Please Help!! Freaking Out!!

[SlinkinJesta]

Hi guys, totally new to this so please bare with me.

Right so basically, I've had a coldsore outbreak (usually get at least one per year, most commonly around this time of year), but this time it's come with a friend, tinnitus.

It seems to pulsate along with my heartbeat, like a kind of whooshing sound, in my right ear. My ear also feels full, like a fluid like sensation, but there's nothing there. The noise is driving me insane.

Also my vision is rather hazy, like a snowy effect. I have to squint my eyes to watch TV or read anything that's more than 10 feet away from me. My vision has been this way for months, getting progressively worse, but now I've started reading up on my symptoms it seems connected. My ear often goes through phases of feeling fuzzy, and I occasionally take dizzy spells sometimes. But this is the first time I've ever suffered from tinnitus.

Can anyone advise me on anything I can do to reduce it whatsoever? Or just some general information needed what may be the matter with me, I'm quite worried about it to be honest.

Kind regards,
SlinkinJesta

 

[Karen]

Hi @SlinkinJesta ,

Welcome to Tinnitus Talk! I'm so sorry you're having these symptoms, and I can totally sympathize, as I have had similar symptoms for the past six years. In my case, I had mild tinnitus in my right ear, until I took a blood pressure drug six years ago, and then my pulsating symptoms began. I also experienced ear fullness, hazy vision, and some dizzy spells off and on. I even experienced occasional vertigo on a few occasions.

There are many possible causes for this condition, and in your case it may be something related to what is causing your cold sores. However, if the pulsating does not clear up within a few months, it might be worthwhile to have it checked out by a doctor. Most cases of pulsatile tinnitus are benign and not cause for concern, but it is a very annoying condition to live with, that's for sure!! Possible causes may be as varied as taking a new medicine, having too much fluid in the head (benign intracranial hypertension), fistulas, etc. For your peace of mind, it might be worthwhile to check it out if it continues.

What can you do right now? Well, a number of things: Try to keep your blood pressure as low as possible to minimize the pulsating, observe your diet and limit certain foods, such as caffeine, sugar, salt, etc., try to get enough sleep and stay calm by taking a natural supplement (such as magnesium) to relax yourself.

Although I never found the exact cause of my PT, it is under control now, as much as it can be. I try to watch my diet, get enough exercise, get as much sleep as possible, and stay relaxed. Also, keeping myself busy and distracted has actually helped me to put the symptom on a back burner during the day.

I hope some of these suggestions will help you. Please don't worry, and give it a little time to see if the symptom disappears on its own. Then, if after a few months you are still concerned, see a doctor, such as a neurologist or neurotologist, to get checked out.

I wish you a calm and quiet evening!

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[Ecip]

You need to go see your doctor and an ENT. Pulsatile tinnitus can usually be treated. Have you not seen any doctor about this yet?

 

[AuntSally]

Hello from a fellow sufferer in scotland. I know its not much help but I have had similar syptoms for past 4 and a bit months. So I know how you feel. If its any help I went to my gp and got referred to a ENT specialist and had an MRI scan. It didn't show anything. I'd just like to reiterate what karen said. It's good advice. Keeping calm and keeping blood pressure down is probably key. Today I drank a strong brew of chamomile tea and strangely it kind if helped calm the wooshing as well as calming the anxiety a bit.
Have a nice calm evening and don't forget to put your clocks back

Aunt Sally

 

[Kendall]

it might be cholesteatoma. before i had my first surgery on my right i had a wooshing noise in my ear after an infection. i told myself that it will go away on its own. but after a few months i saw an ent dr and eventually had surgery and it stopped but still had T.

not long after second surgery on my left ear in 05 i ended up with chicken pox while i was still healing and had PT for 5 months and messed me up emotionaly for that time. but thank god it stopped.

 

[JLynne]

Having pulsatile tinnitus now for 5 years, I seem to be the perfect storm for it. Sinus and ear problems for long time. I ran out of lisinopril fall of 2017 and the noise stopped. But getting back on blood pressure meds, another kind, it resumed. It is the pressure in the right ear and pain on right side of head that is hard to live with. I am from a small town. How to find a doctor who even knows what I am talking about? Just went to my third ENT because right sinus burns and hurts. They all say TMJ, so I went to treat TMJ which still didn't help the ear. I have to pop open my ear all day long to open it. Just going in circles it seems.

 

[Karen]

Hi, @JLynne,

It was Lisinopril that started my pulsatile tinnitus, too! Before that, I had mild regular tinnitus in my right ear. Then, after I took Lisinopril, my regular tinnitus got worse, and the pulsatile tinnitus started. It may be some kind of reaction to the blood pressure drug, because I've found no other explanation for it.

The good news is, if you can keep your BP under control, your pulsating won't seem as bad. Mine has calmed down a bit since it began. I'm off the blood pressure meds now, but still taking a natural supplement, Carditone, for blood pressure control.

I went to a TMJ doctor, too, but he didn't think that was the cause.

Good luck, and I wish you a calmer evening!

Karen