Pulsatile tinnitus - should I carry on ignoring it?

[greenfingers2026]

Had this for a while but it's getting more frequent (and more annoying!) I've been really stressed at work. Do the two go together? Is it ok to ignore and hope it goes away?

I have it sometimes but it then subsides to normal tinnitus. I’ve never looked into it.

If it is actually pulsatile, it's worth at least mentioning to your GP as I think it can indicate something else is going wrong sometimes. They can measure your heart as you tap out the pulse to see if it's matching and then consider what might be causing it. I have constant tinnitus in one ear and a pulse or wave in the other.

I had it after a bout of Covid and made the mistake of googling (best not do that!). I went to doctor and he was unconcerned. It eventually went away on its own.

If it’s persistent and isn’t shifting; definitely worth getting it checked out.

I got it a lot in pregnancy but it got better when I went on high dose iron supplements and became less anemic.

Have you had a blood test recently, might you be anemic?

I get it intermittently, and have seen on here that it should be checked out (but I haven’t).

Pulsatile tinnitus can often be cured (through surgery) if it is really affecting your life.

My advice:

Join the tinnitus forum on reddit. Search for a user called 'neyface.' They are based in Australia but have a wealth of knowledge about diagnostics and treatment for PT. I think they went through the process themselves a few years ago and are now cured. Ask them for advice. I think you need to find a good interventional radiologist to actually get a diagnosis.

I’ve had it for four years now, always in my left ear, sometimes shifts to my right too. I can tell you my heart rate just by listening. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, it’s not letting up in the slightest. It came on with bilateral vestibular hypofunction which incapacitated me for three months, that slowly resolved but the tinnitus remains. Other cardiac issues too at the time, still feel all Covid related.
Had MRI which was clear. NHS audiology said due to mild hearing loss (not convinced), private audiology said nothing wrong with hearing.
Once presented to A&E, carotid Doppler ok.
Bloods and BP ok.
I just try and ignore it but can hear it 24/7 clear as day. Morbidly I wonder what it will be like as I die and hear it slowing/stopping!!

My pulsatile tinnitus was linked to iron anemia. Whenever it comes back (rarely now) I know I need iron pills. I did go to the doctor and I had a scan of my head to make sure there wasn’t anything nefarious going on. Best to get it all checked!

Think there can be a lot of causes and most are not serious. Definitely get your Iron levels checked as after many years of worry and annoyance I finally linked mine to low ferretin. Ferretin should be 30 or over. I know my levels are dropping when it flares up.

Ive had this for years. Ive got heart issues but my cardiologist wasn't interested in the tinnitus and said not to worry about it. Ive also aeen an ENT and he wasnt worried either.

Mine is definitely worse with stress but I also discovered that when my TMJ and jaw issues are worse the pulsatile tinnitus is as well. I tried some jaw relaxing exercises on YouTube and it definitely helped.

I think i have small ear canals and then stress and jaw tension seem to make it worse.

I get this, usually later on in afternoon. The more dehydrated I am the worse it is.