Pulsatile Tinnitus?

[LyraLilly]

Hello

my first time posting and could do with some advice.

I am waiting for a formal diagnosis - have Doctors call on Monday. But wondering if what i have is Pulsatile Tinnitus. I am 53, I wear hearing aids for hearing loss in both ears , i tend not to hear the upper register of sounds and for the last 2-3 months i hear a sound a bit like a high pitched car alarm beating in time to my heart beat. It seems worse in my left ear and is worse when it is quiet. But it does make it hard to concentrate on , well anything really. If i wake up in the night it keeps me awake. I am going to Docs to see if it is some sort of blockage -i do have very waxy ears and the hearing aids don't help keep infections down. But wanted to ask if there are any other reasons and is there any hope that it might become less intrusive? - thanks!

[Happyrosie]

Hello LyraLilly. Whilst this does sound like pulsative tinnitus, we here are not diagnosticians - we can only give our thoughts on what helps.

I’d hope your doctor would recommend you go to the British Tinnitus Association website for a wealth of information and guidance.

As a further thought, the National Institute for Clinical Evidence (NICE) issued guidance to doctors a couple of years ago - with the input of the charity I’ve mentioned, What with Covid, not all doctors are up to speed with this guidance so you can get one ahead and look it up yourself. The NICE website has a search box into which you input “tinnitus”.

[Non-Leaguer]

Hi! If you do have pulsatile tinnitus please keep posting as it is a bit different than Tinnitus. I have had PT for a year and have used pillow speakers to help at night time. Also Shokz headphones playing music through my phone have been a great help. They play through your cheekbones and not over your head so you can communicate etc. as normal. Best wishes

[Bob2a]

Hi LyraLilly. Fir the last 7 years I have had a high pitched ringing as well as high pitched ringing in time with my heartbeat in both ears. The volume changes when I move my jaw or neck or do certain exercises. I thought it was pulsatile tinnitus but the consultant I saw dagnosed me with Somatic tinnitus with a pulsatile element. He said that Pulsatile Tinnitus is usually a whooshing sound so it could be that yours isn't pulsatile. I hope you get a diagnosis.

[LyraLilly]

thanks for the feedback so far, I have spoken to the docs (finally) and am popping in tomorrow to see if it is a blockage, i have been putting Olive oil in for the last 2 weeks , in anticipation of maybe getting some micro suction. But if not then the Doc thinks it is probably tinnitus and I will need to wait for an audiology appointment ( which i tried to book last week, I am on the waiting list approx 20 weeks!) so i found a good app from resound, which has the various noises such as waves/ violet noise etc and that is helping a bit. But concentrating at work very tricky Hopefully tomorrow will sort something out,

[LyraLilly]

Hello again, no major blockage, so probably it is tinnitus 😟. There is some hard wax near the eardrum but not enough to justify micro suction. She has referred me to audiology, so it's a waiting game and having to put up with the exhaustion of having this constant noise.Does anyone else feel tired from their tinnitus? Mine is this pulsing far alarm sort of noise?

All the best

[Angelicscripts6]

Hi I've got pulsating tinnitus was at ENT at weekend & basically told was nothing they could ! Looking at scans Dr seem s to think it's the blood vessels narrowed & squeezed due having a knackered neck which I'm waiting on an appointment..neurosurgeon Am under audiology who have given white noise ear pieces, which after a few hrs become painful...I've become slightly deaf in left ear & seems to be getting worse which I'll discuss with audiology next month....

[Samatheee]

Hi,

I have pulsatile tinnitus, I would describe it as a swooshing sound that’s in tune with my heartbeat. When I was seen by ENT they advised me to do the valsalva manoeuvre as I have Eustachian tube dysfunction. However I think what was most helpful was being referred to the hearing therapy department. They suggested a hearing aid for the tinnitus and also did some education sessions about tinnitus. It does get better over time but might be worth enquiring about a hearing therapy referral.

[DownUnderInAus in reply to Samatheee]

I don't know if I have ETD but when I "do the Valsalva", my PT stops instantly, this stops the thump thump thump in my ear and helps me sleep.