Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: countrybumpkin on March 31, 2009, 09:29:21 PM
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I have had noises in my left ear on and off for years probably due to tmj and neck trouble but month ago I realised that everytime I moved my jaw this background high pitched ringing that was in time with my heartbeat got hige amount louder so eating and talking and yawning was very annoying.
I wasn't too worried at that point as I was used to odd things with that ear BUT I did stupid thing and googled pulse in ear and it scared me witless as it said it can be caused by dangerous vascular problem.
I duly rushed off to GP who listened to my neck arteries with stethascope while I turned my head and held my breath and she said she could not hear anything so it wasl ikely coming from my jaw or ear and not my arteries. She didn't seem concerned at all.
I am a terrible worrier about anything healthwise and seem to spend my life at the Dr's.
I then looked on the tinnitus website and they say that anyone with pulsing in one ear should have vasuclar conditions ruled out so once again I am in a blind panic and its only 3 days since I saw my GP.
My husband says I need to go back to GP and tell her how terrified I am and ask to be referred for tests to rule out a vascular cause but I hate to see that oh no not again look on her face - the lets humour her to get rid of her look! but on other hand worrying constantly about it only makes it worse and puts my blood pressure up.
I'm just posting on the off chance someone eles on here had this and are still alive!
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How about contacting the Tinnitus Society? I get it occasionally, a high pitched whistle which makes me wonder how long it's been present before I notice it ::) ... usually blowing my nose gently gets rid. I have allergic rhinitis which causes hay-fever-type symptoms so my nose is constantly a nuisance even though I take anti-histamine >:(
Your GP has checked you out so I expect you are OK - however, a background worry can drag us down so give the TS a ring? A discussion with someone in the 'know' can be helpful.
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Have a look at this http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C177689.html
I have had this for a few years ( it does seem to come and go) and still here!! have been to the Doctors a few times about it and she said that it is not anything to worry about though I do still worry about it sometimes.
When I started with panic attacks my Doctor sent me to a heart specialist who was very thorough and I had numerous tests all coming back negative so I am sure it would have been picked up if it had been anything serious.
I recently turned over in bed and the room started to spin my Doctor confirmed that it was labyrinthitis and said iI could have it for quite a while, the pulsing in my ear did seem to increase so I do think there is a connection.
I would go back to your doctor and ask if you could have some tests just to put your mind at rest.
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I too have had this for years. I actually have it at the moment as I type this! Everything sinister was ruled out by tests. I have learned to just ignore it.
Usually it is not caused by any serious condition. Your GP can get a lot of information just by listening to your neck arteries with a stethoscope and would usually pick up anything sinister. But a dismissive attitude to your problem is not particularly helpful. Stress makes this condition worse, so if you are concerned ask for further tests to rule out other causes. Don't be afraid to ask, after all you as a tax payer contributed to the cost of her training and her salary.
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:thankyou:for all your replies so nice to have a sympathetic ear.
I went back to my GP today and explained how I was so worried that this is being caused by one of the dangerous vascular conditions - she did say it is very rare for it to be one of these but agreed to send me to a specialist to rule it out - I don't know if it will be ent or vascular she didn't know and was finding out who was best. She was I think a bit fed up with me because I always assume the worst but agreed that constant panic will not help my slightly high blood pressure 154/85 come down to normal as it usually is . Know doubt I will now have to wait weeks for an appt but at least I am doing something.
Its a pity valium is addictive cos I am sure I could do with abucket full ;D
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Well Done! By putting your case forwards in a clear manner and pointing out that anxiety is made worse by back-ground concerns, you have got the next step ...... and if you believe that your GP is ::) when you appear, it's only for that instant: today's news, tomorrow's chip papers ;)
How about a bucket full of relaxation in the sun instead? Deep breathing, try to listen to the birds etc. and drift into the breeze for a short while ......
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Hi Countrybumkin,
I have had continuous tinnitus for about 10 months now, think it started after my Mum died/moving house. Before that and now occasionally I could reliably take my pulse by just listening, without manually taking it! It was quite useful being able to do that as I monitor my pulse because of Graves Disease. I too went to the GP about it and for the pulsing she said she gets it too (not very helpful)! and the other GP for the tinnitus said there are some tablets but nothing seems to work :'( On the news recently there is research going on into tinnitus and they think they have found an answer. I'm watching that space avidly!
