Cannot Tell If It Is Pulsatile Tinnitus or Hyperacusis or Both

CliffsNotes version:
Tinnitus began 2 months ago post a cold, left ear only, did prednisone and Z-Pack when it began.
I have good days and bad.

Incidentally my good days are at the office: office environment keeps the AC very cold, I sit straight up maybe a 20 degree angle arched backwards for back.

Symptoms: Ear fullness or pressure, comes and goes... heartbeat like sensation in ear... comes and goes, sometimes more noticeable due to stress or when laying down with head slightly up watching tv.... also sensitivity to sounds... loud sounds, and or toilet flushing/loud faucet are guaranteed triggers (movie theater very noticeable if its loud)...

I noticed the hyperacusis... its a staticky like sound... kinda resembles a whooshing now that I observe it better... and the whooshing may match the tempo of the pulsatile beating sensation... so leaves me curious...

Been to 3 ents, normal range hearing test, left ear slightly worse... MRI scheduled this week...

That is where I am at. Thoughts?

 

I'm going to assume the possibility that you may have both pusatile and actual tinnitus due to hyperacusis and TTTS (tensor typani syndrome) being tied in with actual tinnitus. Get checked for pusatile T, A trained audiologist can objectively find that out.

Pusatile and actual tinnitus share nothing in common, one of them is a vascular condition the other one is an auditory brain condition.

 

thank you for your replies, I will share my results as I get them.

I have thought about that Tensor Tympani Syndrome as well.

At any rate, I have done a good amount of watching over my body lately and still have questions.

Have either of you found successful treatment for TT Syndrome or Pulsatile T? Or Hyperacusis related to them?

 

for your Tensor tympani do you ever hear certain loud sounds as a chshhhhh sounds or staticky like sound? depending on the tilt of your head or the loudness of it?

 

ps thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it.


I am going to a tinnitus specialist audiologist and having an MRI separately with my ENT


I have another ENT I am working with that has some potential treatment options like ear steroid injections etc... no clue what works or doesnt... Hard to move forward with treatment for my either hyperacusis or TT syndrome / tinnitus without knowing the cause... IDK

anyways thank you

 

So to update you all...

My MRI was clear ... and they did not see any abnormalities.

It is now agreed upon that i "likely" have cochlear hydrops... I have been put on Triamterene HCTZ 37.5 25 mg and prednisone (again second time)


So

1) I am not sure how serious cochlear hydrops is potentially... and if surgery or steroid ear injections will ever be needed. Is cochlear hydrops a life sentence of being on meds or treating the issue? This is still unclear from my web search.

2) I have seen and heard the steps of treatment are oral steroid and diuretic... then followed by something called betahistine, then followed by possible steroid injections into the ear.... some of the other procedures I read about include endolymphatic sac decomression and shunts, etc.... as well as more serious old school surgeries cutting the nerve/ killing the hearing in that ear.


3) Can cochlear hydrops improve from diuretic? This is not conclusive but seems to be indicative of improvement.

and Can cochlear hydrops be improved and go away for good?

btw i have been reading a lot on NCBI about studies relative to this topic in addition by going through my ENT... for now I am on day 4 of the meds... and attempting to reduce my salt in my diet.