What It Means If You Hear Your Heartbeat in Your Ear

Have you ever had the strange feeling that your heartbeat is pounding inside your ear?

It cannot be comforting to hear your heartbeat or a whooshing sound in your ear, especially if it persists. Pulsatile tinnitus is a disorder that frequently causes anxiety and bewilderment as people attempt to figure out what’s making the pounding sound.

This symptom could be a sign of several underlying medical issues, some of which might also need medical attention. Although nonvascular causes or anomalies may also play a role, vascular diseases that affect the heart, veins, or arteries may be associated with it.

To control how this sign affects your day-to-day activities, you must comprehend its cause. Have you ever wondered why, when you lie down, you may hear your heartbeat in your ear? Or “Why is only one ear giving me pulsating tinnitus?” Read on to discover why it’s crucial to comprehend the origins and consequences of pulsatile tinnitus for both mental health and prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Read More: 10 Causes of Irregular Heartbeat

Understanding Pulsatile Tinnitus

Pulsatile tinnitus is an uncommon type of tinnitus that causes a whooshing, pounding, or throbbing noise in sync with your heartbeat. It can affect one ear or both and may occur either constantly or intermittently.

Some patients find the sounds annoying. But for others, the sounds are so deafening that they can’t concentrate or sleep. Like non-pulsatile tinnitus, pulsatile tinnitus is not a medical condition. It is an indication of several diseases. Vascular disease, which includes abnormalities of the veins and arteries, abnormalities of vascular structures, abnormal blood flow near the ear, and, in rare cases, malignancies, is often indicated by pulsatile tinnitus.

You may experience this sensation in one or both ears, which could make it difficult for you to concentrate and perform daily tasks. While some may find it distressing and constant, others may only hear it occasionally.

At times, pulsatile tinnitus may resolve without any treatment. However, since pulsatile tinnitus symptoms could be the result of more serious conditions, those who experience them should have a thorough medical evaluation. Fortunately, doctors can often cure pulsatile tinnitus once they identify the underlying cause.

Hearing your heartbeat in your ears — also known by the Latin name “pulsatile tinnitus” — isn’t always a sign of a medical problem, but it could warrant a discussion with your physician, according to Frederick James Meine, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Novant Health in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Common Causes

Pulsatile tinnitus generally occurs when certain disorders or anomalies alter the blood flow in blood vessels close to or surrounding your ears. Sometimes, a change in blood flow can be a sign of a serious illness. Having pulsatile tinnitus doesn’t automatically mean you have these medical conditions. The following medical conditions may cause your PH:

Hypertension: A common cause of PH, hypertension in blood vessels close to your ears may be responsible for pulsatile tinnitus. For example, hypertension can be heard as a pulse when blood is flowing through the carotid arteries – one in your neck, which connects your head to your chest. Typically, treating high blood pressure involves lifestyle changes, including increased exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and adopting good nutrition habits.

Atherosclerosis: People with atherosclerosis have a build-up of plaque in their arteries. Plaque hardens and narrows the arteries, which decreases blood flow to the body, particularly to the head, neck, and ears. It may lead to pulsatile tinnitus, which may sound rhythmic and resemble a whooshing or thumping in one or both of your ears.

Read More: Further Understanding Of Irregular Heartbeat To Pave the Way For Treatments

Sinus Wall Abnormalities (SWAA): The sinus wall is a duct on the brain’s side that receives blood from the internal veins. Increased blood flow creates noise in this duct, which can produce the whooshing sound of pulsatile tinnitus.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is the build-up of cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, creating increased intracranial pressure. The high pressure causes pulsatile tinnitus, headaches, and eye-related problems. One cause of IIH may be venous sinus stenosis, which creates increased intracranial pressure and limits blood flow to the brain.

Ear Abnormalities: The superior semicircular canal is one of three canals that make up the inner ear’s vestibular system. Patients with superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome, a condition in which a portion of the temporal bone covering the superior semicircular canal is abnormally thin or absent, often experience pulsatile tinnitus. When thinned or missing bone covers the major arteries and veins near the ear, the patient can also hear their heartbeat.

Arteriovenous Malformations: Are blood vessel tangles that change the connections between your veins and arteries. Pulsatile tinnitus may occur if there is an arteriovenous malformation close to your ears.

Middle Ear Tumors: There are rare instances in a small number of people with tumors that occur in the middle parts of the ear near the auditory organs. The tumors are called glomus tumors, and they have many blood vessels. In some cases, pulsatile tinnitus can result from hearing blood flow in the vessels associated with glomus tumors.

Blood Vessel Disorders and Deformities: Pulsatile tinnitus is usually caused by an issue in the arteries or the blood vessels, particularly those that are located in or near the ears. The deformities or conditions, which include aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, may change the flow of blood across the affected blood arteries.

