Pulsatile Tinnitus

Pulsatile tinnitus is a type of tinnitus that can be found in only 3% of cases of tinnitus.  It makes a person hear a rhythmic and pulsing sound that coincides with a person’s heartbeat.  The noise may be heard by another person or the physician examining the patient by drawing close to the person having the tinnitus or with a use of a stethoscope or microphone which is placed in the ear canal.

While the other type of tinnitus makes a person hear a noise that does not come from an external source and one that could not be heard by other people who are with them, the source of the noise in pulsatile tinnitus may be blamed to a disturbance in the proper flow of blood in the neck, head or ear.  When this happens, you should begin to suspect two things to be happening: there is an increased blood flow or there is a clot in the blood vessels which has narrowed the path for the blood to flow.

As this happens, there will be a sudden gush of blood which creates the pulsating sound.  Thus the noise that you hear with this type of tinnitus is a result of the flow of blood in the blood vessels.  The characteristic of the noise may be pulsating, intermittent or continuous.  It may also be referred to as vascular tinnitus, because the flow of blood in the vascular system greatly influences it.

Common disorders which may cause this type of tinnitus are hypertension, cardiovascular malformations, hyperdynamic circulatory states, metabolic disorders, Eustachian tube disorder, elevated intracranial pressure and glomus tumor.

It is easier to find treatment for pulsatile tinnitus compared to the subjective type of tinnitus.  There are medications available and a person may also be given a multi-disciplinary method of treatment which integrates alternative treatments with the drug treatment.