Pulsatile Tinnitus Followed by Bell's Palsy

[Alan1952]

I was diagnosed with Bell's palsy 6 weeks ago. It affected the left side of my face. I had discomfort in front and the back of the left ear. I was given steroids as per normal.

3 weeks ago I started hearing my pulse in the left ear which got louder as the days went by. I went to my GP who gave me ear drops and 2 types of antibiotics, none of them worked.

He has now referred me to the ENT dept, but the waiting list is around a year.

My questions are: is the Bell's palsy the cause? Although I have made some recovery from the Bell's palsy, I still have some effects. Will the tinnitus go away when the Bell's palsy finally goes? Is there anything I can do in the mean time?

Thanks.

 

[Russell Grimes]

I was diagnosed with Bell's palsy 6 weeks ago. It affected the left side of my face. I had discomfort in front and the back of the left ear. I was given steroids as per normal.

3 weeks ago I started hearing my pulse in the left ear which got louder as the days went by. I went to my GP who gave me ear drops and 2 types of antibiotics, none of them worked.

He has now referred me to the ENT dept, but the waiting list is around a year.

My questions are: is the Bell's palsy the cause? Although I have made some recovery from the Bell's palsy, I still have some effects. Will the tinnitus go away when the Bell's palsy finally goes? Is there anything I can do in the mean time?

Thanks.

Bell's Palsy affects the 7th cranial nerve. If the 8th cranial nerve has been affected by the Bell's Palsy then the pulsatile tinnitus may be related and it may resolve when your other symptoms resolve. Of course, your pulsatile tinnitus could arise from a completely different etiology. It is impossible to say without the requisite imaging. It is a shame you must wait an entire year for an ENT appt. I get furious if I am expected to wait more than a couple weeks.

 

[Alan1952]

Thanks for your reply. I will look into that further. At the end of last week the doctor put me on Fexofenadine Hydrochloride tablets for a month. To me they look like a treatment for hay-fever, but I guess he knows what he's doing. He's also going to try and get me a faster appointment.

 

[Alan1952]

**** UPDATE ****

Those pills have made no difference, however I did get an appointment out of the blue last week at ENT. They have asked for an urgent CT scan, so just waiting for that now. They did stick a camera up my nose and said that was all good. Also had a hearing test, no issues there apart from the tinnitus ear had slight hearing loss.

 

[Alan1952]

*** FURTHER UPDATE ***

I've had the CT scan, that showed nothing. I was then sent for an MRI again, that showed nothing. At this point the Doctor at the hospital has given up and will not see me anymore. The Bells Palsy has now gone as far as I know, but the pulsatile tinnitus remains. I don't know what to do next.

 

[Russell Grimes]

*** FURTHER UPDATE ***

I've had the CT scan, that showed nothing. I was then sent for an MRI again, that showed nothing. At this point the Doctor at the hospital has given up and will not see me anymore. The Bells Palsy has now gone as far as I know, but the pulsatile tinnitus remains. I don't know what to do next.

Just suffer and wait until it kills you. You ain't worth much to the insurance company. Come up with the money to get diagnosed and treated in Mexico or your time on this planet may be brief.

 

[Alan1952]

The Latest:

I've been given a hearing aid that sends out a low level permanent brown noise and also gives a boost for the higher frequencies. I've been using it for 2 or 3 weeks now and the tinnitus does seem to be less bothersome with it in and the high frequency boost is nice. I can play with the levels via an app. So I'll just see how it goes now.