Thumping in Sync to Heartbeat in My Head and Left Ear

Hello,

I am new to this site. I have had it with these symptoms and need answers please!

I have been suffering on and off with thumping in my head but it sounds like my heartbeat.

My ears and head get pressure to the point I feel off balance. It's scary I have trouble walking around or sitting because I feel like I'm going to pass out.

I have done a CT scan, an ultrasound on the side of my neck, MRI with contrast and seen a ENT 3 years ago and all is normal.

I have suffered with anxiety most of my life but never had these symptoms. They come and go. They could leave for months and then return. I've been having them more frequently lately, not sure if it's stress or anxiety or something more serious. I'm convinced it's a tumor or aneyrusm about to happen or something else.

Please only respond if you have experienced this and tell me what you do to make it stop or what doctors have you found helpful. DESPERATE!

 

Check out this thread:

If You Have Pulsatile Tinnitus, Here's the First Thing You Need to Do to Get Answers and a Diagnosis

 

I won’t read it. I don’t want to get scared. My anxiety is already high because of this. Do you have the same symptoms?

 

No, but the thread is about where to start, what kind of doctor to seek out, which scanning procedure to get done with pulsatile tinnitus and what helped the original poster. I only chimed in because pulsatile tinnitus section is not that busy. I hope that someone who have similar symptoms can come and help you.

 

@bambola2nv,

I have pulsatile tinnitus and also worked in a hospital for years with those having hypertension and/or pulsatile tinnitus.

I might be of help with the information that you provided as to what doctors to see.

Would you mind giving your age, as that may be helpful with anxiety hypertension.

 

What symptoms do you have? Is this dangerous?

 

With ear and head pressure where you feel off balance with having trouble walking around or sitting because you feel like you're going to pass out, I would phone your general doctor. It may just be an inner ear condition, but I can't say for sure.

 

I don't think it's anything you mentioned. And I don't think it's anxiety. How exactly did your symptoms start and did you have any hearing loss or any other feeling in your affected ear (and in case you "just woke up feeling weird", did anything happen to you a day or two before)?

 

I have no idea. Only thing I remember is I was sick one year and my ear was plugged. I went to a chiropractor and she pulled on my ears, that’s all I can remember. I don’t know if it was that or something else. I don’t know if I have hearing loss. Maybe I do as my ears feel plugged.

 

My doctor is already aware. She’s sending me to an ENT again only because I requested it.

Do you have the same symptoms?

 

What symptoms do you have? Please explain.

 

It may that you have re-occurring Labyrinthitis or BPPV as you mention being sick and going to a chiropractor where she pulled on your ears where calcium in your ears may have moved. Calcium carbonate crystals present in the inner ear play a key role in sense of balance and movement, head and ear pressure.

Labyrinthitis much more likely, usually occurs after a bacterial or viral infection -cold or flu. It so, it should go away in days or weeks, but because you may have re-occurring Labyrinthitis, you may need to use medications temporary to clear stubborn infection. See an ENT for full evaluation.

 

@bambola2nv I have the same symptoms, and had a diagnosis, and will have two operations to cure it.

Read the thread that @Kriszti posted on here.

 

You have not answered my question.

Do you have the same symptoms?

 

You had 2 operations to cure it? What kind of operations?

 

I have thumping and other sounds, but I don't have your symptoms.

There are many medical reasons that could cause thumping and other sounds to happen.

For me, I had a brief hypertension crisis (raising blood pressure). That caused an aortic aneurysm. That with heart function and arteriosclerosis caused a heartbeat sound and other sounds to be heard in my ears. High blood pressure can cause arteriosclerosis and arteriosclerosis can also cause high pressure when under stress. When under stress with high blood pressure, I had plaque travel to my carotid arteries from veins within the legs, aortic vessels and heart. This also contributes to my sounds.

In the ER, our main goal of the evaluation of tinnitus was to identify life threatening causes, preserve hearing, identify causes that are treatable, and provide the appropriate referral and symptomatic treatment. The initial evaluation of tinnitus begins with a complete history, age, sex and weight, including the onset, location, characteristics, associated symptoms, pattern, alleviating/exacerbating factors, past medical history and surgeries, and medication use. The onset of tinnitus should be characterized as sudden versus gradual. A sudden onset of tinnitus is concerning, and may indicate a vascular or traumatic etiology such as a hypertension crisis. Questions regarding the pattern of tinnitus should attempt to differentiate pulsatile from continuous or episodic tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus is frequently due to a vascular source whereas Meniere's disease tends to be episodic. Specific associated symptoms to inquire about include hearing loss, vertigo, and aural fullness. The impact of patient positioning on the tinnitus should be asked; specifically, eustachian tube dysfunction is often alleviated by lying down. A past medical history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension or diabetes may indicate carotid artery atherosclerosis, whereas a thyroid disorder or anemia may suggest a high output cause. Finally, a number of medications are known to cause tinnitus. A thorough head and neck exam should be performed on all patients presenting with tinnitus. Balance and other mentions by you are examined for labyrinthitis or BPPV.
A search for an objective source of tinnitus should be performed by auscultation of the auricular region, the mastoid, and the carotid arteries. Objective tinnitus secondary to a venous etiology is identified by disappearance of the sound when the ipsilateral jugular vein is compressed. Careful otoscopy should be performed to evaluate for middle-ear infection, (which seems to be your problem) cerumen impaction, a dehiscent jugular bulb, or glomus tumor. The oral cavity should be examined for contractions of the palatal muscles. The cranial nerves should be evaluated for evidence of hearing loss or brainstem dysfunction. Finally, a fundoscopic exam should be performed to look for papilledema in suspected cases of pseudotumor cerebra. Diagnostic testing should be guided by the results of the history and physical examination. A complete blood count and thyroid function tests may reveal conditions that cause increased cardiac output and cerebral blood flow that can result in tinnitus. Contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) should be performed on patients with a tympanic mass visible on otoscopy, which may reveal jugular bulb abnormalities, glomus tumors, and vascular abnormalities. CT or MR angiography may be needed to diagnose dissecting aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas. Carotid ultrasonography may confirm suspected carotid atherosclerotic artery disease. A lumbar puncture should be performed in patients who are being considered for a diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebra.

