Pulsatile Tinnitus – Helpful Info
Pulsatile tinnitus is a type of tinnitus condition wherein a person keeps hearing a whooshing or pulsating sound that thumps in tune with the heart beat. This condition is also called vascular tinnitus because it is commonly caused by blood flow disruption or poor blood circulation. This type of tinnitus is not very common; however, the struggles an afflicted person has to go through are quite challenging.
The arterial turbulence, a condition characterized by the plaques or crimps in the arteries located at the neck or head region is one of the most common forms of pulsatile tinnitus. This causes the blood flow to elevate and can even be more severe when a person has a hypertension attack. If the blood flow is increased or elevated as a result of restricted or narrowed down blood flow, the ears can hear a turbulence sound.
This form of tinnitus is different from the continuous type of tinnitus, though some people can have both types. For those people with both types of tinnitus, the sounds produced by the pulsatile tinnitus are the most irritating. Like other forms of tinnitus, the pulsatile one is not considered a disease. It is rather a symptom caused by other underlying problems. Because this condition is related to blood flow matters, the main reason could be important and must be consulted with a doctor right away. Nevertheless, this form of tinnitus is treatable.
Other conditions including the following may cause pulsatile tinnitus:
1. Arteriovenous Malformations – an irregular number of arteries and veins that occur near the cranial cavity’s auditory nerve. The beating sound is actually caused by the pulsation occurring in the auditory nerve.
2. Atherosclerosis – the pulsating sound a tinnitus patient can hear can also be caused by atherosclerosis, a condition caused by the accumulation of cholesterol on walls of the artery.
3. Benign Intracranial Hypertension – this condition refers to the inflated pressure of fluid surrounding the brain. One of the symptoms of this condition is hearing loss marked by pulsating or beating sound in the ears.
4. Carotid Artery-Cavernous Sinus Fistula – this condition is characterized by the joining of large veins and arteries caused mainly by massive head trauma.
5. Middle Ear Infection or Inflammation – this is one of the major causes of increased blood flow or circulation that causes sudden turbulent or pulsating sound, just like the sound heard from flowing water.
6. Hypertension – pulsatile tinnitus can be caused by taking medicines used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure. To correct this problem, the dosage of the medication may need to be lowered or the medication itself may be changed completely.
7. Glomous Tumor – the tumor may appear inside the ear or in the middle just at the base of the skull. Unfortunately, the patient may need to undergo surgery to get rid of this problem.
As discussed in this article, pulsatile tinnitus signals other more severe or serious health conditions. To make sure you don’t experience the symptom anymore, the underlying conditions probably causing it must be addressed and treated.
Barbara Thomson strives to provide the best possible information available on pulsatile tinnitus. To learn more about pulsatile tinnitus symptoms visit her blog.
