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Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Pulsatiletinnitusis a form of tinnitus that results in a person hearing whooshing, thumping, or throbbing in their ears. It can occur in one or both ears and often presents rhythmically with a person’s heartbeat. Pulsatile tinnitus can be mild only a minor annoyance, or it can be so intense that it becomes debilitating.

This article discusses the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for pulsatile tinnitus.

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Types of Pulsatile Tinnitus

The type is important because it helps narrow down where the issue stems from, assisting healthcare providers in diagnosing and treating the condition.

What Are the Symptoms of Pulsatile Tinnitus?

The main sign of pulsatile tinnitus is regularly hearing sounds, such as a beat. Other sounds can be:

Unlike other forms of tinnitus, the sounds in pulsatile tinnitus come from a physical source. For example, sounds can develop because of changes inblood flow in veins or arteriesnear the ear.

They can also develop because the normal flow of sounds from within the body is met with an increase inbone conduction. Bone conduction helps to transmit acoustic vibrations so that sounds can be heard.

The Pulsatile Tinnitus Rhythm OriginThe sound heard in pulsatile tinnitus comes from blood flow and is often in the same rhythm as the pulse. Essentially, people with this condition can hear their hearts beating from the inside.

The Pulsatile Tinnitus Rhythm Origin

The sound heard in pulsatile tinnitus comes from blood flow and is often in the same rhythm as the pulse. Essentially, people with this condition can hear their hearts beating from the inside.

What Causes Pulsatile Tinnitus?

Pulsatile tinnitus is often considered a symptom of vascular or other issues with vascular health, such as the structure or blood flow through veins and arteries. Possible causes include:

In as many as 30% of pulsatile tinnitus cases, no cause is found.

Is Pulsatile Tinnitus Serious?Since many health disorders can cause pulsatile tinnitus, it can be either mild or dangerous. It highly depends on the cause; some are benign, while others can be life-threatening.

Is Pulsatile Tinnitus Serious?

Since many health disorders can cause pulsatile tinnitus, it can be either mild or dangerous. It highly depends on the cause; some are benign, while others can be life-threatening.

How Is Pulsatile Tinnitus Diagnosed?

Diagnosing pulsatile tinnitus involves collecting a health history and a list of symptoms. If a medical provider suspects pulsatile tinnitus, they will investigate the cause of the symptom. Some possible tests used to do this are:

In some cases, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) will be used. This is typically a last resort if other imaging tests do not provide enough information.

During the procedure, a small and thin tube known as acatheterwill be placed into a leg artery and sent toward blood vessels in the brain. The dye that highlights issues within blood vessels goes through the catheter, and an X-ray takes a picture of the blood vessels.

Why Proper Diagnosis is CrucialPulsatile tinnitus can come before a stroke or bleeding in the brain. That is why it’s vital to get adequate testing at the first sign of symptoms.

Why Proper Diagnosis is Crucial

Pulsatile tinnitus can come before a stroke or bleeding in the brain. That is why it’s vital to get adequate testing at the first sign of symptoms.

New Device Could Provide Long-Term Relief from Tinnitus Symptoms

How Is Pulsatile Tinnitus Treated?

Treatment for pulsatile tinnitus begins with addressing the underlying cause. Because of that, treatments can vary widely. The good news is that once the underlying condition is treated effectively, pulsatile tinnitus symptoms will often go away completely.

Possible treatments can include:

Treatment for No-Cause Pulsatile TinnitusIn the event a cause isn’t found, healthcare providers will suggest other management techniques, such as:Sound therapy to help suppress the noisesWhite noise machines or other wearable noise-suppressing devicesMeditation and relaxation techniquesTinnitus retraining therapy to teach coping techniquesCognitive behavioral therapy, a common form of talk therapy

Treatment for No-Cause Pulsatile Tinnitus

In the event a cause isn’t found, healthcare providers will suggest other management techniques, such as:Sound therapy to help suppress the noisesWhite noise machines or other wearable noise-suppressing devicesMeditation and relaxation techniquesTinnitus retraining therapy to teach coping techniquesCognitive behavioral therapy, a common form of talk therapy

In the event a cause isn’t found, healthcare providers will suggest other management techniques, such as:

Natural Remedies for Tinnitus

Summary

Pulsatile tinnitus is a form of tinnitus that involves hearing whooshing, thumping, or buzzing in the ears that seem to be in rhythm with your heartbeat. The sounds can be mild and not affect your day-to-day life, but they can be debilitating in many cases.

Healthcare providers may conduct various imaging tests to help diagnose pulsatile tinnitus because there are many possible causes. Since a person experiencing the symptoms can be at risk for stroke or bleeding in the brain, it’s vital to get a proper diagnosis as soon as possible.

Healthcare providers will treat the underlying cause instead of the symptom unless there is no identifiable condition that causes it. In that case, you must manage your condition through various techniques, including sound therapy. If you experience pulsatile tinnitus, contact your healthcare provider immediately. It is curable; the faster you seek treatment, the better it will be for you.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hofmann E, Behr R, Neumann-Haefelin T, Schwager K.Pulsatile tinnitus: Imaging and differential diagnosis.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2013 Jun;110(26):451-8. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0451UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.Pulsatile tinnitus causes and treatments.Pegge SAH, Steens SCA, Kunst HPM, Meijer FJA.Pulsatile tinnitus: Differential diagnosis and radiological work-up.Curr Radiol Rep.2017;5(1):5. doi:10.1007/s40134-017-0199-7Penn Medicine.Pulsatile tinnitus.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hofmann E, Behr R, Neumann-Haefelin T, Schwager K.Pulsatile tinnitus: Imaging and differential diagnosis.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2013 Jun;110(26):451-8. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0451UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.Pulsatile tinnitus causes and treatments.Pegge SAH, Steens SCA, Kunst HPM, Meijer FJA.Pulsatile tinnitus: Differential diagnosis and radiological work-up.Curr Radiol Rep.2017;5(1):5. doi:10.1007/s40134-017-0199-7Penn Medicine.Pulsatile tinnitus.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hofmann E, Behr R, Neumann-Haefelin T, Schwager K.Pulsatile tinnitus: Imaging and differential diagnosis.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2013 Jun;110(26):451-8. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0451UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.Pulsatile tinnitus causes and treatments.Pegge SAH, Steens SCA, Kunst HPM, Meijer FJA.Pulsatile tinnitus: Differential diagnosis and radiological work-up.Curr Radiol Rep.2017;5(1):5. doi:10.1007/s40134-017-0199-7Penn Medicine.Pulsatile tinnitus.

Hofmann E, Behr R, Neumann-Haefelin T, Schwager K.Pulsatile tinnitus: Imaging and differential diagnosis.Dtsch Arztebl Int.2013 Jun;110(26):451-8. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2013.0451

UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.Pulsatile tinnitus causes and treatments.

Pegge SAH, Steens SCA, Kunst HPM, Meijer FJA.Pulsatile tinnitus: Differential diagnosis and radiological work-up.Curr Radiol Rep.2017;5(1):5. doi:10.1007/s40134-017-0199-7

Penn Medicine.Pulsatile tinnitus.

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