Dreamer
xx
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Thanks dreamer nice to know I am not alone with the heartbeat tinnitus. I was just thinking same thing I can take my pulse in my head! Its a bit nerve racking as I tend to get a racing pulse if I am nervous so listening to it all day long is not a good idea.
I got a phone call from GP two hours after seeing her to say that I have an appt with ent in three weeks so don't have to wait long for that. Next hurdle is to persuade him to do the tests to ruleout anything serious.
Dreamer sounds to me like you didn't have any tests for it???? Brave of you.Must admit the thought of this for ever is not a good one :(
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Have you read this info Country Bumpkin http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/index.php?q=node/56 Is it called Pulsatile Tinnitus? Good luck with your appointment.
Taz x
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Hi CB, not brave of me not having it looked into just never occurred to me that it might be something serious! DOH! The pulse noise comes and goes, but the tinnitus gets me down, sometimes I wonder I can hear at all what with the ringing and the pulsating :-\ there's a lot going on in my head that shouldn't be !
Hope you get on ok with the ENT appt.
Dreamer
xx
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I too had about a month of pulsatile tinnitus at the end of last year. I had a carotid artery duplex scan which was fine and BP was very low. It infuriated me as it kept me awake and was intrusive but, courage, it went as mysteriously as it had come and I have had no trouble since except a bit of more "orthodox" ringing in my left ear when I yawn or stretch. Liveable with.
Many cases of pulsatile tinnitus are nothing to worry about but you are doing the right thing to have further checks. If these come back negative that will help you relax and may, in turn, help you with the problem.
Good luck and let us know how you go.
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My is a very quiet, high pitched whine. Noticed it about the time I started HRT so often wonder if there is a link.
Hubby says he also has a loud, high pitched whine in his ear and he gets it everytime I open my mouth............ ;D ;D
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Hi CB
I have had this for over a year now. I have had a MRI scan and a Cartoid artery scan which may I add, I had to ask for at the ENT as they did not have any answers for me. Both came back clear, however the heartbeat noise has got worse, its now with me 24/7.
I am going to ask a heart consultant who I see for palapations/missed beats for some information just to see if he knows anything.
Please let me know what your results are and good luck, it will be interesting to see what they tell you as I have been to 3 different ENT doctors while I was going through this and they all did not know what it was.
Keep in touch
Ina x
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I have had tinnitus for just over 2 years now (I think). I understand it can be brought on by stress, having ears syringed too often or loud music. My Consultant thinks it will disappear on its own. That was about a year ago! Have you thought of Hopi Ear Candling? It is not only relaxing, but it helps clear the "airways" and the sinuses. Iv had it done twice and it did actually disappear for a number of hours! I have also heard that listening to music via earphones whilst doing housework etc. can be helpful.
Hope this helps ::)
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I have just noticed the date. Thats the MENOPAUSE for you :D
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Your not Billy no mates
I had it and still do have it
juts take good care :-*
Suzi Q
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It's at it badly this morning everywhere I go there's this background noise and slight pulsing >:(
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Pressed the 'search' button ;D - the noise is less this afternoon!
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I have literally just started getting this in the last couple of weeks (sort of whooshing pulse noise in my ears, really mainly at night). I googled too - what a mistake! But it seems from the responses that this is awfully common, although glad you're going to get it checked out to set your mind at rest. Also i've just started taking venlaflaxine to see if it helps with hot flushes - and when I checked it seems tinnitus is a rare side effect of it and many other drugs. So if you've started any new medication in the last few months it may be that that is the culprit?
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Aaaah I take an AD too so maybe ? It's quiet this morning ::)
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I get it at night only, or more specifically when I'm lying down. I'm trying to be cool, calm and collected about it, athough fed up of getting more and more symptoms every day (or so it seems). I'm actually due to see a cardiologist (very breathless - they don't seem to think there's much wrong with me and it might just be panic/anxiety, it has certainly improved since i switched hrts, but I saw the doc about it in October and its taken til now to get a referral) so I shall mention it and see if she's concerned, but tinnitus is wildly common and all the terrifying conditions associated with it are super rare and also tend to come with lots of other symptoms which happily, and I've just touched wood, we don't have ...
