Is My Problem Actually Pulsatile Tinnitus? I Feel Unpleasant Sensations in Sync with My Heartbeat

I am 77 years old and I have a problem that is seriously affecting my life. It is definitely "pulsatile" - but is it "tinnitus"?

What I get is a series of unpleasant sensations that are synchronous with my heartbeat, but I would not say that I "hear" them. Rather I "feel" them in both the region of my heart and my neck.

I have been seen by a neurologist, a cardiologist, and an ENT specialist, and they all say that it's just an over-reaction of my brain to normal bodily functions.

It gets worse the more active I am, so it is ruining my main "hobby" which is hill walking. The only good thing is that it does not keep me awake - I sleep OK.

I have hearing aids, and when the pulsatile symptoms are low, I hear OK - but when the pulsatile symptoms really get going, my hearing is definitely affected.

It is bilateral - the same in both ears.

My own voice sounds very peculiar to me.

Does all this sound familiar to anyone? Is following the advice I see in these forum answers likely to help, please?

 

Hey boss. On behalf of the tinnitus community, I apologize nobody answered you. We as a community can and should do better. I hope you are okay.