Pulsatile Tinnitus Disappears Occasionally but Always Comes Back

[KathrynB]

I'm hoping someone will have some insight on what's going on here.

I first started with ear problems in late 2015. I would have one ear ringing, the other sort of blocked; they would switch; then the problems would stop for a day or two, and then it would start all over again. That went on for about three or four months, until one day, it just didn't start again. I went from around March 2016 to September 2016 with no symptoms.

In early September it started up again. Just ringing this time, and just in the left ear. It, too, would come and go, maybe two or three days on and then a day or two off. That settled into pulsatile tinnitus, still only in the left ear, which also comes and goes. I'll have a little while when it's more off than on, but then for weeks at a time (including now) it will be almost constant. When it stops, it usually does so fairly suddenly, and when it comes back, it's usually overnight. Which makes going to sleep stressful as I'm sure I'll wake up with it and usually do. I'm not sure if there's any possibility that the way I lie in bed could be causing this, at least in part?

I have a perforated septum; I think that might be related to the ringing but it doesn't seem to be related to the PT. I have been for an MRI and hearing tests; hearing tests were fine and MRI suggested I have narrow arteries (when I asked for more about this they said hereditary, and I was born with them. OK, fine, but then why am I only experiencing this now, and why only on one side?). I tend to be under quite a bit of stress from my job. I do clench my jaw and sometimes grind my teeth at night. I have been wearing a mouthguard at night but so far it doesn't seem to be helping.

Is all of that adding up to anything anyone else is experiencing, and anyone got any ideas about how to deal? My tinnitus is like an 18-wheeler idling outside your house (except it's right there in my ear) - low and throbbing and almost physical as well as auditory. I would love to work out some pattern or cause and modify my behaviour to at least minimise it and maybe even stop it. It takes away my energy and my happiness and it's spoiling everything.

 

[Kibakiru]

I have both types of tinnitus but my pulsatile tinnitus is the only one that goes away and comes back. Though mine isn't a sudden overnight return. It gradually builds its strength over one week and then stays at that level for a few weeks/months or so before gradually fading again. I guess it tuckers itself out and needs to regenerate.

I don't have any outstanding tips for coping with it. My pulsatile tinnitus is enough to vibrate my skull.
I've found that neck massages and making sure I don't sleep in my normally straight-out-of-Exorcist positions usually help me to some degree. I've also found that if I turn my head to the left really quickly it usually stops for a minute or so. I can do that repeatedly but sometimes it fails.

Maybe try practising deep breathing and keeping your heart rate under control. Calming my heart keeps the pulsing lower so I make sure to take time to just sit and slowly breathe. It helps a lot.

I'm just thankful mine gives me a break every now and then, really.
Good luck!

 

[Tommi_boi]

Yours is a very unusual PT, mine seems to have a mind if its own too .

I've had a pulsating noise before, but it's always gone away, I never really took it seriously until the past week where I've had it almost every night now when I lie down.

When I stand up , it's hardly there at all.

I had a double ear infection which I think may have caused this , but the wooshing noise at first was really difficult to sleep to .

Oddly enough I find the next day, when I wake up (still lying in bed) the whooshing is sometimes completely gone and so perhaps it is related to tiredness / when I eat something?

 

[KathrynB]

Thanks for your reply!
Yes, I'm usually pretty good at spotting patterns so part of what's been making me crazy with all this is that I haven't been able to find one so I can't narrow the cause down to anything in particular.

However, I was trying to apply logic, and thought that if it comes and goes, the logical explanation is that something is changing. There are a few things that could be, but one of them is pressure on my jaw/tension in my muscles around my jaw, so I did some research here in this forum about jaw clenching and teeth grinding. Someone posted a video about exercises one can do to relax the jaw and so far, for the last two days, they seem to have worked. So maybe I've finally found the pattern? That would be amazing.

 

[Tommi_boi]

Mine isn't jaw related I'm pretty sure but it tends to come on after about three minutes if lying down (yes I timed it!) And I totally understand how daunting it is waiting for the inevitable pulsing to come back.

I had to use an electric fan last night.. it was the only thing that helped me mask the constant wooshing ..

I've really only had it come on stronger the last week, but since then I have picked up some personal techniques :

1) definitely try not to stress over it , you'll lose whatever tiredness you have over night and you'll be awake until you have to go to work..

2) Put on a audio book, documentary and listen to it in bed to distract you when you are trying to sleep.

3) use an earplug , this I think helps me with the affected ear. I tested it and it helped..but as my ear canal is still recovering an inflammation so I haven't fully tested this yet.

4) If I wake up at night, with the whooshing repeat the documentary in bed and do you best to ignore it.

I'll be damned if I'm gonna be stuck with this horrible condition my whole life

 

[KathrynB]

Earplugs don't work for me, but I LOVE the Lectrofan. One night when I couldn't sleep due to PT, I was lying on the floor (so the light from my phone wouldn't wake my husband) and researched white noise machines and placed the order at about 3am... I have never looked back. I have the mini version for travel and to use at work, and use the main one at home every night. It makes sleeping possible, and makes PT bearable at night. I can't speak highly enough of it

Yes, you're right about the waiting for it to come back... on the one hand, I get a break from it sometimes! but on the other hand, then I'm always expecting it... nothing about PT is any good, but I think I have a slightly easier time of it than some, all told.

 

[Jools]

Hi I'm new to this as my started back in Feb this year I was so stressed out when I fist got it I thought I wouldn't cope I have had a hearing test and MRi scan but nothing detected which is good but unfortunately it leaves me witth pt and nothing they can do. It went on for weeks but then suddenly stoped and I was praying it wouldn't come back but after a week it returned. Mine also seems to get louder when I get busy so from reading above comment I'm wondering when my heart rate goes up is this making my t worse.

 

[Tommi_boi]

Earplugs don't work for me, but I LOVE the Lectrofan.

Hey KatherynB, yes I've heard about this Lectrofan - People are saying it's one of the better masking machines out there .

But for you to sometimes have to lie on the floor because of your PT, that's crazy! But then I guess it's a crazy did - Made me chuckle though.

I haven't quite resorted to that one yet.

It's a real shame you can't use earplugs as it seems to work for me. Perhaps it's more to do with the objective / subjective types of PT?

Mine was behaving itself last night and was relatively quiet so I hope it continues this way!

 

[Tommi_boi]

It went on for weeks but then suddenly stoped and I was praying it wouldn't come back but after a week it returned

If it's gone away once, there's a good chance it will go away again Jools