“Pulsatile Tinnitus? Urgent or Not?”
Hi, I have had 3 hypertensive crises since Christmas. No previous blood pressure problems. Each time at the hospital my electrocardiograms and heart ultrasounds are ok. I was put on 3 meds after the first episode but still continues happening. Just spent a week in hospital after 3rd episode and am still waiting on 24-hr urine test results for suspected pheochromocytoma/ paraganglioma. For the past 3 days, I can hear/feel my heart beating in my right ear. It feels like my ear is blocked as if on a plane but only on one side and doesn’t go away. I think it may be pulsatile tinnitus. My dr can’t see me for a few days. Could this be related? Can it wait a few more days until my appointment or could it be urgent? I am scared of having a heart attack as they told me my troponin level was slightly elevated after this last episode and my BP gets higher each time I have another one.
Female | 52 years old
Complaint duration: 3 days
Medications: Lercanipidine 2x10mg/Carvedilol 2x12.5mg
Conditions: Hypertension
3 Answers
The bottom line, stop worrying. Pulsatile tinnitus is the heartbeat sound in your ear. Yes, it can be related to blood pressure. The "blocked" feeling in your ear likely has nothing to do with pulsating sound in your ear and is simply difficulty equalizing your middle ear pressure. Your doctor should send you for an audiogram and eventually get a CT angiogram of the temporal bone to evaluate for any animal vascular formation in the temporal bone. This is very very rare. Stop worrying. Your ear isn't going to give you a heart attack, but worrying will.
See an ENT for evaluation and possible vascular intracranial imaging studies
Pulsatile tinnitus could be related to hypertension and vascular issues. The acute onset of the symptoms, makes it more likely to be related. Most causes of pulsatile tinnitus are low risk, but not all. I recommend that you make your physician aware of the new symptom and perhaps you can be move up on the schedule.
Angela R. Sieh Ceretto, M.A., CCC-A, FAAA
Audiologist
Pinnacle Audiology, LLC
6809 S. Minnesota Ave., Suite 101
605-306-4481
Angela R. Sieh Ceretto, M.A., CCC-A, FAAA
Audiologist
Pinnacle Audiology, LLC
6809 S. Minnesota Ave., Suite 101
605-306-4481