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If mine irritates at night I wriggle the lobe up and down and put my finger into the ear and wriggle hard. Sometimes that is enough to dis-lodge the feeling.
As for the breathelessness, I get that when I feel bloated. I had it during my menstruating years, filled with water and felt asthmatic. HORMONES >:( sometimes I can't take a deep breath in completely and have to have several goes before I can draw a proper breath!
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My old thread resurrected!
I couldn't be bothered to read all the posts so can't remember if I posted to tell everyone what was causing mine.
Before I freak anyone I would like to say that true pulsitile tinnitus is there 24/7, it does not come and go.
I can ignore mine nearly all the time but if asked to listen for it even in a noisy room I can hear it when I tune it to it so if yours comes and goes its not true pulsitile tinnitus, its still tinnitus but not quite the same .
I freaked myself out reading all the worst case scenarios about causes of constant pulsing in one ear and was convinced I had a blood vessel about to burst in my head, I paid for a mri scan as nhs only scanned my neck arteries and the mri found a teeny weeny cyst on my brain stem near where the jugular artery enters brain and this is what I am hearing as the cyst is transmitting the sound through my skull to my ear. Only I could have this ;D
I had a repeat mri two years later and the cyst hasn't changed so thats that.
It would not have mattered whether I had the scan or not but I wanted to rule out the about to burst blood vessel in brain which of course I did not have.
So to all of you with intermittant whooshing in ears this is nearly always caused by ear/simus issues or side effect of tablets. My husband gets lots of catarrh in his inner ears and he gets the whooshing on and off as well so nothing to worry about.
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I still get this, and a blocked ear sometimes, and a diagnosis of BPPV ::) ::)
I too like countrybumkin worried about a pulsing blood vessel about to burst in my head, that was in 2009 I think but I am still here.
I was told I had a narrow Eustachian ear canal that could be causing a lot of my problems with my right ear, not life threatening but annoying to live with.
silverlady x
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Certainly annoying but not present at this moment. thanks for the clarification!
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One of the many reasons I've been grateful to for this site is the knowledge that I'm not the only person who gets, like, an itchy finger and manages to convince myself I'm dying of some fabulously rare and entirely untreatable neurological disease ... I had a (real) lump in my breast some years ago which obviously I got checked out and was only a cyst. But the doctor said to keep on checking, and I subsequently went to him with another lump .... he looked at me like I was a nutter and said: "That's a rib".
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"that's a rib" ::) ;D ........... did he smile? All breast lumps need checking by someone who is not emotionally involved ;)
Ears don't feel bunged up this evening hence no tinnitus 8)
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Hearing aids are worn to help with tinnitus. Not sure how it works though. You can ask for a hearing test from GP.
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Happy your OK xxx
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Sometimes they can mask other noises.
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My R ear has been a nuisance for over a week :-\ - it was making me feel ill yesterday, a gentle pulsating, background ringing and the feeling that there was a cork stuck down the drum. I wriggled the lobe with my fingers, poked my finger into the ear and moved it but the glob of 'cork' didn't move. Fortunately it's been better 2-day.
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That sounds like a ear problem causing the noise. The only other cause can be temporal mandibular joint dysfunction as well.
As an update I had a further mri brain scan( for another issue!) and the cyst had gone that they thought was causing the 24/7 pulsitile tinnitus so it wasn't that then!! This affects my left ear.
Now I have developed just for a hour or so after I get up in the morning a sound like someone standing on a crisp packet in my right ear ;D If i rub infront of my ear it goes away. Told this is probably due to gunk in my eustation tube moving after going from laying down to getting up.
I have tmj trouble in both jaw joints so its a bit take your pick as too what causes what.
Hope yours settles down soonx
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I also have TMJ disorder and I get this pulsing and ringing intermittently too. Aggravating isn't it?
