Pulsatile Tinnitus

Pulsatile tinnitus is the kind of ear noise that is rhythmic pulsing, which is perceived in time with the heartbeat. The sound experienced is whooshing or thumping sound. Sometime it is called as vascular tinnitus as is associated with the flow of blood. Near about three percent of the people experience this tinnitus.

When the distributed flow of blood occurs, then this tinnitus is initiated in the blood vessels inside the neck or head region. This happens because of increase in blood flow or narrowing of the opening of blood vessels, which result in turbulent blood flow and can be heard in the ears. It is very different form of the tinnitus which results from damaging cochlea or hearing nerve.

Common causes of the pulsatile tinnitus and related therapies for that are as below:

• Benign Intracranial Hypertension (BIH): This is a condition in which pressure of cerebrospinal fluid get increased that rinse the brain and young female having overweight may suffer from this.

  Other BIH symptoms contain ear fullness, hearing loss, headache, dizziness and the visual disturbances. Weight loss and administration of diuretic are some of the prone conditions to this type of tinnitus. Many patients improve themselves by reducing weight.

• Glomus Tumor: This is a vascular tumor placed in ear as well as below the ear and mass of intertwined blood vessels is present in glomus tumor. Common symptom of this type of tinnitus is the hearing loss. For removal of the tumor, surgery is used for young patients but for older patients, treatment may not be needed because the tumor growth is very slow.
• Atherosclerotic Carotid Artery Disease: Atherosclerosis is a condition in which artery gets narrow because of the cholesterol build in the walls of artery and it lead to small opening and turbulent blood flow produces the pulsatile tinnitus.

  Mostly it is found in older patient because of elevated cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and angina. Medications are used for controlling the condition in this type of tinnitus.

• Intracranial Vascular Lesions: Arteriovenous malformation and aneurism is included in this and it is connection between artery and the vein. Blood flows from high pressure artery to the lower pressure vein through capillaries. Bleeding in brain occurs because of arteriovenous malformation or aneurism, which is very harmful. The therapies used for this are embolizing and surgery.
• Middle Ear Effusion: Air filled space is generally at the middle part of the ear. Because of any infection, if fluid accumulates there then Eustachian tube dysfunction or inflammation may occur. Sometime it is observed with decreased hearing and it is treated with decongestants, antibiotics, nasal sprays and surgery.
• Venous Hum: Patients suffering from anemia and thyroid related problems or are pregnant can develop blood flow through jugular vein which is largest vein in neck. This vein traverses through the middle and turbulent flow can heard in middle ear as "hums" which may not fluctuate with pulse.
• Hypertension: Pulsatile tinnitus is started in high blood pressure patients after taking medication for high blood pressure. For the relief one may have to change the medication. Other may develop tinnitus because of elevated blood pressure and it may be resolved after reducing the pressure by medication.
• Twisted Arteries: Twisted arteries in neck and head cause the turbulent blood flow which leads to pulsatile tinnitus. It is primary symptom and so it may not require any special treatment.