Possible Case of Pulsatile Tinnitus

Hi all,

My T started 5 weeks ago. Can't really attribute it to anything in particular. I just layed on the bed to sleep and noticed it immediately.
I have the typical constant single tone ring that is amplified when in silence, but on top of that I have (and this is what is really excruciating) a pulsating component. It's like a rythmic grinding sound. A bit like the "walk on snow" sound but much more high pitch. Like someone is hitting the cymbal in a drum to the rhythm of my pulse. It seems to be "in the head" but more to the left side. It doesn't sound like blood flow. It's more like someone is stepping on a nerve to the rhythm of my heart (sorry if it sounds ridiculous).
Audiogram shows hearing loss of high frequencies on the left side (30 dB 6k and 8k, more after that).
It's subtle when at rest (but there). When I do exercise (simple walking will do) will make the pounding more pronounced.
Moving the head side to side over increases pitch and volume even more but stops the pulsating. Bending over also makes it worse.
It's really disturbing as I can hear it above almost everything. I also have family tendency for vascular problems (varicose veins).
I've been on wooshers and most sounds there seem to be low in pitch but mine is tortuously high.
Just wondering if anyone relates to my description of the sound and had any advice.

 

It sounds a vascular problem. Have you had MRA?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_resonance_angiography

 

Tks @Karen and @Atlantis.

I'm seeing a local neuro surgeon (he specializes in image techniques and vascular issues) so he can refer me to some exams (MRI/A/V etc.). It's difficult to find a neurologist or neurotologist that specializes (or indeed knows about PT). My feeling is that it's more about the radiologists that due to experience can spot problems in the MRIs, etc.

I'm nowhere near San Francisco unfortunately, but if anyone knows about a good PT neurologist in the UK I would very much like to know.

@Karen can you spot your PT all the time? In my case It's much easier to spot/hear/distinguish, when there isn't too much background noise. Also would you say your's goes to zero between beats? I think mine has a baseline and the pounding just makes it ever more excruciating. It's like when the heat beats as the blood goes through the arteries on the back of the skull is presses some auditory nerve (more to the left side) or something.

Tks,

 

Tks @Karen.
Didn't mean to have you analyse your T in detail (when the goal is to forget about about it). It's my engineering part of the brain...(what's left of it anyway).
This last month has been beyond hell. Turning 40 next weekend (talk about birthday present), kids, work, could really do without this. Though I had 5 or 10 years more in me before problems started to creep up from all over the place!
I think I've scared my co-workers just by showing up looking like a zombie everyday. They must be sleeping almost as little as I, in fear of "getting it" haha.