Pulsatile Tinnitus Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options
By: John Cielo
Submitted: 2010-07-06 03:42:38 | Word Count: 576
Pulsatile tinnitus is a more uncommon form of tinnitus that has particular causes that may or may not be identifiable. Learn what the causes are here, along with the symptoms and treatment options.
Before we begin to discuss pulsatile tinnitus and it's causes, let's first look at tinnitus as a whole...
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Tinnitus is the name given to a set of aural symptoms that arise due to one or more underlying conditions. In other words it isn't an illness or disease in its own right, it is just the result of other factors which are present in the tinnitus sufferer.
The general symptoms of tinnitus are noises that the sufferer hears in their ears, but which are not produced externally. These sounds have been described as ringing, whooshing, roaring, hissing (mine), clicking, ticking, whistling, rushing, etc. Each case is different and the underlying condition present can dictate the actual sounds heard by the victim.
The general causes of tinnitus are things such as; natural hearing deterioration, ear infections, glue ear, meniere's disease, otosclerosis, hearing damaged by excessive noise, inner ear / auditory nerve damage, bangs to the head, neck injuries, hypertension (high blood pressure), anaemia, sinus problems, narrowing of the arteries, overactive thyroid, stress / anxiety, etc.
Pulsatile tinnitus is different from ordinary tinnitus in that the sounds heard aren't constant, but are sounds that 'beat' in rhythm to the person's heartbeat. You can test to see if you have pulsatile tinnitus by just feeling your pulse and timing against the sounds you hear. But of course you should visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis!
Another way in which pulsatile tinnitus is different is that, whilst the underlying cause in a case of ordinary tinnitus is very oftentimes difficult to pin down, with pulsatile tinnitus there is usually a better chance of identifying the cause. So that your doctor can then take the appropriate actions.
This is because the causes are largely due to changes in blood flow in the vessels in the ear, head or neck. There are a number of things that can cause this state of affairs including, but not limited to, strenuous exercise, pregnancy, overactive thyroid gland, severe anaemia, hardening of the arteries, etc. Your doctor can give you a more complete list of course.
In terms of treatment, once your doctor has diagnosed pulsatile tinnitus, they can test for the known underlying causes, and once identified, can offer the appropriate treatment. For example fix the high blood pressure, or fix the anaemia, etc. However, this isn't always successful, as the underlying cause isn't always identifiable; there are no guarantees.
But you must never give up with pulsatile or ordinary tinnitus, as there are many ways to manage your tinnitus where the medical profession can't identify the cause. And it needn't include drugs with their nasty side effects either. There are lots of natural ways to treat your tinnitus that can help to give you your life back.
