Unilateral Pulsatile Tinnitus

[Nicole C]

Hey everyone-
Sorry if this question has already been posted. After searching for awhile and not coming up with what I was looking for, I decided to ask anyway.

I have had unilateral Pulsatile Tinnitus in my right ear for almost two years. It's been challenging at times, but I've somewhat learn to habituate myself to it. I tell myself, it will not beat me, I will beat it. Like so many others, I have been so several doctors, had several tests, all with the same results. I'm in the process of being checked out for meniere's' disease.

My question to you all, if you have unilateral PT, have you ever felt like you were getting in the other ear as well? The last few days I feel as if I'm getting it in my other ear. It's very faint but my PT is so loud in my right ear, I can't tell. Is this normal? Have you experienced it? What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advanced,
Nicole

 

[AuntSally]

I've had a wooshing tinnitus in my right ear since june. Goes in time with my heart beat. Never stops just gets softer or louder depending on.... I don't know what. However I've had a different kind recently started in or around my left ear. It's higher pitched and can be quite piercing. Sometimes it sounds like rhythmic sleigh bells. Don't get that all the time. Mostly during exercise and first thing in the morning when I get up. I used to love brisk walking but this is really offputting.

Great that you managed to habituate your pulsatile tinnitus. How long did it take you to get there? I dont feel like I'm even one step on the road to habituation, or even accepting it. It's too loud most if the time.

 

[Nicole C]

Hi AuntSally-
Thank you for replying to my post. I am sorry to hear that you suffer from similar symptoms that I do. Have you gone to see a doctor/have testing done since your symptoms have started? When I first got diagnoses with pulsate tinnitus, must like the others on this forum, I was told to "just live with it." At first, I was devastated. But, I'm not the type of person to sit around and wallow. It was hard the first I'd say six months. I couldn't get used to this new noise going on in my ear and I would have a lot of anxiety about it. Especially while I was home and could hear it more.

There are some days that it bothers me more than others. I just try to keep myself busy or if I'm watching tv, just try to find a comfortable position to where I can't hear the whooshing sound as much. I'm just worrying myself that my left ear doesn't feel quite right. There is a slight fullness (like my right ear). I'm just hoping that it's not moving to the left ear. Then, I'll have something to worry about.

 

[Karen]

Hi, Nicole,

No, I don't think it is unusual to get tinnitus, or pulsatile tinnitus, in the other ear. I too have unilateral pulsatile tinnitus, along with regular tinnitus, and I can sometimes hear a slight ringing in my other ear.

I'm hoping yours will just remain mild in the other ear, and not be as loud as your right ear. Don't worry about that slight feeling of fullness; it is totally normal to experience that. I experienced it, too, for a couple years. Now, however, the fullness is gone. I've had pulsatile tinnitus for 6 years now.

I wish you well, and hope things will begin to improve for you!!

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[GiGi67]

I've had it in my left ear, loudly, for about 14 months now and I also have the "regular" ringing tinnitus in both ears for a few years now, though it was worse in my left before the pulsatile started (which drowned it out). Sometimes I feel like the pulsatile tinnitus might be starting in my right ear but I think it's so loud in my left that it's like echoing maybe. I dunno. I do know what you mean though.

Some days it doesn't bother me and other days it makes me feel crazy and it keeps me up at night.

 

[Nicole C]

Karen-
I think it was exactly what Gigi67 said, I believe my PT in my right ear was so bad that week that I could actually slightly hear it over in my left ear. Not sure what was causing the spike in the PT but it's been very loud these last few weeks. Just like with the last two years I've had this, I have good days and bad days.

Do you ladies do anything special to help keep the volume of your PT lower?
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.