Ear whooshing

[Mummabear10032021]

Has anyone experienced whooshing sound in their ear? Have it on and off for 6 months now. I have tinnitus for the last 8 years which I don't even notice anymore. I've heard of pulsatile tinnitus too and that's what it sounds like I have ? Whooshing in sync with my pulse. I'm really stressed over it now . Anyone have this but really quietly and have learned to lice with it ?

@XmasSocks may I ask what it was causing your whooshing

@Chewbecca hey I've noticed mine went away after taking nasal spray too. It's called dymista. Has yours ever come back? Is went to gp and he said the ear was a small but red and gave me antibiotic ear drops too

OP do you have any of these signs, along with the whooshing?

• Persistent headache or neck ache
• Sudden pain in your head when coughing, laughing, bending down
• Blurred vision when coughing, laughing etc
• And are you overweight at all?

I used to have these signs alongside the whooshing, I have intracranial hypertension. Easily controlled.

@PurpleSky300 thanks for the reply. I definitely do get headaches and pressure when bending down or at the back of my head. No vision problems at all. I'm not overweight. I'm 5'5 and I weigh 57kg. Is your whooshing gone now ?

That’s great. Mine went completely after a few attempts with the beconase.

@Chewbecca and was your quite loud and in sync with your heartbeat? Sorry for the 21 questions but just hoping it's gone for me too 🤞 do you have regular tinnitus also or no?

Pulsatile tinnitus can definitely be related to anemia as a pp said. If yours in on and off, that could be a possibility. Mine went away after I was put on iron tablets because I had very low ferritin (crappy periods).

@Suhbataar thanks for the reply. I did get my bloods done on Thursday. I wanted to check iron levels . Dr dismissed it he said I don't look anemic but I requested them regardless .they told me to ring on the 27th for results. I'll keep posted here 🤞 hopefully that's the reason.

I've had this for 3 years now. GP wasn't bothered. I have low blood pressure so not that and no wax in ears. I've seen cardiologist and ENT for other things and mentioned it and both were dismissive about it. Also had clear head MRI (for other issues). It's only in my left ear.

I think mine could be stress/anxiety. It's always worse in the evening for some reason.

I've often wondered if it's because I have very small ear canals so my ear drum is close to a vein/artery or something as my ear canals are too small to keep in earbuds etc and things like those foam earplugs are really painful. So basically a structural issue. Doesn't explain why it only started 3 years ago though.

Be very careful with unilateral pulsatile tinnitus. If I were to see you I would be referring you to ENT for an MRI.

if you have a sudden loss of hearing PLEASE get to ENT immediately, you have 48 hours for treatment otherwise the hearing loss can be permanent.

otherwise get to the GP and ask for a referral.

Also google “menieres disease”

Hi OP - it could be many things but persistent headache, pressure at the back of your head, pain in your head when bending and coughing etc are all common with intracranial hypertension and I would be asking for at least a CT scan to have a look. It's a rare condition but around 90% of patients are women in their 20s-40s.

Do you wear glasses or have regular eye tests? If so, I'd recommend having an OCT test which can show if you have swollen optic nerves. This is how my IIH was picked up, even though I'd had headaches for years before that. I was sent straight from the optician to the hospital for an MRI and lumbar puncture. All sorted and well controlled now with medication, I don't have any whooshing or pressure anymore.

Just want to add as well - you can have IIH (pressure around the brain) without having high blood pressure. Once can be a complication of the other but they can occur independently as well.

Does it show up on an MRI or only CT?

When it happens to me, it always means my anemia has gotten worse. I have gone to the doctor for bloodwork confirmation enough times that now I just increase my iron (within the range I was given as acceptable) and see if it goes away.

My dd got hers diagnosed through lumber puncture, and mri was to check for other things causing her optic nerve swelling picked up on oct at routine eye test iirc

Iih that is

I wonder why it would happen with anemia. I can't understand how iron levels in the blood would affect you being able to hear your pulse in your ear? The body is so weird!

Do you have any other health issues? I had whooshing in time to my pulse with low b12

Ask for your B12 levels too. The nhs is crap, they will say anything above 150 or 180 is fine but it’s not. No other country sees low levels as ok.

Yes, completely aligned with my heartbeat.

I also get tinnitus, though intermittently.

I do have a CTD which affects my ears ans attribute it all to slightly dodgy tube shapes as a result of that.

Tinnitus can also be b12 deficiency linked

@Chewbecca thanks again. Hopefully it stays away for me too 🤞have a great Christmas