 

I have had a CT scan and an MRI plus an ultrasound.

All was normal.

 

Did the chiropractor work on your neck?

 

No I don’t like that. I refused it.

 

Are you seriously kidding me right now? I literally wrote that post to help people in your situation, with my experience. You come here asking for help, then choose ignorance instead. That's beyond frustrating.

 

Please don’t take offence. I have severe anxiety and a lot of things triggers me. I appreciate your hard work putting it together to help people.

 

I'm not trying to scare people, but it can indicate a serious problem that needs medical intervention. Ignoring it won't make it better.

 

As someone who has health anxiety, I fully understand where she is coming from and don't think she should be insulted for not reading a specific thread. It sounds like she is doing what she can to get medically tested. That's what really matters is that she's taking care of it. Unless you have health anxiety, you don't know how much of a dark and endless spiral it can be researching all the things that could be wrong with her body. I have read thread after thread about all the things tinnitus could be and while it's helpful at first, once you know what it could be and have reached out for medical help, it comes to a point where it's just going to raise your anxiety without a purpose to it.

 

I absolutely understand that, I have health anxiety too, but she specifically asked for help about what to do to make it stop and what doctors to seek out.

@tiniturtle's thread is literally that, advice, because he did get help and got better.

You can't have them both the same time: advice, but only not scary advice.

 

@bambola2nv You appear to be about 40 years old.

For many, the above and with anxiety may be low blood pressure with borderline cholesterol, a feeling of chest muscle pressure, a slight burning throat at times, jaw soreness at times and acid reflux. With this, there's nothing dangerous going on.

Let me know if I'm correct on this.

Having anxiety with acid reflux, calcium carbonate crystals can collect in the ears and that can cause head and ear pressure and feeling off balance, causing a heartbeat sound heard in ears. For this an ENT is needed. We can talk more about how to solve this.

Hugs

 

Ok.

So you are either a psychic or did a lot of research on me.

I'm a little freaked out.

 

@tiniturtle has been incredibly helpful to many on here. His advice is priceless.

Just read the post. I have left sided pulsatile tinnitus. I have had a diagnosis and am waiting on two operations to fix it.

I would personally listen to the advice the wonderful people on here are giving. Everyone is here to help. We want to help others.

 

What you have detailed in your posts would probably include classic ongoings that I mentioned in my last post with having anxiety for years.

Your hearing a heartbeat is a warning sign - control of anxiety is needed. Visit --- https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms/repetitive-obsessive-anxious-thoughts.shtml

Often - most of the time - interventional radiologists are needed with hearing a heartbeat - pulsatile tinnitus - from a university medical center with a complete pulsatile tinnitus program that also includes other specific doctors and tests. I had stated a few years ago and often since on this site, that radiologists are the best doctors.

You had some radiological testing. A CT scan, an ultrasound on the side of my neck and MRI with contrast. With anxiety and probably having low blood pressure, not normally high blood pressure, you have head, ear and balance concerns - you may have slight warning concerns with carotid or other vascular and not enough for treatment yet.

Your doctors have probably performed heart tests and nothing concerning was probably noted. With probably low blood pressure and having anxiety for years you may be experiencing acid reflex. This with any increasing heart muscle function - with possible pressure in chest that does not go away, along with balance, ear and head pressure - you may have calcium carbonate crystals collecting in your ears or another related concern that is causing head and ear pressure and feeling off balanced. All of this, can also start to affect blood flow to the ears and blood flow to the carotid arteries.

It does not appear that your pulsatile tinnitus is prominent yet, but anxiety - low blood pressure needs to be addressed. Also I would see an university ENT for complete valuations for ear and balance concerns, but other interventional radiology testing may also be needed along with what I mentioned in post #16 above. With anxiety and probable low blood pressure - you may have moments of high blood pressure that can effect the abdominal aortic vessels, but I really doubt this for you, unless you are over 55-60, as it appears that you are middle age. Moments of high blood pressure also needs to be considered with blood flow.