Pulsatile Tinnitus ?

[Theonlyoneiknow]

Just wondering if anyone had any experience of this?

Have had it on and off for a week now. Only notice it when it's very quiet (mainly when trying to get to sleep!) and sounds like I can hear my heartbeat/pulsing in my right ear.

Have made a GP appt for next week incase it hasn't gone away by then.

Any thoughts, should I be worried?

[Tansie]

It's probably 'nothing' and will clear itself, however, your doc may send you for an MRI which should take 10 minutes or so to rule out a Acoustic Neuroma - NOT cancerous! plus, in the case of pulsatile tinnitus, rather than just tinnitus, either an MRI of your carotid arteries (a further 10 minutes, maybe?) as there's a small chance the tinnitus is being caused by a blockage of the arteries that go up from you aorta (main body blood vessel) up into your head; this may involve a small injection of 'dye' (gadolinium); or a CT scan of your carotid arteries (5 minutes) which will involve an injection of another 'dye' (iodine), depending on the sophistication of the MRI scanner they have. Often if there's a CT and MRI scanner in close proximity, they can do one after the other.

These are common 'every-day' tests. Neither 'dye' should cause you any problems whatsoever providing your kidney function is OK. You may be asked to go for a blood test prior to the scan to check this.

HTH

[Theonlyoneiknow]

Thanks tansie, the noise wasn't there all day but has just come back now, this evening :-(

[PJ67]

Hi. I had a similar thing but when I took my pulse I realised it wasn't in time with my heartbeat, have you tried that. Mine was a thumping sound in my left ear. I went to an ent doctor who diagnosed tensor tympani syndrome, which is basically a spasm of the muscles in the ear. He said if it didn't clear up he could snip the muscle but after about 2 or 3 months it just seemed to disappear.

[awaynboilyurheid]

Had this with symptoms of underactive thyroid its a very weird feeling had to google it and then realised it goes along with my wonky thyroid, I had to keep repositioning my head to make it stop, very strange sensation isn't it ? perhaps get your thyroid levels checked, it has improved as I have been on thyroxine but occasionally comes back.

[Littlemissmax]

@Theonlyoneiknow

Just wondering if anyone had any experience of this?

Have had it on and off for a week now. Only notice it when it's very quiet (mainly when trying to get to sleep!) and sounds like I can hear my heartbeat/pulsing in my right ear.

Have made a GP appt for next week incase it hasn't gone away by then.

Any thoughts, should I be worried?

I know this is a super old post but what was it in the end? X