How Often Is Pulsatile Tinnitus Serious?

[DougDude]

I'm wondering if anyone knows how often pulsatile tinnitus is serious. As in a DAVF or other fistula, tumor, etc... generally something that requires surgery.

My anxiety about it is starting to get the best of me. I'm starting to realize if it isn't just inflammation caused by something, then it is likely serious. And I'm starting to think it isn't simply inflammation.

I rarely see stories of people stating their PT went away in a couple months.

Thanks!

 

[Tinniger]

May I ask a few questions?
Do you have it at both ears?
What does your pulsatile tinnitus sound like?
Can you change it by jaw or head movements?
Can you change it by squeezing blood vessels? (At your own risk).
Can the sound be heard by the examiner? (objective Tinnitus).
Remind: There is also somatic pulsatile tinnitus (Levine et al.)

This is one of the best paper:
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/pdf.asp?id=141577

Usually even serious causes, e.g. carotis dissection, have a very good prognosis....

 

[DougDude]

May I ask a few questions?
Do you have it at both ears?
What does your pulsatile tinnitus sound like?
Can you change it by jaw or head movements?
Can you change it by squeezing blood vessels? (At your own risk).
Can the sound be heard by the examiner? (objective Tinnitus).
Remind: There is also somatic pulsatile tinnitus (Levine et al.)

This is one of the best paper:
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/pdf.asp?id=141577

Usually even serious causes, e.g. carotis dissection, have a very good prognosis....

Hey @Tinniger ... Thanks for responding! You can read more about my symptoms in detail here... https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/left-ear-2-weeks-and-scared.28378/

But here are the answers to your questions...
1. Do you have it at both ears?
No, just my left ear

2. What does your pulsatile tinnitus sound like?
When it first started around 3 weeks ago, it was faint whoosh. I was downstairs in the basement in my music studio. No I don't listen to loud music... I've always been very protective of my hearing. Anyway, I was down there and thought our washing machine was running upstairs. It wasn't until I put on headphones I realized it was me. It was pretty faint to start with though.
Now it is a loud whoosh. However, it changes and can change without me moving. Goes from a whoosh, whoosh, to a wheeesh wheeesh. I've also had it change mid whoosh.... like a whoosh whooeeesh... eeesh... weeesh.
For the most part, it sounds like walking in snow. Or an ultrasound on a child in the womb.

3. Can you change it by jaw or head movements?
Yea, 'kinda... I can't change it that much. As I open my mouth it gets quieter... However, a few days ago one of the ways I could stop it was by opening my mouth all the way. Now I don't quite have to go all the way, but I notice it gets quieter as I open.

4. Can you change it by squeezing blood vessels?
I'm not sure where my blood vessels are, but I can stop it by pressing pretty hard under the ear in the soft spot. I can also stop it by pressing on the hard spot behind the ear. I think I point this out in detail in my original thread.

5. Can the sound be heard by the examiner? (objective Tinnitus).
This hasn't been tested yet, but I'm going to have my wife check tonight. She is a nurse.

I'm not familiar with teh somatic PT yet. I will have to read up on that.

Thanks again!

 

[volsung37]

I had PT for 8 months. Loud whooshing sound in left ear and sometimes a harder sound in rhythm with the heart. I believe it was caused by some kind of middle ear infection which also caused rupture of the eardrum.
It disappeared and was replaced 8 months after by regular tinnitus.

 

[1MW]

ok look here http://www.whooshers.com/
Your pulsatile tinnitus may be cured if you find good doctors.
Pulsatile tinnitus is a special category of tinnitus that most of the time have vascular origin and the treatment is from drugs to fix the problem and sometimes surgery.

Plain tinnitus is most of the time incurable but whoosh whoosh whoosh is curable.

I hope you go to good doctors that will identify the cause and fix it.
Say to your doctors to check the site http://www.whooshers.com/ to see similar cases.

Also please don't forget after your tinnitus is cured to come back and say to us the reason caused your tinnitus and how you fixed it.

 

[DougDude]

ok look here http://www.whooshers.com/
Your pulsatile tinnitus may be cured if you find good doctors.
Pulsatile tinnitus is a special category of tinnitus that most of the time have vascular origin and the treatment is from drugs to fix the problem and sometimes surgery.

Plain tinnitus is most of the time incurable but whoosh whoosh whoosh is curable.

I hope you go to good doctors that will identify the cause and fix it.
Say to your doctors to check the site http://www.whooshers.com/ to see similar cases.

Also please don't forget after your tinnitus is cured to come back and say to us the reason caused your tinnitus and how you fixed it.

Thanks! I've been to whooshers.com and that was one of the sites that scared me. Fistulas, tumors, etc.

I will definitely be back here if I get cured and post what it was.

My MRA that was scheduled for this morning is cancelled. Someone dropped the ball somewhere. The insurance hasn't pre-certed it yet. So looks like I will have to go all weekend not knowing anything... in the meantime wondering if it is serious and I have a brain bleed or something.

I'm still hopeful it is just some sort of infection or inflammation that will die down. Sometimes my nose kinda pops like when you have a cold and that will change the sound of the whoosh. Seems like it is related to pressure somehow. But pressure from what? Still scared it could be a tumor pressing on something.

I know there is no sense in worrying until I have the test done. That's easier said than done though.

Thanks all!

 

[glynis]

@DougDude ,
MRI and ultrasound on your neck are the best tests along with blood tests and BP tested.
A friend of mine has pulsitile tinnitus and was put on a small beta blocker and uses a hearing aid and copes a lot better now.
Her mild hearing loss caused her to pick her pulse up from her Caroted Artery .
Love glynis

 

[tiniturtle]

I believe most are benign, or they can't find the cause. Mine in particular is a DAVF, an aggressive one. I actually have surgery in a few weeks as it's potentially life threatening.

 

[DougDude]

I believe most are benign, or they can't find the cause. Mine in particular is a DAVF, an aggressive one. I actually have surgery in a few weeks as it's potentially life threatening.

Thoughts and prayers for you @tiniturtle! Be sure to let us all know how it goes.

DAVFs are one of the things that scare me. I hope you are coping well and don't have much anxiety.

 

[DougDude]

Today around lunch the whoosh kinda subsided a bit and I noticed as I was walking, it was changing the whoosh... almost like when there is water in your ear. It has since gone back to the way it was, but that kinda gave me hope maybe it is just fluid in my ear and the docs couldn't see it.

 

[Tinniger]

Or an ultrasound on a child in the womb.

I also recommend an MRI with contrast agent.

 

[DougDude]

I also recommend an MRI with contrast agent.

Having it today at 1pm. Do my symptoms sound like something bad?

 

[GJSCAR]

I was diagnosed with pulsating tinnitus in September 2017. I have had an CATA, MRA and a cerebral angiogram. All images have come back clear. My PCP told me not to have the cerebral angiogram because I had the MRA but I didn't listen. I ended up having six infarctions during the procedure after the catheter dislodged plaque that broke off and because they were shooting dye into my vessels and looking at my vessels in my head, the plaque went to my brain. Very minor but I'm left with sensory issues in my right side of my mouth and fingers on my right hand. Every specialist agree the mini strokes were due to the procedure. But my confidence has been shaken. My tinnitus went away after the mini strokes because my brain was occupied with healing. The tinnitus came back with a vengeance 3 months after but now I get the vibrations and tingling with it now. I've had another MRI after the mini strokes and all clear.

Didn't know PT came with vibrations around head and neck. Wow!