8 Common Causes of Pulsatile Tinnitus

There are two types of Tinnitus: Pulsatile Tinnitus, and non-Pulsatile Tinnitus. Tinnitus Treatment for each type of tinnitus is different, so it’s important to know what type of tinnitus you have before seeking treatment.

You can usually tell Pulsatile and non-Pulsatile Tinnitus apart by the type of sounds you hear. As the name implies, pulsatile tinnitus sounds like your own heartbeat, whereas non-pulsatile tinnitus sounds like a variety of familiar noises, such as ringing, chirping, whirring or clicking.

It’s possible, although unusual, to have these two types of tinnitus together, and people who have both conditions usually say the pulsatile tinnitus component is the more irritating. The focus of this article is to gain a better understanding of pulsatile tinnitus, its causes and its treatments.

What Causes Pulsatile Tinnitus?

Pulsatile tinnitus is a rare form of tinnitus, and only about 3% of tinnitus patients have it. It is sometimes referred to as vascular tinnitus and is usually related to disturbances in the blood flow. The problem usually originates from within the blood vessels inside the head or neck region. When disturbed or irregular blood flow occurs it can result in turbulent blood flow, and this turbulence is then amplified and can be heard in the ears as a whooshing, beating or other rhythmic sound.

8 common causes of Pulsatile Tinnitus and their treatments:

1. A benign tumor: Tumors of this nature are usually located in or near the ear. Usually with a tumor, hearing loss is also a common symptom. Treatment: Surgery may be recommended, but sometimes is not needed if the tumor is slow in growing, which is often the case with older patients.
2. Brain Lesions: One type of lesion is an aneurism, and another type is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein. In either case the blood flow is putting too much pressure on the veins and must be treated. Treatment: Surgery and medication.
3. Veinous Hum: Patients who are anemic, pregnant, anemic, or have thyroid problems, may develop increased blood flow through the jugular vein, which amplifies the sound of blood flow in the  ear. Treatment: Treating the anemia or the underlying condition will generally clear up the tinnitus naturally.
4. Narrowing of the Arteries (Atherosclerotic):  Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of the artery due to cholesterol build-up on the artery wall. This condition reduces the opening of the arteries. This usually occurs in older patients with a history of hypertension, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, angina and smoking. Treatment: If the condition is controlled by medication the tinnitus will usually disappear or lessen.
5. Benign Intracranial Hypertension (BIH): In this condition there is increased pressure around the fluid that bathes the spine and/or the brain. Usually this conditioned is caused by obesity. Treatment: Weight loss and possibly the use of prescribed diuretics.
6. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Some patients who take medication for their high blood pressure report symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus just after they began taking it.
   Still others report high blood pressure and tinnitus at the same time, and when they take the blood pressure medication the symptoms go away. Treatment: Change of medication usually takes care of the tinnitus.
7. Twisted Arteries: Occasionally an artery may get twisted in the head and neck, causing turbulent blood flow and leading to pulsatile tinnitus. Treatment: Surgery can repair this condition, or the twisted artery may move back to its normal placement in time.
8. Middle Ear Infection (Effusion): This is one of the rare non-vascular causes of pulsatile tinnitus, where fluid fills the middle ear and causes infection. Treatment: Antibiotics, decongestants, nasal sprays, or surgery for severe infections.

While this list is not complete, it represents the common, primary causes of pulsatile tinnitus. It is important to see your doctor, so he or she can investigate the specific reason for your pulsatile tinnitus. While not highly common, in some cases a serious underlying condition could be averted by a timely diagnosis and proper treatment. To be safe, your primary care physician may also refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist for further testing.

While tinnitus is usually caused by hearing loss or a medical condition, the symptoms can be triggered or exacerbated by secondary factors related to your lifestyle, such as certain foods, smoking, and even the type of toothpaste you use.

To learn more about managing and possible eliminating your tinnitus symptoms, we recommend checking out Tinnitus Miracle – an eBook that’s helped thousands manage or completely eliminate their tinnitus!

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Good luck, and i hope that you can reduce or potentially eliminating your pulsatile tinnitus symptoms altogether!