If you constantly hear a pulsating or whooshing sound that goes in rhythm with your heart beat, then you must be suffering from pulsatile tinnitus. Also known as the vascular tinnitus, this form of tinnitus is often caused by poor blood circulation or disruption in the blood flow. While pulsatile tinnitus is one of the rarest forms of tinnitus, the effects it brings are equally challenging as the others.

There are different types of pulsatile tinnitus and one of the most prevalent is a condition called arterial turbulence. This is caused by restricted flow of blood that causes crimps or plaques in the arteries along the region of head and neck. The condition can worsen when the affected person suffers from high blood pressure. When this occurs, the body experiences an increased blood flow which causes the production of turbulence sound in the ears.

This form of tinnitus is different from the continuous type of tinnitus, though some people can have both types. For those people with both types of tinnitus, the sounds produced by the pulsatile tinnitus are the most irritating. Like other forms of tinnitus, the pulsatile one is not considered a disease. It is rather a symptom caused by other underlying problems. Because this condition is related to blood flow matters, the main reason could be important and must be consulted with a doctor right away. Nevertheless, this form of tinnitus is treatable.

Aside from poor blood flow, pulsatile tinnitus may be caused by other conditions such as:

1. Arteriovenous Malformations – this condition is caused by the unequal number of veins and arteries located near the auditory nerve along the cranial cavity. The pulsation activity in the auditory nerve causes pulsating sound to be heard.

2. Atherosclerosis – the pulsating sound a tinnitus patient can hear can also be caused by atherosclerosis, a condition caused by the accumulation of cholesterol on walls of the artery.

3. Benign Intracranial Hypertension – this condition occurs when the fluid that surrounds the brain experiences inflated pressure. This can lead to hearing loss that is mainly characterized by hearing beating or pulsating sound.

4. Carotid Artery-Cavernous Sinus Fistula – this condition is characterized by the joining of large veins and arteries caused mainly by massive head trauma.

5. Middle Ear Inflammation or Infection – the blood flow can elevate as a result of infection in the middle ear. The elevated blood circulation results to a pulsating or turbulent sound comparable to the turbulent sound of water flowing rapidly.

6. Hypertension – pulsatile tinnitus can be caused by taking medicines used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure. To correct this problem, the dosage of the medication may need to be lowered or the medication itself may be changed completely.

7. Glomous Tumor – the tumor may appear inside the ear or in the middle just at the base of the skull. Unfortunately, the patient may need to undergo surgery to get rid of this problem.

As discussed in this article, pulsatile tinnitus signals other more severe or serious health conditions. To make sure you don’t experience the symptom anymore, the underlying conditions probably causing it must be addressed and treated.

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