Is This Pulsatile Tinnitus?

[Logan]

I have had tinnitus for about 9 months now and just recently every so often my left ear will start making beating sounds and I will feel it too. It only happens every few days usually and it is almost always in my left ear. It sometimes will start if I yawn or do something similar. I have had a cold for like a week so maybe that is causing this to happen. Any information will be helpful!

 

[Karen]

Hi, Logan,

It could be PT, but it's more likely to be tensor tympani syndrome, which may be experienced by people with tinnitus. It's a muscle spasm in the inner ear.

I've attached a link to an article about tensor tympani syndrome:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23571302

You might want to Google tensor tympani syndrome, for more information.

The tensor tympani is a muscle in the ear, and it can go into spasms sometimes, causing the symptom that feels like a flutter, or a heartbeat. I'm not a doctor, but I think it's possible that it could be aggravated by the fact that you have a cold.

 

[Logan]

Hi, Logan,

It could be PT, but it's more likely to be tensor tympani syndrome, which may be experienced by people with tinnitus. It's a muscle spasm in the inner ear.

I've attached a link to an article about tensor tympani syndrome:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23571302

You might want to Google tensor tympani syndrome, for more information.

The tensor tympani is a muscle in the ear, and it can go into spasms sometimes, causing the symptom that feels like a flutter, or a heartbeat. I'm not a doctor, but I think it's possible that it could be aggravated by the fact that you have a cold.

Thank you for the information! I have had the beating sound before not to long ago but it was not to frequent, so I am guessing it is because of my cold like you said.

 

[Karen]

Yes, I agree. I think if you had pulsatile tinnitus, you'd know it! My PT is constant, and I can time it to my heartbeat. Yours appears to be sporadic.

Please do report back after your cold subsides, to let me know if it's gone.

 

[Logan]

Yes, I agree. I think if you had pulsatile tinnitus, you'd know it! My PT is constant, and I can time it to my heartbeat. Yours appears to be sporadic.

Please do report back after your cold subsides, to let me know if it's gone.

@Karen I figured I would reply to this with a update, I beating has improved a lot. It only happens every few days and it is usually just one beat and that's it, before it would just beat for 30 minutes to an hour. But it seems to be better as of right now.

 

[Karen]

Hi, @Logan,

Thanks for the update! It sounds like you're doing a lot better, and it doesn't sound like PT to me. It sounds more like you might have had a muscle spasm (perhaps tensor tympani syndrome) during your cold, that may have caused the pulsating sound.

Glad to hear you're doing better!!