Hearing Your Heartbeat — In Your Ear?

As anyone with a chronic illness will tell you, new symptoms pop up all the time. A random joint pain here, a new palpitation there; it can all feel rather overwhelming, especially when dealing with the heart.

A new symptom

Lately, I have been experiencing a new symptom that has been bugging me. There are certain times, especially when I'm tired, stressed, or have just woken up, where I can hear my own heartbeat in my ear. It's usually only my right ear, and I can generally make it go away by rubbing or massaging my ear.

At first, I didn't really even notice that I was experiencing this symptom. It was so slight, so inconspicuous that I just thought I was hearing things or making it up. However, it continued with frequency, especially when leaning down or in the situations that I mentioned above. It started to scare me a little bit, which is why I brought it up at my next cardiologist appointment.

What is pulsatile tinnitus?

Apparently, this is a condition called pulsatile tinnitus. According to Penn Medicine, "People with pulsatile tinnitus often hear rhythmic thumping, whooshing, or throbbing in one or both ears. Some patients report the sounds as annoying. But for others, the sounds are intense and debilitating, making it difficult to concentrate or sleep."¹

This is exactly what I was experiencing; an annoying whooshing sound that surfaced randomly and with more frequency.

What caused my pulsatile tinnitus?

There are a variety of causes of pulsatile tinnitus. Importantly, it is not a condition by itself; it is a symptom of a variety of other conditions. Penn Medicine notes that pulsatile tinnitus is often caused by atherosclerosis, blood vessel disorders and malformations, ear abnormalities, and high blood pressure, to name a few.¹

I don't have high blood pressure, and I had a nuclear stress test in 2023 that ruled out atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure. So, it is likely an ear abnormality and/or excessive stress causing my own feeling.

More testing is needed

Nevertheless, my cardiologist was still concerned and wanted to rule out any other potential issues. Because of that, I am going to have a few other tests done to rule out any other conditions, including idiopathic intracranial hypertension and sinus wall abnormalities. The former is when you have extra fluid in your brain that puts pressure around the brain and skull, which is particularly scary if you ask me. I'm also going to my ENT to have my sinuses checked out to ensure that I don't have any abnormalities there.¹

Have you ever experienced this?

Clearly, it never ends when you have an undiagnosed heart problem that continues to bring up more and more issues. I'm thankful to have a healthcare team that looks after me and is clearly invested in taking my concerns seriously. I know this is not the same experience for everyone, and I want to recognize that. But I'm hoping that there is nothing more serious wrong with me.

Have you ever experienced pulsatile tinnitus? Do you go through any testing with it? I'm curious what other community members think!