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Do late effects of sinus radiation contribute to TBI/concussion?
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Apr 5 11:51pm | Replies (32)Comment receiving replies
Hi @ponygirlnd and welcome to Connect and specifically the head and neck group. You pose an interesting question.
Myself I am a patient, not a doctor. After radiation therapy to my noggin, which blasted the hair off the back of my neck, I suffered loss of memory and some temporary loss of motor function. With the motor function I either regained it or my body found a work-around like MS patients often do.
The memory issue was rather disturbing as one does not know what one does not remember. A few old acquaintances I not only did not recognize, I simply did not remember them at all. Words I spoke would be accented sporadically from different areas where I had once lived such as USA vs United Kingdom or Midwest vs Louisiana. This made my speech awkward for years.
So, does radiation affect your brain? Clinically I have no idea. Experience and logic would however point to the affirmative.
How serious is this for you and how long since cessation of radiation?
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@hrhwilliam
OK, my surgeries for maxillary-and ethmoid cancer followed by radiation for six weeks was in late 2006. This scarred my smelling glands so I have no sense of smell now. Then dry eyes set in and migraines so I use Restasis eye drops for the rest of my life. Then osteoradionecrosis meant the loss of teeth after hyperbarics. Dentures and partials when I leave the house. In 2012 I started having issues of what I now called flooding. This can be seen in videos on the Northern brain injury association website in Canada. (www.nbia.ca) and I thought I was having some symptoms of hyperacusis also. Many ENT‘s will try to tell you it is caused by mental health issues when actually it is damaged to the inner ear caused by surgeries or trauma, etc. We do not have support services where I live and remote Northern, Maine. I did travel to the functional neurology center (www.theFNC.com) Minnetonka, Minnesota for diagnostic treatment and homework for TBI/post concussion because I have been falling off horses most of my life also. As an equine assisted learning facilitator I noticed my patience a bit short with people around 2016 and attributed that to TBI? Thankfully I still have two horses that keep me busy and balanced emotionally and spiritually. I am sorry to hear about your memory issues. At 71 I do repeat a lot, but still sit on a horse whenever possible venture out into the woods to help my physical balance and prayer time.