If you have pulsatile tinnitus, you might not know it. For most people with tinnitus, however, it’s a very real problem that can make living a normal life difficult. Pulsatile tinnitis, also called “non-pulsatile” or “transient tinnitis,” is characterized by a “swinging” sound in the ear. It’s the loudest kind of noise a person can experience and can even be heard all the time.
Pulsatile means that the noise comes from the jugular veins, which are found in the neck and upper back. The term pulsatile refers to the fact that this noise originates in those veins, rather than in the arteries. While pulsatile tinnitus can be benign, it’s more prone to have a recognizable source and can often be the first indicator of a much more serious underlying disorder. In many cases, pulsatile tinnitus can go away on its own after several days or weeks. Unfortunately, in some cases, it never quite goes away and can become almost Constant Tinnitus, with many cases going on for months at a time.
Many people who have pulsatile tinnitus describe the sounds as whooshing or clicking sounds that come and go. Some say they’re like thumping drums and others call them like ticking clocks. In some people, the sounds seem to come at random and pulsate, but in other people, the rhythmic thumping seems to be fairly regular. In addition to the sounds themselves, sufferers can report feelings of nausea, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, headaches and difficulty concentrating. Even though many people with pulsatile tinnitus think they’re just being sensitive to noises in their head, the reality is that these ear ringing episodes can also lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
Since the main symptom of pulsatile tinnitus, which is hearing pulsing noises inside the ears, can be caused by a variety of underlying causes, sufferers must try to find what’s causing their own symptom to figure out how to cure it. For example, if the sounds are caused by atherosclerosis, they must find ways to target the cholesterol that’s leaking into the blood vessels, since that’s what’s causing the problem. Sometimes, medication can be prescribed to treat atherosclerosis. Other times, surgery can be performed to remove plaque buildup in the blood vessels. Often, all symptoms are caused by something that’s not occurring inside the body, such as high blood pressure or a heart attack. In these cases, finding the cause outside of the body may provide long term relief.
One of the most common reasons for people experiencing symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus, especially along with atherosclerosis, is idiopathic intracranial hypertension. This is a rare type of stroke that’s caused by an excessive build up of fluid in the brain. This buildup occurs in the cerebrospinal fluid, which is located just behind the eyes in the back of the brain. It is the fluid that provides the mind and body with a sense of balance. If there is too much of this fluid going on in the brain, the result can be pulsatile tinnitus, hypertension and other symptoms. Of course, identifying this particular cause is the first step in treating the symptoms.
To find out the causes of pulsatile tinnitus, you may have to go beyond just relying on conventional medicine. A variety of natural and alternative methods have been proven to improve brain health. One of the best known natural remedies involves changing your diet and increasing your vitamin D intake to improve blood flow throughout the body. In addition, a combination of magnesium, zinc and ginkgo biloba has also been shown to improve the function of the entire cardiovascular system. Because these changes can only be made under the care of a qualified doctor, it’s important to research each method to determine if it’s appropriate for your particular case.
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