Loud heartbeat in ear - high BP?

[Hobbes39]

Hi - I'm just over 17w pregnant with twins and just recently started to have this v annoying thing where I have this loud throbbing in my right ear which I'm sure is the sound of my pulse. I looked it up and dr google says it's pulsatile tinnitus - which has a number of causes but in prey it could be due to high blood pressure..?
I haven't been able to get a gp appt today, but will try again tomorrow, but the thing is I usually have LOW blood pressure rather than high, and while I know carrying twins and being older (I'm 42) puts me at risk of higher BP it's all new to me as last pregnancy I was feeling faint due to low bp! Anyone else had this and their bp be ok? Also, anyone had this and know how to stop it - it's SO annoying! Thanks x

Could you get an appointment with the practise nurse to check your bp? Failing that I’m sure pharmacists can check a persons blood pressure.

You can get your BP checked at a pharmacy, or, most GP surgeries have a BP machine in a separate room near the waiting area. You can just walk in and check it yourself.
You could be anaemic. Are you taking iron?

I had this while pg. It's called pulsatile tinnitus, can be brought on by increased blood capacity and will probably go away after you give birth.

Hi! I also have this, and am also carrying twins. Started about week 18 for me and my consultant tested me for aneamia. I'm now on double iron dose and the pulsing definitely deceased. It's because the heart has to work harder as less oxygen is in blood apparently.

Hi - thanks for your replies - I actually ordered a BP monitor on amazon prime last night and it arrived today - so was able to check it a few times today and even when having quite strong throbbing sound in my ear my bp was relatively low - highest measurement of the day was 114/60, others were around 104-110/56-60 (which is fairly standard for me)
So i don't think it's my bp... will ask to be checked for anaemia tomorrow (if I manage to get an appointment!) thanks x

My GP friend suggested that it might be because blood vessels sometimes become more relaxed during pregnancy...

So my gp reckons it's nothing to do with being pregnant, but I am sure it is...!
He said it's a Eustachian tube dysfunction - but I haven't got or had a cold or anything... didn't check me for anaemia as he said "you look well" (I always have rosy cheeks). BP was 104/58.
I know I'm no medic, but I just feel that it's not that...🤔
So it will go away in a week or so supposedly... hope he is right!

I have had this since I was a kid. It’s depressing and I’ve been referred to the hospital numerous times where they say they can’t do anything. It’s got significant worse in pregnancy so I’m preauming it’s to do with the increased blood flow?

@bobble53 - oh god - that's awful if you've had it always - I can hardly bear it at the moment, it's getting me really down today as it's overwhelming so making me grumpy and snappy! How do you cope?? X

I had this during both single pregnancies and I always had low blood pressure too! It was so annoying! Eventually went away around week 25. I definitely think it's to do with the blood vessels expanding and pulse rate increasing during pregnancy. Hope it goes away for you soon!

Thanks @RaspberryBubblegum - that's good to hear yours went away. It's making me so grumpy - did you find any way to get relief from it when you had it?

I had this throbbing heart beat in ear my BP was perfect yesterday. Goes on and off hope it nothing

Unfortunately nothing seemed to help. I think it was also more annoying because it was just in the one ear. I remember lying in the bath with water covering that ear trying to drown the sound out 😂 hope you manage to find something that works! 💐

Could it be tinnitus? That can occur or get worse in pregnancy.

I have had that for years. Not notice it get any worse now I’m pregnant. I assumed it is more to the fact I am partially deaf.
I too have low blood pressure, have never been told it can be linked to high.

My blood pressure is on the lower end of normal 110/60 last reading and I get this a lot (have done for years) and I'm not pregnant. I've never really given it much thought tbh.

For me it was a sign of severe anemia. (I wasn't pregnant when it happened through)

I had it during my singleton pregnancy. It drove me crazy. My BP was quite low too. It went away after birth.

I did have a complication with high pressure in the uterine arteries which caused issues with blood flow to the baby but I don't think there was a link.

I’ve had this on and off since my twenties. It can get worse in pregnancy, but luckily I’ve not suffered too badly.