When to See a Doctor

If you have pulmonary hypertension, dealing with pulsatile tinnitus may feel overwhelming, but support is always accessible. Discuss the possible reasons and management options with your healthcare professional if you hear your heartbeat in one or both ears.

It’s very critical to see a healthcare professional if pulsatile tinnitus continues, gets worse, or you experience other kinds of symptoms such as lightheadedness or hearing loss. They can check for illnesses that could be causing or exacerbating the tinnitus. Treatment can alleviate the symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus, which can be caused by problems in the ear canal, blood vessels, or anatomical abnormalities in the head and neck.

Treating conditions such as high blood pressure and AVMs, which require monitoring, can reduce the pulsating sound in your ear. Consulting a professional can help confirm or rule out these possible causes.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) estimates that pulsatile tinnitus makes up around 1% of all tinnitus cases.

“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® located at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.

Read More: Is It Normal for Your Heart Rate to Fluctuate While Resting?

Diagnosis

You should have a comprehensive medical evaluation by an otolaryngologist who is knowledgeable about pulsatile tinnitus if you think you may have it.

While the cause of pulsatile tinnitus remains unknown in roughly one-third of patients, doctors still need to eliminate more serious underlying conditions.

Medical professionals may begin diagnosing you by listening to your neck and head with a stethoscope, which is the same instrument they place on your chest to listen to your heartbeat. Objective pulsatile tinnitus is the term used by medical professionals to describe hearing that synchronizes with your heartbeat. Subjective pulsatile tinnitus results if they don’t.)

Whatever the type, your neurologist will determine whether the noises correspond to your heartbeat and may do hearing tests, such as tympanometry, to evaluate the problem further. They could also request imaging tests based on your symptoms, including:

• Angiography
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Doppler Ultrasound
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
• High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) Scan

Treatment Options

A healthcare professional treats the underlying medical problem to treat pulsatile tinnitus. The following are some of the examples of therapies:

Sound Generators and Maskers: When stress causes tinnitus, sound treatment may help significantly. Sound generators create soothing noises that cover up tinnitus. Popular solutions that can lessen the disruption caused by tinnitus include white noise machines, apps, and hearing aids with masking capabilities.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Cerebrospinal fluid pressure may be lowered with medication or with surgery. Reducing the body mass index may alleviate the symptoms in less severe situations.

Stress and Anxiety Management: It’s essential to understand how to control anxiety because stress can exacerbate your pulsatile tinnitus. Counseling, breathing exercises, and meditation are some helpful techniques. To interrupt the feedback loop of worry and tinnitus, mental health support may be particularly beneficial.

Lifestyle Modifications: Pulsatile tinnitus can be lessened by making changes such as cutting back on caffeine, avoiding loud noises, and controlling blood pressure. Better vascular health can also result from regular exercise and proper hydration, which may lessen the pulsating sound’s intensity.

Hyperthyroidism: Medication, beta-blockers, radioiodine therapy, or surgery would regulate thyroid function.

Therapies and Medications: Some individuals may also benefit from medications that relax the muscles surrounding the ears or manage blood pressure. For instance, a rare disorder called middle ear myoclonus (MEM) causes the tensor tympani and stapedius, two small muscles in the middle ear, to spasm, which produces a rhythmic sound. If muscle spasms cause the problem, doctors may advise medication or botulinum toxin injections.

Read More: Is Your Heart Rate Too High or Too Low? Here’s How to Tell (and What to Do About It)

Prevention & Self-Care

You may not always be able to prevent pulsatile tinnitus; however, you can lower your risk and protect your hearing through healthy practice.

• It’s essential to have regular health examinations to identify issues like high blood pressure, cholesterol accumulation, or thyroid abnormalities before they show symptoms. Regular checkups help make treatment effective by identifying problems with early warnings.
• Managing cardiovascular risk factors is essential to prevention. Limit sweetened and alcoholic beverages and processed foods, maintain a healthy weight, follow a well-balanced diet low in sodium and saturated fat, and engage regularly in moderate aerobic exercise to support healthy blood vessels and proper circulation.
• You also want to protect your ears. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds can gradually harm your hearing or worsen tinnitus symptoms. When using personal audio devices, follow guidelines for keeping the sound at safe levels. Also, use earplugs in noisy environments.

Read More: Signs of a Heart Attack That Could Show Up a Month Before

Conclusion

A common but sometimes misinterpreted symptom that can lead to severe anxiety is pulsatile tinnitus. Practical strategies to treat this disease include managing stress, being aware of possible causes, and consulting a doctor. Finding relief might be achieved by sound therapy, a particular kind of treatment plan, or a lifestyle change.

Regular checkups and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk, but a medical practitioner should evaluate any abrupt start, worsening, or persistent pulsatile tinnitus. It is crucial to take immediate action to rule out significant consequences, particularly if accompanied by headaches, dizziness, or visual issues.

Speak with a healthcare professional to discuss alternatives that may be necessary if pulsatile tinnitus is negatively impacting your quality of life.