A 10-Second Episode of Feeling Being "Under Water" and Some Whooshing — Is This Pulsatile Tinnitus?

Hi! I hope this group can help me. I have been doing a lot of online digging today after experiencing something a bit unsettling earlier today.

I was standing in front of my kitchen counter today while on my lap top. Left hand on hip and head cocked a bit towards the left side. Suddenly I felt kind like I was under water? I have no idea how to better describe it. Perhaps my ear popped, I am not sure. I struggle with anxiety and have been at the edge of panic lately so that is all I can remember. I stopped for a a second just trying to figure out what was going on. Then I heard a bit of a whooshing/muffling/staticky noise and it was almost like someone was tapping my ear over and over. It was only in my left ear. At this point, I definitely panicked. It got louder and faster. I pretty much jumped up and put my hand on both of my ears just out of sheer terror. Then, just like that, I realized it was gone. It hasn't happened since. The whole episode lasted 10 seconds or so.

At first I felt like maybe this was allergy related as I have been very congested. To be honest, I hadn't noticed any ear issues til this point, but I did remember that for the past couple of days I have had that head congestion type of feeling. What's weird though is that my allergy issues and congestion are almost constant and I am pretty sure that this has never happened to me before. I kept digging online, and now I am wondering if this was pulsatile tinnitus. Which TERRIFIES ME because I have horrible white coat syndrome (which goes oh so well with my medical anxiety! ha!) and a Dr. tried to scare me into blood pressure pills although my resting blood pressure is fine. I am scared that something awful could be happening to me!

I also have been having back issues and a sore neck, and from what I am hearing that could have something to do with it especially considering how I was standing?

So, here are my questions! Does this sound like pulsatile tinnitus to you? And also, is this something you rush to the Dr. for with it just happening one time for a few seconds? When do you see a Dr.? When do you worry?

Thanks so much in advance. I appreciate any help one.

 

Hi AmyLee, just read your post, and it sounds a lot like what I have experienced, since I had a severe sinus infection. Never had allergy or sinus issues ever, but this last month I had the most insidious sinus attack ever. Just out of nowhere, first a slight sore throat, which is a common indicator of sinus flareups, sore throat went away rather quickly, but left me so congested I felt I was in a tunnel, could not hear well from my left ear. Didn't think too much of it, knowing it would take its course and go away on its own.

Well for two weeks, so much congestion, headaches along the way, clicking, jaw sounds, bending and moving quickly I could hear congestion ( fluid ) moving about my head... blew my nose all day, all night for days, where did all this mucus come from? and a sense of being "out of it." yikes...I then heard mild tinnitus in left ear for the first time, couldn't talk on the phone with that ear, just aggravating and not going away, day after day same scenario. Oh how maddening.

Then, one night around 3 am, I woke with a start with the sounds of "whooshing" in my left ear, it went with the beat of my heart and the more anxious I got, the faster it went. Such a weird feeling to hear your heartbeat in your ear, totally terrifying to say the least. It finally went quiet and stopped the "whooshing," but it came and went for a few days after that, mostly at night. For days, I did not sleep well or none at all.

Bottom line, I have researched like you, oh so much research, because there are so many reasons for this to happen, so many causes, it is maddening !!! But I did find that often times, sinus congestion, infection, and/or ear disturbances can cause blockages in the sinuses that connect to arteries and blood vessels on our head. It is all so logical for my situation, to the source of my PT. My sinus infection was classic, all the re-bounding symptoms matched this type of Pulsatile Tinnitus. So I can safely deduce the cause of the awful "whooshing." My sinus infection is gone and so is the "whooshing." I know it has to be connected. It's been about a week now, and sinuses cleared up, no more clicking, no more jaw sounds and my hearing is back to normal. I hope it is gone for good.

One more side note, as a young child, I had a perforated, punctured ear drum from blowing my nose too hard; it was quite severe, bleeding seepage, earache for days... I know now that I am older, I am told it could have left scar tissue and/or weakening of my ear drum; hard to tell.

And like you I do not run to the docs so quickly; they love to order testing right away. Do more research, and see how you improve over the next week or so. But please, if you experience something serious or more debilitating, yes, head to the doc.

I hope you find answers, and ultimately relief. But be patient, causes are so many, do your due diligence, relief will come.

I didn't mean to make this post so long, but we all learn by sharing experiences.

to your good health,
the Sage