From Steady to Pulsatile Tinnitus

[Mark Griffin]

Hi all,

I have had various steady tones in my right ear for 18 months or so but have now noticed recently that one of the high pitched 'fuzzy' tones has gone from steady to occasionally pulsatile in nature, especially when laying down. Can this be taken as positive or is it just one of those things?

Cheers all

Mark

 

[Karen]

Hi, Mark,

That's hard to say. True pulsatile tinnitus is usually steady (but not always), and is vascular in nature. Can you tell if the pulsating is in time with your heartbeat?

What was the original cause of your tinnitus?

I wouldn't be too concerned unless it becomes more intense and/or more steady. Then, you might want to have it checked out, just for your peace of mind.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[Mark Griffin]

Hi Karen,

I've never had a diagnosis for my T but i think a lot is muscular (somatic), hearing is fine. It definitely pulses in time with my heartbeat. Things to note are

1) I'm going through very bad anxiety and depression at the moment. Really bad indeed. Waiting for CBT appointment.
2) I've been doing a lot of neck stretches and trigger point therapy and i'm booked in for acupuncture next month.

Whether this has changed the dynamics of the T remains to be seen i guess. It's just odd how it's changing as i'm doing these things. Totally fed up with it now and all the other physical symptoms my anxiety is bringing.

 

[Carlos1]

@Mark Griffin Hey Mark yeah man its a roller coaster ride its been 22 months for me and sometimes I think I can deal with my T and then there are other times where my brain just stays focused on the T and I get over whelmed with anxiety and depression and then it takes me weeks to climb out of that. I guess I just what to tell you you're not alone just try to do things to distract yourself.
Hang in there man some day we'll have a cure or coping meds

 

[Karen]

Hi, again, @Mark Griffin,

Yes, anxiety may have a lot to do with it. Mine started after taking a blood pressure drug, but there was a lot of anxiety surrounding me at that time, too. So I think it is possible that anxiety, and perhaps the additional therapies, could have something to do with it.

Glad you're going to CBT; hopefully, that will make it a little bit easier for you to cope with. For me, focusing my mind on other things has been the best therapy of all. I've tried acupuncture, chiropractic, reiki, etc., and distraction seems to work best.

I wish you luck with the therapies you're going to now, and hope your T and PT begin to change for the better!

 

[Mark Griffin]

Thanks to both of you. Hopefully i can get some respite from this as it's really very tough at the mo.

 

[Mark Griffin]

Well i've just scared myself to death. I foolishly wiggled my finger in my bad ear because it was itching then all of a sudden this huge loud pulsing low tone came from no-where. It faded after a minute or so, what the hell was that?!

 

[Karen]

That's a good question, Mark! I'm glad it was only temporary, and it seems like you may have caused a pressure change in your ear to cause the change in pulsating. It may have upset the balance (perhaps having to do with the Eustachian tubes) momentarily.

 

[Mark Griffin]

Hi, this low hum is always there but very low, whatever i did really annoyed it, never had it that loud before. I'm thinking Eustachian tube myself as i can open them at will without swallowing etc and i think doing that all the time throughout my life may have damaged the tube of my bad ear.

 

[Mark Griffin]

Well finally, after one and a half years, ENT have offered me an MRI of my inner ear. Booked in for Sunday so fingers and toes crossed.

 

[Karen]

That's good news, Mark! Please update us after you get the results of your test.

 

[DebInAustralia]

Hey Mark,

I have pulsatile tinnitus sometimes (or I am aware of it sometimes).

It used to freak me out, until my audio suggested that it was probably pressure changes in my ear (as the auditory nerve lies in close proximity to the blood vessels). Once I stopped freaking out (for me), I have noticed I don't hear it much these days.......but I can induce it ie leaning forward or sometimes when I am lying on my side......

let us know how you get on with your tests

 

[LaurieR]

Please let us know how your MRI goes. I have the same pulsating T and this is after having a low level of t all my life. Saw an ENT and said everything is normal except a high frequency hearing loss at a low level. He gave me a name to a psychologist but she never called me back. I do a lot of yoga and I wondered about the pressure I put on my neck and head trying to do poses. I am not strong yet to do some of these. So after reading your posts I realized maybe I damaged some kind of balance. Have you or anyone else tried any of those masking hearing aids?

 

[Constable85]

Mark, I developed the low hum too. Sounds like a tiny tugboat blowing its tiny horn in my left ear. Sometimes it's steady and sometimes it's in and out. I don't think mines in tune with my pulse though. Weird. Currently working on habituation.

 

[Karen]

Please let us know how your MRI goes. I have the same pulsating T and this is after having a low level of t all my life. Saw an ENT and said everything is normal except a high frequency hearing loss at a low level. He gave me a name to a psychologist but she never called me back. I do a lot of yoga and I wondered about the pressure I put on my neck and head trying to do poses. I am not strong yet to do some of these. So after reading your posts I realized maybe I damaged some kind of balance. Have you or anyone else tried any of those masking hearing aids?

Hi, Laurie,

I have both a high-pitched hissing regular tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus. I did try the masking/hearing aids on a 30 day trial basis, but I had to take them back because they made my pulsating worse. However, each person is different, and they might be very effective for you.

Since you can try them for free for about 30 days, it might be worthwhile to check them out, to see how they work for you.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[Mark Griffin]

Hi all,

Finally got my MRI results which said, 'scan of both internal auditory meatuses are normal' so nothing found which is a relief. So just what is causing the rumbling. I don't think i'll ever find out.