Is My Tinnitus Pulsatile or Not?

[tinnitusbob]

I've been having off and on high pitched tinnitus mostly in my right ear.

I've noticed recently, though, that it's been getting louder. It also accompanied some significant jawbone pain two days in the last week. It seems like a tea kettle, though higher, but definitely oscillates in volume.

At times it seems like it can be tracking my heartbeat or pulsatile, but when I try to check with my pulse on my wrist I don't seem to have much luck tracking synchronicity. If it does seem to be pulsing, it's typically very brief (only a couple of seconds).

At times it seems constant in tone and others to fluctuate in volume, either randomly or with some sort of pulsating.

Does this sound like some form of pulsatile tinnitus or something likely due to muscle inflammation or another cause? thanks for any help.

 

[Karen]

It's hard to say, because tinnitus can definitely fluctuate in volume and sound without being pulsatile. I have pulsatile tinnitus, and mine is a very steady, constant pulsating. I can count my heartbeats! I also have regular tinnitus in the same ear, and that is more of a hissing sound, which at times can fluctuate.

I'd like to hear other people's comments on this topic, but to me, yours sounds less like pulsatile and more like regular tinnitus. The cause can vary --- anything from hearing loss to injury to inflammation to TMJ.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@tinnitusbob I have high pitched somatic and pulsatile T mostly in my left ear, but the somatic element will change ears or go centralized. I also have jaw joint temporomandibular problems. My problem started from muscle spasms with age problems in neck and sore jaw from a dental procedure.

With many the neck is where it begins, then pressing on teeth follows. If so, a mouth guard may be helpful. Wikipedia has one of the best articles with treatment advice on jaw problems. Place Wikipedia Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction into internet search.

Something on one side may be off balance, diseased, infected or strained. Higher pitch on one side often includes pulsating. Modulation to one side sometimes will show a one sided problem.

 

[bpotze]

I too have pulsatile tinnitus....just went to a vascular neurosurgeon...but he said there isn't anything they can do about it....checked everything to make sure there were no abnormalities ... a CAT scan an MRI and an MRA....I too can count my heartbeat....so I can constantly hear my heartbeating in my ear....and I too have regular tinnitus in both ears....

 

[Scared111]

I too have pulsatile tinnitus....just went to a vascular neurosurgeon...but he said there isn't anything they can do about it....checked everything to make sure there were no abnormalities ... a CAT scan an MRI and an MRA....I too can count my heartbeat....so I can constantly hear my heartbeating in my ear....and I too have regular tinnitus in both ears....

He didn't suggest a cerebral angiogram? did you get the pulsatile tinnitus first or the reg tinnitus?