So I've had pulsatile tinnitus on and off for about eight years. It started very infrequently when I was around 15. When I was 18 and when I was 20, I had episodes where the pulsatile tinnitus stayed for around a week and then went away (both stressful times in my life). Other than that, it would sometimes happen for a few minutes when I was stressed or when I bent over really fast. Sometimes I also get a weird crackling noise in my ear and feel like the pressure is weird in that ear and then it starts to happen, though the pulsatile tinnitus sometimes starts without it.
These days, it doesn't happen often. It's only happened twice this year—once when my town was hit with a 5.6 earthquake (very stressful, as you can imagine) and once during an emotionally intense training at work. Both of those times, I noticed when I did the valsalva maneuver, I could make it come back for a few seconds but then it would go away again—which makes me wonder if it's maybe eustachian tube related? My dad has eustachian tube dysfunction so I've kind of hoped it's that, though he just gets regular tinnitus from that and not pulsatile tinnitus.
Two weeks ago I finally got an ENT appointment. She used her stethoscope to listen to my arteries and I think the veins around my ear, and she said she heard no bruits or anything to suggest an aneurysm or fistula and that my arteries/veins sound healthy. Unless it becomes constant or worse, she wants to just monitor it right now w/no imaging.
Here is what worries me: I noticed a few days ago that I can feel my pulse behind my right ear with my finger but it is fainter behind my left ear. The vein behind my right ear also feels more prominent than the one behind my left ear, though I can't visibly see either of them. Another weird thing is after I have a pulsatile tinnitus episode, I can make it come back for a few seconds by doing the Valsalva maneuver—which seems weird because I think usually Valsalva is supposed to make pulsatile tinnitus go away.
My right ear is the one with pulsatile tinnitus so now I'm worried I have an AV fistula. I know I should trust my ENT because she's the doctor but I can't help worrying it could still be something wrong with my veins/arteries.
Does anyone else notice a more prominent vein on that side? Did you ever get your pulsatile tinnitus diagnosed? Do these symptoms seem worrisome? I have OCD so it's literally all I can think of and the worry is taking over my life.
These days, it doesn't happen often. It's only happened twice this year—once when my town was hit with a 5.6 earthquake (very stressful, as you can imagine) and once during an emotionally intense training at work. Both of those times, I noticed when I did the valsalva maneuver, I could make it come back for a few seconds but then it would go away again—which makes me wonder if it's maybe eustachian tube related? My dad has eustachian tube dysfunction so I've kind of hoped it's that, though he just gets regular tinnitus from that and not pulsatile tinnitus.
Two weeks ago I finally got an ENT appointment. She used her stethoscope to listen to my arteries and I think the veins around my ear, and she said she heard no bruits or anything to suggest an aneurysm or fistula and that my arteries/veins sound healthy. Unless it becomes constant or worse, she wants to just monitor it right now w/no imaging.
Here is what worries me: I noticed a few days ago that I can feel my pulse behind my right ear with my finger but it is fainter behind my left ear. The vein behind my right ear also feels more prominent than the one behind my left ear, though I can't visibly see either of them. Another weird thing is after I have a pulsatile tinnitus episode, I can make it come back for a few seconds by doing the Valsalva maneuver—which seems weird because I think usually Valsalva is supposed to make pulsatile tinnitus go away.
My right ear is the one with pulsatile tinnitus so now I'm worried I have an AV fistula. I know I should trust my ENT because she's the doctor but I can't help worrying it could still be something wrong with my veins/arteries.
Does anyone else notice a more prominent vein on that side? Did you ever get your pulsatile tinnitus diagnosed? Do these symptoms seem worrisome? I have OCD so it's literally all I can think of and the worry is taking over my life.
