infection just my input.

Pfunk wrote on Feb 27^th, 2010 at 11:48am:

I used to suffer sinusitis chronically, treated by countless courses of different antibiotics.  I didn't know about CHs; my episodic head pain was 'mis-diagnosed' as sinus pain and nerve damage-related, as I had had 3 sinus operations. Since then my sinusitis has become episodic and I have been diagnosed chronic (CH).  So, your guess is as good as mine.  For all I know, it was all the antibiotics that I took, or nerve damage resulting from surgery that caused my CH to flip (episodic/chronic).  So, as regards cause and effect, I doubt I will ever know, unless I could roll back and run my life again without taking any antibiotics, or having surgery.  As regards the semantics, for as long as I can any longer remember, I've constantly had PAIN somewhere in my head, of one sort or another.  Call it what you want, but for me it simply remains a 4-letter expletive, something that I just wish someone would delete.