Is Pulsatile Tinnitus Related to Tinnitus Caused by Hearing Damage?

[theekarwash]

I'm just curious.

 

[Karen]

That's a good question! Doctors would say that pulsatile tinnitus is vascular in nature, and doesn't have anything to do with hearing loss. However, I know that I have hearing loss in my tinnitus/pulsatile tinnitus ear, so I believe that my ear was already weakened, and that might have set the stage for the PT to begin.

Do you have hearing loss, and do you have PT?

 

[theekarwash]

That's a good question! Doctors would say that pulsatile tinnitus is vascular in nature, and doesn't have anything to do with hearing loss. However, I know that I have hearing loss in my tinnitus/pulsatile tinnitus ear, so I believe that my ear was already weakened, and that might have set the stage for the PT to begin.

Do you have hearing loss, and do you have PT?

I don't have hearing loss and I have both T and PT. I believe that an ear infection/cold caused this.

 

[Karen]

@theekarwash,

Since your tinnitus is so recent, and since it was caused by an ear infection and cold, it's possible that it will subside in time. I hope so! Have you been checked again, to make sure that the ear infection has totally cleared up? Is there any chance you might still have fluid in your ear? That might be what is causing the pulsating sound.

 

[theekarwash]

The infection is gone (I was told this 7 weeks ago), but my ears continuously pop and I can hear myself talking in my ear quite frequently (autophony). The infection was of the ear canal not of the middle ear so there was no fluid!

@theekarwash,

Since your tinnitus is so recent, and since it was caused by an ear infection and cold, it's possible that it will subside in time. I hope so! Have you been checked again, to make sure that the ear infection has totally cleared up? Is there any chance you might still have fluid in your ear? That might be what is causing the pulsating sound.

 

[theekarwash]

@theekarwash,

Since your tinnitus is so recent, and since it was caused by an ear infection and cold, it's possible that it will subside in time. I hope so! Have you been checked again, to make sure that the ear infection has totally cleared up? Is there any chance you might still have fluid in your ear? That might be what is causing the pulsating sound.

Oh, by the way, my tinnitus was 8th May, not 5th of August!

 

[Jay M]

I had an upper resp. sinus cold for about two weeks back in March '14 and after it cleared up, two days later I got loud T in both ears. I had low volume T before but so low it was forgettable. Now I have a slight pulsing to my high freq. T. Not the whooshing type. I really think it's a deep sinus issue.

 

[theekarwash]

I had an upper resp. sinus cold for about two weeks back in March '14 and after it cleared up, two days later I got loud T in both ears. I had low volume T before but so low it was forgettable. Now I have a slight pulsing to my high freq. T. Not the whooshing type. I really think it's a deep sinus issue.

I believe mine is a sinus issue too.

 

[Karen]

That must be what it is. My pulsating is truly in sync with my heartbeat; it is constant, and never changes. When it first started, it would whoosh more when I bent over or exerted myself in any way. Now, four years later, it has improved a lot. I'm hoping mine will eventually go away on its own, since it was caused by blood pressure changes and taking blood pressure meds.

For you, @Jay M, and @theekarwash, I'm hoping that yours settles down over time. It may take awhile, due to the healing process.

 

[Jay M]

Mine is in sync with my heart-rate. Ive read that inflammation in the sinus cavity, eustachian tubes etc can create a pulsating T.

 

[theekarwash]

Mine is in sync with my heart-rate. Ive read that inflammation in the sinus cavity, eustachian tubes etc can create a pulsating T.

Mine is also in sync with my heart-rate. BUT my pulsatile T isn't constant. My T is.

 

[Karen]

It sounds like both of you may have pulsatile tinnitus. Both my T and my PT are constant. At least both of mine have settled down quite a bit since the onset four years ago! I don't know how I'd make it if it were still as bad as it was then.

 

[Jay M]

It sounds like both of you may have pulsatile tinnitus. Both my T and my PT are constant. At least both of mine have settled down quite a bit since the onset four years ago! I don't know how I'd make it if it were still as bad as it was then.

What do you recommend doing?

 

[Karen]

Jay M,

It's probably a good idea to get checked out by a doctor, just to be sure there are no other problems associated with your PT. Have you been to a doctor to see if there might be any inflammation or sinus problems that could be causing it?

I went first to an ENT, back when mine started. I was checked, and the doctor could not see any major problems. He referred me to a neurotologist, who was more familiar with treating cases of PT. The neurotologist checked me for inflammation and sinus issues, and could not find anything. He then sent me for a CT scan of the temporal bone area. That came back negative. Since then, I've been to other doctors and had an MRI/MRA and a Doppler of the carotid arteries. All were negative.

You may not need to go through this process, if yours isn't severe and is not bothering you. But it might give you peace of mind to be checked, just to be sure.

 

[calin]

Pt here. No hearing loss. Can't identify the cause - could be blood pressure med changes from 2011. I hope to have this cleared in the near future as evidence is pointing in that direction.

 

[Karen]

Calin,

If you have success in lessening or eliminating your PT, would you be willing to share how you did it? That would give us all some hope! Mine has lessened in intensity since it started four years ago, but it's still there.

Here's wishing you success in beating this thing!

 

[theekarwash]

My PT hasn't been there for about 3/4 weeks (I think, I could only hear it in bed but I mask now so I haven't given myself a chance to hear it) whereas my T has been there pretty much 100% of the time.

 

[Karen]

That's very encouraging, theekarwash! Maybe yours has mostly subsided, too. During the day, the ringing is a lot more bothersome to me. Mine is reactive, meaning it gets worse in response to certain sounds. Is your ringing a hissing sort of sound?

 

[theekarwash]

That's very encouraging, theekarwash! Maybe yours has mostly subsided, too. During the day, the ringing is a lot more bothersome to me. Mine is reactive, meaning it gets worse in response to certain sounds. Is your ringing a hissing sort of sound?

Yeah hissing, changes if I pop my ears though, which happens VERY frequently, I have to pop them quite often. It becomes a lower tone if I pop them.

 

[Karen]

Yes, isn't it crazy how the tone can go up and down, depending on what you do? Maybe some day our T will settle down a lot more!