Pulsative tinnitus

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hi, I am new to this forum, I have had pulsative tinnitus for about a year now. It all started with a sinus infection, and initially was so loud I couldnt sleep, it consumed me during the day, and I couldnt concentrate on anything except the pulsing.

I saw several doctors who all thought it would subside when the sinus infection went. It did reduce as the sinus got better, but it has never gone away, its worse first thing in the morning, and in the evening while watching tele. I saw a neurologist in May as I suffered a smal tia, he gave me an mri and looked for neromas which all came back clear.

For several months it was at a level where I could ignore it, but now it seems to be increasing, and I feel it is starting to interfere with my life.

Its also scary, and the more i worry the worse it seems to get, I have been stressed of late, and that also makes it worse.

I just wondered if anyone had any ideas how to resolve this, or at least get it to a managable level.

If I put my head to one side it reduces, and if I move my jaw outward it gets louder, even when walking sometimes it seems to pulse to the steps. I do think my sinus problem is still slightly there as every morning I am blocked up, and after showering seem to get a post nasal drip, some mornings also when I blow my nose I get a trace of blood, this usually happens when my sinuses are bad, then stops, but although I dont feel too congested at the moment , I seem to be getting alot of the symptoms, and the the tinnutus is worse.

Sorry for long post, any ideas would be good, as after seeing several gps, and a neurologist, I still havent got this sorted out.

2

Have you seen an ENT specialist?  You did not mention this in your history.  If you did, what did he or she say?

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

3

Thankyou for reply, I havent seen ent as doctors all think its sinus associated.

I do also have TMD, which flared up at the same time as the original tinnitus, and the dentist feels this is a cause possibly. Ihave to say when my jaw is tender or I have been under stress the whooshing is enhanced, also the level and pitch of the tinnitus can be altered by moving my bottom jaw, or my head in certain ways.

My doctors all seem to think I should just live with it, especially as it has quietened down, and it isnt just in one ear, it sometimes is in both, or left or right one at a time.

4

Because you say that the tinnitus changes with moving the jaw, then it is very likely that the tinnitus is due to the temporomandibular joint (I assume that TMD means temporomandibular disease).

The tinnitus may go away with curing the TMD.  If the TMD is caused by facial muscle tension, and a way is found to relieve this tension, than the tinnitus may go away too.

Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN

Clinical Neurophysiologist

Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology

5

Hi i got tinnitus in my left ear after an infection of the e tubes on the left side. Im at 6 months now and the volume has dropped alot. Sometimes it comes back loud and then can take a week to go or reduce down. I want it to go completely and tried changes in diet and vitimins but what ive found is that stress is the key to keeping it under control. Which is difficult when it starts to come back and every day stresses. Im not sure about TMD but an ent i would think is the right person to see with sinus issus isnt it?

6

Thankyou, I do feel it is affected by the TMD, as it seems to become enhanced when I am stressed and clench my jaw more.

Thankyou for your time.

7

Have you seen a maxillary surgeon?  I have so many issues. They will do a panoramic of your jaw and make you a soft mouth splint. These noise can eminate from tmj. Actually a lot of weird stuff comes from cleching , bruxism..etc..

8

Hello

When I first discovered I had tinnitus I thought I was going to go

nuts.

I searched for natural remedies and cures on the internet so I would

suggest you do the same to find something that works for you.

Make sure you consult with your doctor first before taking anything.

This is what helped my symptoms.

I take melatonin (which also can make you sleepy) and advil gel cap.

I also take zyrtec for allgeries, the gel capsule works better and faster

for me.

I hope you find this helpful.

9

Thankyou, yes I have been trying to find self help answers, I do hope you also find an answer, it is such an awful thing to have, especially as its an unseen disability, yet a disability all the same.

10

Thankyou, no I havent seen a maxillaty surgeon yet, I keep getting told that the jaw problems will settle in time, and to be patient ad it can take over a year!!

I do admit the jaw is alot better than it was, as is the pulsative tinnitus, but both are still very much there and still affecting my life, some days more than others.

I feel if I could get my stress and anxiety levels down perhaps the jaw tension would lesson, and in turn quieten down the tinnitus.

That said, it is easier said than done to try to relax and de stress.

11

Do you get really bad headaches?  My ent  told me not to use motrin anymore i wasnt even using much 600mg max a day to control headaches and jaw stuff. Now im using tylenol one thing leads to another. This is rough stuff. And if stress worsens it its all ironic because it seems like some kind of cycle. Pain and tinnitus and sound sensitivety will stress a person.although stress does heighten it. I think stress heightens anything a person has. I just bought melatonin 5mg that said to aid in headaches and zinc lozengers to help nourish nerves. I use a multi vitamin and b complex and get b12 shots already.Many forums and people have noted their tinnitus just left one day some weeks, some months and some years but it left. Mines not from loud noise so im hoping it follows that and just goes. i dont think people has much patience for others after a while with any chronic condition to be honest.  Not if it effects them.The closest thing i have read that made me look twice was yin deficiency but i know little about chinese cures. And china has the most cases of tinnitus from all the tea they consume. Ginko raises blood pressure so that didnt go well for me. I didnt even have bp issues then ginko raised it so had to stop using it. All i keep thinking is the body really is suppose to be able to heal itself  sciencd bascially  only knows the neck down right now in time. Its sad that theres so much technology out there and yet none of it can understand the brain.

12

Hi Lisa, thanks for your reply, yes I do get headaches with the tinnitus, sometimes quite bad, especially if stressed at all.

Pulsative tinnitus often seems to have physical origin so I hsve read, but mine I think is from the jaw problems and made worse with the sinuses.

Its most peculiar, if say forinstance there is a loud bang near me my ears ring just like a tuning fork, equally so if I flick my ear canal it will also ring again like a tuning fork. The volume of the pulsing/whooshing alters all the time, worse mornings, somedays its so quiet I forget its there, another day it just keeps on buzzing and I cant ignore it. IF i shake my head it sort of dings, so weird, and by moving my jaws the sound alters in pitch and volume, it also does if I move my head at different angles.

Massageing my face neck and head seem to help, and holding a hot water bottle on my jaws also eases head pain, in fact its almost instant. Making sure my jaw is slightly dropped so that my teeth dont touch also helps.

I do hope you get yours sorted, it certainly is a life changing problem, which others dont understand.x