People affected by this get to hear disturbing sounds that seem to be in rhythm with their own heartbeats. If the ear noise that you experience is rhythmical and beats in time with your heartbeat, then you have pulsating tinnitus. It may come as a low-pitched thumping or booming sound, or as a high-pitched clicking noise. If not treated, these irritating ear sound may have serious implications on a person’s life. The continuous or sporadic regular thrashing or clicking sounds can and do create anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and other psychological issues.

Pulsating tinnitus mimics your heart beat

Doing justice to its name, it is rhythmic, and it is synchronized with your heartbeat, while ‘normal’ tinnitus can sound as ringing, buzzing, clicking, and a wide array of other sounds. Some people also have both of these together, and most of the people that have these two types of tinnitus say that the pulsating tinnitus is more annoying. At the very least, if the condition goes untreated it will have a deleterious effect on a person. Luckily, for people that suffer with from this condition, there are options for treatment available other than the traditional medical therapies.

The noises are usually caused by vascular diseases or abnormalities, repetitive muscle contractions, or inner ear structural defects. The sounds are heard by the sufferer and are generally external to the auditory system. Pulsating tinnitus may have originated from pulsations of central vascular structures that traveled through the cochlear aqueduct or the endo-lymphatic duct. Hearing loss most likely resulted from tinnitus masking or a stiffening of the cochlear partition or stapes footplate.

If you find yourself to suffer from pulsating tinnitus, you are advised to have your blood vessel and head pressure checked. Aneurisms or arteriovenous malformations do not only create AP, but these can also lead to bleeding in the brain with fatal consequences. Ringing in the ear should be examined immediately once it becomes evident because an increase in blood flow can also lead to a stroke. This condition may arise due to underlying problems such as atherosclerosis and hypertension.

A pulsating sound may be a first symptom of a tumor. Other early features include a reddish blue mass behind the tympanic membrane and progressive conductive hearing loss.

Another very common diagnosis of pulsating tinnitus is called a “high riding jugular bulb,” and refers to a condition where an otherwise normal blood vessel is positioned closer to the hearing portion of the ear than usual. This condition requires no further treatment, unless it is very loud. The sufferer might hear the pulsatile flow of the carotid artery or the continuous hum of normal venous outflow through the jugular vein when in a quiet setting. It can also be an early sign of increased intracranial pressure and is often overshadowed by other neurological abnormalities.

When pulsating tinnitus is suspected, some clinical tests may be required to study the condition of the blood vessels and check the pressure inside the head. Patients with this hearing disorder generally undergo some form of medical imaging such as CT scanning, ultrasound, magnetic resonance scanning (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), or angiography.

Living with pulsating tinnitus can be a frustrating, not only for you, but also for the people around you.