Given the variety of potential causes, you can expect that your doctor will take a patient history and examine you, as well as getting images (such as an MRI or CT), and potentially ordering bloodwork, according to the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center. “It's better to just go in and get an evaluation and not be worried about it. So don’t ignore it-follow up with an otolaryngologist (aka an ENT, or ear, nose, and throat doctor), she recommends. “When someone hears this telltale tinnitus, it may not be dangerous itself, but usually is a symptom of a different health concern that may or may not be,” Lewis says. It is more common in people with degenerative disorders like multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. There is also "muscular tinnitus," which refers to pulsing tinnitus that is caused by muscular problems.
This review divvies up the causes into three groups: structural (eg, a tumor), metabolic (eg, ototoxic medications or a spasming muscle in the middle ear), and vascular (eg, carotid artery stenosis, which is when the arteries on the side of your neck get narrower). In the majority of cases of pulsatile tinnitus-70 percent-an underlying cause can be determined, per a February 2022 narrative review of the condition published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Some conditions-such as anemia and pregnancy-can lead to an uptick in how much blood your heart pumps, which can be a reason pulsatile tinnitus occurs. Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (an abnormal hole in your inner ear)Īlso, anemia, head trauma, and hyperthyroidism are also sometimes associated with pulsatile tinnitus, Lewis says.Abnormal blood vessels, narrowed arteries, hardened arteries, and other vascular issues ( heart disease is linked to hearing loss).Some potential underlying conditions that cause pulsatile tinnitus are: With regular tinnitus, hearing loss is the most common culprit. That is, tinnitus is “a side effect of something else,” Lewis notes. The important thing to remember about tinnitus is that it’s not a diagnosis. The whoosh or thump of your heartbeat in your ear may change depending on your position, such as when you turn your head or lie down, according to Northwestern Medicine.Īs with other types of tinnitus, pulsatile tinnitus can be disruptive or merely irritating. With pulsatile tinnitus, you might hear your heartbeat in your ear, even when you're just laying down, not exerting yourself. That is, a sound is occurring in your body, and doctors may be able to hear it, according to NORD. In contrast, pulsatile tinnitus is characterized as objective. When you hear the clicking or ringing of ordinary tinnitus, it’s characterized as a subjective sound-nothing is actually ringing, and others are unable to hear the sound. There’s a difference between standard tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus. But with pulsatile tinnitus, “you might hear your heartbeat in your ear, even when you're just laying down, not exerting yourself,” Lewis says. Hearing your heartbeat when you exercise is common, she notes. The trademark symptom of pulsatile tinnitus is when the sounds in your ear are in sync with your heartbeat, Lewis says.
Here’s what you need to know if you experience a rhythmic thump in one or both ears.
If you have pulsatile tinnitus, it can be more than a nuisance-it can indicate an underlying health problem that merits follow-up. “While it's often benign (not harmful), it's more likely to have an identifiable source, and may be the first sign of some kind of underlying condition,” says Rebecca Lewis, AuD, audiology director of the Adult & Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. Pulsatile tinnitus accounts for about 1 percent of all tinnitus cases, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). It’s a rare form of tinnitus, which is typically characterized by ringing, clicking, or other noises in one or both ears. This is what happens when you have what's known as pulsatile tinnitus. Imagine hearing the rhythmic whoosh of your pulse in your ear, beating in sync with your heartbeat.
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