While searching, reading and asking others questions I cam across this information and wonder what you all think about this disorder. A lot of the symptoms are very close to what I experience. I think someone on here said they had been diagnosed with this disorder and would like to know what or how this diagnosis was arrived at by your doctor.
What are the symptoms of a Chiari malformation?
Many persons with a Type I CM do not have symptoms and may not know they have the condition. **Individuals with other CM types may complain of neck pain, balance problems, muscle weakness, numbness or other abnormal feelings in the arms or legs, dizziness, vision problems, difficulty swallowing, ringing or buzzing in the ears, hearing loss, vomiting, insomnia, depression, or headache **made worse by coughing or straining. Hand coordination and fine motor skills may be affected. Symptoms may change for some individuals, depending on the buildup of CSF and resulting pressure on the tissues and nerves. Adolescents and adults who have CM but no symptoms initially may, later in life, develop signs of the disorder.
ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chia … chiari.htm
Chiari malformation type I
Headaches, often severe, are the classic symptom of Chiari malformation. They’re typically precipitated with sudden coughing, sneezing or straining. People with Chiari malformation type I also can experience:
*** Neck pain (running down the shoulders at times)**
* Unsteady gait (problems with balance)
* Poor hand coordination (fine motor skills)
*** Numbness and tingling of the hands and feet
* Dizziness
* Difficulty swallowing (sometimes accompanied by gagging, choking and vomiting)
* Vision problems (blurred or double vision)**
* Slurred speech
Less often, people with Chiari malformation may experience:
* Ringing or buzzing in the ears (tinnitus)
* Poor bladder control
*** Chest pain, in a band-like pattern around the chest**
* Curvature of the spine (scoliosis) related to spinal cord impairment
* Abnormal breathing — specifically, sleep apnea characterized by periods of breathing cessation during sleep