A month ago my ears started to ring. Not all the time mostly when I stood up accompanied by a fullness that would then pop. My parents were going out of town at this time and I was so stressed about that so I didn't pay it much notice I was a bit more tired than usual but I am prone to fatigue so again didn't pay much attention.
When my parents came back four days later I had a day where I started feeling less good I had a headache behind my right eye and the ringing was still going on. I mentioned both to my parents but it could be a one off thing and hey i'm still pretty stressed. I have a night where I am nauseated and uncontrollably shaking and I can't regulate my temperature...that's odd.
I stop wanting to eat much and the ringing keeps on along with neck pain and joint pain and crackling in my ears when I yawn. I am depressed due to outside factors so maybe that's it....then two weeks ago I start having meltdowns every single day sometimes more than once I am miserable and tired and my whole family is frustrated with me. The ringing keeps on.
Then yesterday I go to urgent care. I have a sinus infection and an ear infection. I have had both for a month. I didn't connect my symptoms to anything more than stress or didn't pay attention to them much at all but more than that I didn't communicate.
I tend to have two modes when something is wrong: act oddly cool and unbothered as it just leaves my mind or act as if the world is caving in. I tended to have the first response up until this week when it got so painful. Even then I didn't see it as pain I just was upset. Like a baby pull at their ear when they have an ear infection but not able to use words. That's the skill set I have.
After I got back my parents and I had a talk about how it makes sense I would be acting more prickly since I had been sick for so long but that we need to find ways to work around the fact that I often don't know what I am feeling and also when I tell people I am in pain I do it in ways that seem like I am just having a meltdown or I don't think it's a big deal. I also don't have a big impulse to look for help or know what words to say. Of course part of that is I just need to figure out how I am feeling inside. I am now taking some antibiotics and resting.
Of course this is also impacted by the fact that I am dependent on my parents for most things so I can't just go and drive to urgent care by myself. I don't know how to drive and I also need help talking to them most of the time so my parents will help.
Does being autistic affect the way you feel when sick? Or how you look for help?
TL; DR I had a sinus infection and an ear infection for a month and didn't fully notice till it was so bad I could not function. I have no interoception or communication skills (well that's a slight exaggeration)
When my parents came back four days later I had a day where I started feeling less good I had a headache behind my right eye and the ringing was still going on. I mentioned both to my parents but it could be a one off thing and hey i'm still pretty stressed. I have a night where I am nauseated and uncontrollably shaking and I can't regulate my temperature...that's odd.
I stop wanting to eat much and the ringing keeps on along with neck pain and joint pain and crackling in my ears when I yawn. I am depressed due to outside factors so maybe that's it....then two weeks ago I start having meltdowns every single day sometimes more than once I am miserable and tired and my whole family is frustrated with me. The ringing keeps on.
Then yesterday I go to urgent care. I have a sinus infection and an ear infection. I have had both for a month. I didn't connect my symptoms to anything more than stress or didn't pay attention to them much at all but more than that I didn't communicate.
I tend to have two modes when something is wrong: act oddly cool and unbothered as it just leaves my mind or act as if the world is caving in. I tended to have the first response up until this week when it got so painful. Even then I didn't see it as pain I just was upset. Like a baby pull at their ear when they have an ear infection but not able to use words. That's the skill set I have.
After I got back my parents and I had a talk about how it makes sense I would be acting more prickly since I had been sick for so long but that we need to find ways to work around the fact that I often don't know what I am feeling and also when I tell people I am in pain I do it in ways that seem like I am just having a meltdown or I don't think it's a big deal. I also don't have a big impulse to look for help or know what words to say. Of course part of that is I just need to figure out how I am feeling inside. I am now taking some antibiotics and resting.
Of course this is also impacted by the fact that I am dependent on my parents for most things so I can't just go and drive to urgent care by myself. I don't know how to drive and I also need help talking to them most of the time so my parents will help.
Does being autistic affect the way you feel when sick? Or how you look for help?
TL; DR I had a sinus infection and an ear infection for a month and didn't fully notice till it was so bad I could not function. I have no interoception or communication skills (well that's a slight exaggeration)