Rapid Thumping in Right Ear

[shellLA17]

Hello everyone - for the last 2 1/2 weeks I have been dealing with rapid thumping in my right ear - it actually sounds like a helicopter flying slow if that makes any sense.

I went to an ENT this past week and she scheduled me for a hearing test next week. She looked really good in both ears and didn't see anything that would raise concern - I am really starting to get worried about this as from what i am reading there doesn't seem to be too many people where this has totally gone away??

I am now sleeping with a white noise machine as I hear that more than the thumping - when I awake in the morning - most mornings it is gone - but comes back once I get to the office and start working. I found this forum and sort of feel overwhelmed but also not alone as I see others who have the same thing.

 

[Sarah101]

@shellLA17 did yours ever go away? I have had it for a number of days now and getting really overwhelmed

 

[shellLA17]

Hi Sarah,
I have been free of the thumping sound for almost 2 months. It would come on for weeks at a time and then stop for about a week or so. I now take a vitamin called tinnifree - 2 - 2x a day and also an herbal histamine. I cannot tell you if that is what caused it to stop - but i do know that once i started these products faithfully - it went away.
i did have an MRI which showed fluid in my nasal cavities which the ENT put me on antibiotics and flonase nasal spray. I no longer use the nasal spray. Sometimes it will thump hard for about 10 seconds and disappear which causes me a moment of anxiety. What would help me at night is a white noise machine.
I also go to a massage therapist for TMJ massage....I was trying all sorts of things to alleviate this...for now i have peace inside my ear....I hope you get some relief from this!! I know it can cause alot of anxiety and frustration!

 

[Sarah101]

@shellLA17 Thank you so much for your reply. It really does mean do much to me during this time. Can I ask, would your ears constantly thump for days? Mine individually thumps 24/7 with about 30 seconds to 3 minutes in between.

 

[shellLA17]

It was just my right ear and would thump intensively for 3 - 4 days and then stop for a day - then start again...it wasn't a thumping that was inlign with my pulse or heartbeat. It was much faster than that. Once I had MRI I felt better about it - now every once in awhile I hear an intense thump or 2 but it goes away. So weird. Another thing when I was experiencing it - right before it would start up again I would experience a real heavy feeling inside of my ear & then the thumping would start.

 

[Sarah101]

@shellLA17 you're amazing! Thank you for replying! I have just a couple more questions, would yours occur at night?

And, how long do you estimate between when it started and when it ended?

I just started a new job and really don't want to have to give it up due to the anxiety this is causing

 

[shellLA17]

mine was so hard to pinpoint any kind of predictable starting and stopping ? sometimes it would not be there when i awoke or would not be there when i went to sleep - but would wake me up in middle of the night when it would come on. the majority of the time it would be gone when i awoke - but by 10 - 11 that morning it would start.
or i wouldn't experience it all day and when would lay down to read at night it would start up...it was frustrating because i kept trying to figure out what was causing it and couldn't really pinpoint anything. do have disk issues in my neck and go to chiropractor - i remember i was thump free for a couple of days and went for adjustment and it returned. the next time i went - the adjustment caused it to stop?
but overall time frame of me experiencing it - from April to October.
Have you gone to a Doctor? i would advise that if you haven't already done so.
Also - maybe massage around neck/jaw area - pressure points

 

[JustinC83]

Not sure if you are still on this forum but I'm experiencing almost identical issues her and at my wits end. Are you still helicopter sound in ear free?

 

[Sarah101]

Not sure if you are still on this forum but I'm experiencing almost identical issues her and at my wits end. Are you still helicopter sound in ear free?

It has gone away for me. All I can say is it was a very bad few months when I had it... I occasionally still get it but nowhere as bad. There is a lot more hope that the thumping goes away than 'real' tinnitus.

 

[shellLA17]

Hi justinc83 - I have not experienced this thumping in a while. But recently I have had moments of where I hear it for about 5 - 10 seconds. Then it disappears. I have been suffering with sinus issues due to the pollen count which causes fluid build up - so I do not know if this activates it or not. Why it went away? I don't know - mystery to me. But I am grateful that I am not experiencing it like I did last year. I sure hope you find some relief.

