After a Cold, One of My Tinnitus Sounds Is in Sync with My Heartbeat: Is It Pulsatile Tinnitus?

[Ivano_m]

After catching a cold, I've been experiencing one of my two tinnitus sounds in sync with my heartbeat for about a week. This is obviously keeping me from sleeping. During the day, it is masked by the other tinnitus, although I still perceive it a bit.

The cold has completely passed (I didn't take any medication).

Should this be temporary, or should I see a doctor?

I really hope the heartbeat goes away; paradoxically, it's what's keeping me awake compared to the two tinnitus sounds I already have.

 

[RunningMan]

After catching a cold, I've been experiencing one of my two tinnitus sounds in sync with my heartbeat for about a week. This is obviously keeping me from sleeping. During the day, it is masked by the other tinnitus, although I still perceive it a bit.

The cold has completely passed (I didn't take any medication).

Should this be temporary, or should I see a doctor?

I really hope the heartbeat goes away; paradoxically, it's what's keeping me awake compared to the two tinnitus sounds I already have.

How would you describe the synced tinnitus?

My high-frequency tinnitus is bilateral, but I sometimes have a chirping static sound in my left ear that matches my heart rate, but it's not a wooshing sound. It's more like intensified bursts of my regular tinnitus, and I hear it over everything, even louder than my baseline regular tinnitus. I first noticed the additional sound about ten months ago when I started SSRIs for a short time and later noted it was synced to my heart rate. It hasn't improved, but it's still intermittent and not often there. I do hear it sometimes when I wake in the middle of the night, but I've been able to sleep using my usual crickets sounds (and sleep medications).

 

[Ivano_m]

How would you describe the synced tinnitus?

The sound I hear is the same as my 'normal' tinnitus, but now it's synchronized with my heartbeat, so I don't know exactly how to describe it. It's not a new sound; rather, my tinnitus has become this rhythmic noise. I notice it more in silence because it gets masked by my other tinnitus and everyday sounds.

 

[Terry23]

This happened to me. I had it about six years ago. I went to a doctor; they could find nothing wrong.

It went by itself after about a year or so and never came back—a temporary transition of my tinnitus journey.

Get checked out by a professional, just in case.

 

[JDoe]

This is what happened to me. My pulsatile tinnitus started after I had a cold. It will be two years this December, and it has faded slightly. I think I'm getting used to it, but it's definitely still there.

I've seen an ENT specialist and am currently in the process of being referred to a vascular surgeon. It has taken over six months just to have a discussion about my file. They want me to get another CT scan and an eye pressure test. I really don't want to undergo surgery on my head, so I'm torn about what to do.

I'm sorry I don't have specific advice for you, but I can share what I've tried. I've been to a chiropractor, seen a naturopath, and found that acupuncture has been helpful. However, acupuncture is quite expensive for us, so it's challenging to go consistently.