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Crisp packet sounds about right ::) ……. it's better this morning :thankyou: after manipulating the lobe for ages yesterday.
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Had all what everyone says on posts on and off for a couple of years it went straight away when started on oestrogen.
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ohhhh yet another thing to add to the list of lack of homones cause ;D
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I had this ringing in the ears.... was referred for hearing test and I have lost the ability to hear very high pitched noises (which is weird as I can seem to hear them in my ears!)
I am not even sure which ear it is coming from. Anyway, was fitted with hearing aids as I was borderline to get these fitted but I could not get on with them. Noises really made me jump and be extra nervous !!
I found that the noises whooshing, popping come and go, some days being more intense than others, but have learned to get on and live with it. I think if you accept it, the noise fades slightly. I find it worse in a room with no background noise. Also find that the noise gets louder if I get stressed about something, so I try relaxation CD's. Had an appointment with ENT specialist, found nothing. Found out that I had TMJ through teeth grinding at night. My mother had died and I put it down to anxiety levels increasing. Now, some days I notice it, other days I don't.
Hope this helps.
Rebecca
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Sounds like me only I don't have any hearing loss ( ears like a bat!). The pulsitile tinnitus is there 24/7 but doesn't really bother me I am used to it and now the crisp packet crackling for first 2 hours after I get up in the morning. I also get sudden ringing in one ear with deafness in the othr for a few seconds - thats really strange but again had it for many a year.
We could probably get together and write a book on ear noises!
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My ears are at it again ::) - buzzing and whistling but not on the same tune >:( - the R side is worse even when I wriggly my finger in as far down as possible.
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Never put anything smaller that your elbow into your ear! You can do damage! 😳
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That's why fingers are the size they are: so that they can't be inserted into the ear drum ;D. All quiet now ;-).
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E.N.T. told me not to clean my ears, they would do it for me by micro suction, which is like a mini hoover sucking out any debris. :o
My tinnitus has been bad lately - when I lay on my right side (ear with Tinnitus is on the left) it sounds like it is raining outside, really weird.
I have my yearly check up at the hospital soon, I must remember to mention it.
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My R ear is the 1 that I sleep on and by morning it's moist and sort of stuck, I have to wriggle it in order to hear anything ::). Not aware of any buzzing yet 2-day!
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Earlier this week I began hearing voices :-\. My L ear is very bunged up and noted that the conversation from the TV across the room is reverberating against the radiator and bouncing back in 'words' :o
Both ears are pulsing now, at different rhythms >:(
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Its awful isn't it. do you ever get the sensation as if your eardrum is vibrating/flapping. So hard to describe but horrible when it happens, thankfully usually only for about 30 seconds. It makes me totally unbalanced at the time.
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Haven't had that experience for a while. Can't hear anything through the R ear at all :-\ but the noises have stopped.
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It's not tinnitus per se but I have a background throbbing in my right ear - every morning both are blocked which release with a pop when I put small finger in and wriggle ;D. But that feeling of my heart being in my R ear >:( ……
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It was so bad earlier today that I felt sick :-\ .......... I had to take deep breaths and sit for a while. Now my head aches >sigh<
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Both ears .......... :-\
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I am post menopause and I started with pulsating tinnitus 2 weeks ago. It started when I had a bout of flu and when I saw the Dr last week she thought it was connected to this. Sinus related. This week it is worse, I had to raise my head on 4 pillows last night to get some relief and I also had tingling all over my body and my head feels weird when i move it sometimes. Im not looking forward to seeing the Dr again tomorrow as she is obviously still under some form of training and very young. I couldn't get an appointment with anyone else. I Like other women on here am worried it is vascular. Unfortunately my HRT strength was reduced due to breast pain and armpit swelling a few weeks before this. Could be connected?
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Hi! do take a list of worries to discuss with the GP. They all have to learn ;-). Is there a Nurse Practitioner at your Surgery who will be qualified to give advice?
My tinnitus is now a buzzing on both sides, I'm sure that others can hear it ! Fortunately it doesn't disturb sleep. Sometimes I get pulsing in the ears when my head is on the pillow, I need to move and it goes away.
Which HRT were you prescribed?