 

[JustinC83]

Hi justinc83 - I have not experienced this thumping in a while. But recently I have had moments of where I hear it for about 5 - 10 seconds. Then it disappears. I have been suffering with sinus issues due to the pollen count which causes fluid build up - so I do not know if this activates it or not. Why it went away? I don't know - mystery to me. But I am grateful that I am not experiencing it like I did last year. I sure hope you find some relief.

Thanks so much for the reply, it's just terrible when it keeps going and going.. then it stops, you think you have relief or it's over and then BOOM it hits back. Glad your doing better.

 

[Contrast]

Do you have a history of loud music, loud factory work, loud anything?

Loud noise might have something to do with it.

 

[JustinC83]

Do you have a history of loud music, loud factory work, loud anything?

Loud noise might have something to do with it.

Me personally no, loud noise situations a few times in life but otherwise on average, not at all.

 

[shellLA17]

loud noises did activate it sometimes - for instance - i went to ENT about this and she scheduled an MRI of head/sinus. a few days before the MRI the thumping subsided. While getting the MRI (they are very Loud!) even though i had headphones - the thumping started again. after a few days - it went silent. on another occasion i was walking into a building and the door was very heavy and when it closed created a loud bang - this activated it also.
but like i said in previous threads - really no rhyme or reason most of the time.

 

[DelaneyAevery95]

Hi, I'm very happy to find this thread after not seeing much else in the internet. I've experienced similar sounds but it started slow and infrequent, more like slow morse code. I got my ears cleaned and checked, and I try and find home remedies to fix it, but it's only gotten faster. It's to the point of 24/7 helicopter beats and I'm starting to feel panicked. I haven't had a cold or flu, nor do I have any allergies. I'm going to schedule an appointment with an ENT but did you find any short term fixes that may help slow or stop the beating?

 

[Smartone202]

Glad I found this thread. Somebody please help me.

Thursday morning while leaving work I have no idea what on Earth happened. I got in my car and noticed I could only hear the radio clearly with my right ear. I suffer from tinnitus in my left ear.

Over the last 6 months or so I have finally been able to learn to live with it for the most part. It is not as horrible as it was during onset but it still bothers me from time to time. Anyway, I got home and noticed that my left ear felt completely clogged and soon began hearing what I can only describe as a helicopter noise in my ear.

From someone who has been to hell and back with Tinnitus in general, this was something that could only be described as surreal as it was happening. This clogged sensation and this insane noise was constant. This was not gone by night time. This was not gone by Friday morning. I took a sick day and ran to an Urgent Care walking after breakfast and after seeing no wax or fluid they prescribed me a low dose of Prednisone to help with whatever may be going on inside my ear.

In an interesting and very ironic note, Thursday at lunch, for the first time in YEARS I used the Apple Earbud headphones, on a light volume. Did this have something to do with it? The Urgent Care Doctor claimed no and that its just a coincidence.

Then I was up all Friday because of this helicopter sound. It also gets worse with noises such as the faucet, the toilet flushing, my air conditioner, etc. I cannot even watch TV comfortably as of right now. This is without question the most frightening and horrible thing I have ever experienced in my life. THIS morning, now Saturday, with now two doses of the Prednisone already in me and no relief yet, panic mode began to set in. I realized there is no way I could ever work with this noise and distraction. I also feel some dizziness as well. I made an emergency appt with my ENT and he said what's going on must be in the inner ear, an infection. He instructed me to stop taking the low dose of Prednisone and instead prescribed me a powerful dose of the same drug which he claims will clear things up and get my hearing back which will also subsequently make the noise go away.

Can someone, anyone, please explain to me what is happening to me. I cannot live right now.

 

[Lupi]

Hello...anyone still here? Its been 4 days that i hear that tapping sound in my right ear...but i ONLY hear it when i put on an earphone (the stetoscope style ones) when i push the earphone firmly, i hear a fast thumping/tapping sound. When i take the earphone off, i dont hear it anymore...