Hi,
I've had pulsatile tinnitus in both ears since August 2023. It happens mainly when I'm lying on either side, and sometimes when I'm just looking down. I've seen two GPs, and both said it wasn't unusual to hear your pulse. One of them consulted ENT for advice, and they said it was more likely to be vascular in origin since it's bilateral.
In January this year, I noticed an intermittent swelling in my neck. The second GP said it was my internal jugular vein. Because of this new symptom, she referred me to ENT. They didn't give me an in-person appointment but sent me for an ultrasound of my neck. The scan didn't examine my blood vessels at all, but it showed nothing else abnormal, so ENT decided they didn't need to see me.
I went back to the GP and eventually got an appointment with a vascular surgeon a couple of weeks ago. He sat across the room from me and said I was overthinking things. He didn't think my symptoms warranted any investigation and suggested that the bulging jugular was probably just a Valsalva response. When I asked about the pulsatile tinnitus, he said he didn't know anything about tinnitus and that I should see an ENT specialist for that.
I feel like I'm going round in circles and slightly losing my mind. It seems I'll need to go private to get any kind of investigation that might explain what's going on. I'm writing here to ask who you were referred to initially — ENT, neurology, or vascular surgery? I've no idea where to start if I go private.
I've had pulsatile tinnitus in both ears since August 2023. It happens mainly when I'm lying on either side, and sometimes when I'm just looking down. I've seen two GPs, and both said it wasn't unusual to hear your pulse. One of them consulted ENT for advice, and they said it was more likely to be vascular in origin since it's bilateral.
In January this year, I noticed an intermittent swelling in my neck. The second GP said it was my internal jugular vein. Because of this new symptom, she referred me to ENT. They didn't give me an in-person appointment but sent me for an ultrasound of my neck. The scan didn't examine my blood vessels at all, but it showed nothing else abnormal, so ENT decided they didn't need to see me.
I went back to the GP and eventually got an appointment with a vascular surgeon a couple of weeks ago. He sat across the room from me and said I was overthinking things. He didn't think my symptoms warranted any investigation and suggested that the bulging jugular was probably just a Valsalva response. When I asked about the pulsatile tinnitus, he said he didn't know anything about tinnitus and that I should see an ENT specialist for that.
I feel like I'm going round in circles and slightly losing my mind. It seems I'll need to go private to get any kind of investigation that might explain what's going on. I'm writing here to ask who you were referred to initially — ENT, neurology, or vascular surgery? I've no idea where to start if I go private.
