Pulsating in Ear
There are several different types of tinnitus. The most common form of tinnitus produces a ringing sound in the ears. Pulsatile tinnitus is different as rather than a constant ringing noise, the noise is a rhythmical pulsating in ear that repeats at the same rate as the heartbeat.
Hearing a rhythmical noise in your ears is not necessarily pulsatile tinnitus as there is more than one type of rhythmical tinnitus. In order to determine whether it is pulsatile tinnitus it is necessary to simultaneously check the pulse. If the pulse and the sound in the ears occur at the same time then it is pulsatile tinnitus.
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It is very rare for tinnitus sufferers to receive a diagnosis that identifies the cause of their tinnitus. However there is a greater chance of discovering the cause of pulsatile tinnitus than other forms of tinnitus.
The pulsating in ear sounds is caused by changes in blood flow in the blood vessels in close proximity to the ears. It is more likely to be caused by an increase in blood flow than a decrease. It is therefore more likely to experience pulsatile tinnitus following activity that increases blood flow such as exercise. Blood flow is also increased during pregnancy, severe anaemia or if the thyroid gland is overactive.
Pulsatile tinnitus may also be caused by blood flow through an artery in the middle ear called the stapedial artery. This is supposed to close before birth but in some cases it can remain open and this causes an abnormal flow of blood through the middle ear that can cause the pulsing in ear sensation. Abnormal blood vessels in the head can develop as the result of benign tumours in the head and neck.
Pulsatile tinnitus is not necessarily caused by abnormal changes in blood flow. Some people have a heightened state of awareness of changes taking place inside their body. They therefore might simply be more sensitive and this can cause the pulsating in ear sensation. It’s their increased awareness that is the problem rather than the blood circulation. Hearing loss for instance can make people more aware of internal body sounds as the external sounds are no longer sufficient to mask the internal noises.
There are several options that can be considered for treating pulsatile tinnitus depending on whether a specific cause has been found. Treatments can range from medication, surgery or having grommets inserted into the ear. If no cause is found then more generalized treatments can be given. There is a therapy called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) for instance. This is a form of counselling that aims to train the sufferer to become less aware of the tinnitus. Many people have had great success following the Tinnitus Miracle program.