Pulsatile Tinnitus After a Week at 5000ft

[AmndaLeigh]

Hello. Has anyone experienced pulsating tinnitus after an extended stay at high altitude? When did it go away, if it has? I'm usually living in a city at 300ft but last week I spent a full week at 5000ft and I think my ear did not like it. It was never a constant sound, at first I thought it was from swimming, and it only happens SOMETIMES when I lay down or sit funny, like hunched over or with my head down - and it has helped to clear my outer ear out, pop my ears and keep my nose clear, but it always seems to flare back up at night. It sounds exactly like if I stick my finger in my good ear and hear my heartbeat that way but even quieter, and the sound always goes away when I press below my earlobe where it is soft.

It is in the early stages and since I currently do no have the money to see a doctor multiple times, and from the looks of it tinnitus is not taken too seriously unless you can make many trips to many doctors, I would like to hear some personal experiences and maybe fine something to soothe the issue w/o doctors help. I think I have read one too many terrible stories, so my attention comes more from than anything, as my ear does not really hurt and only sometimes feels stuffy.

 

[littlebird]

Hello,
My 13 year old daughter has come with pulsatile tinnitus (a kind of mid-low frequency sound linked with her hearbeat) after some weeks at a 3000ft summer camp. Our home is at about 900ft. She hears it mostly when there is none or very few ambient sounds around. I would need help!

 

[Karen]

Hi, to both of you. It must be a really strange experience to have pulsatile tinnitus after being in a high-altitude location for a short time. I had never heard of that happening before, and I hope that for both of you it settles back down after awhile.

I have pulsatile tinnitus, too, so I know how scary it can be. The best thing I can suggest right now would be to remain calm, try to provide background sound so that it masks the pulsating beat, and perhaps consider taking some calming natural supplements.

I take magnesium chloride tablets about an hour before bedtime, and it helps me to get to sleep naturally and to relax. One of the worst things about pulsatile tinnitus is that it can be unsettling and upset one's nerves, so for me that has really helped. Another natural supplement I took when this first started was holy basil. It helped with calming, too.

For me, distraction really works. Anything I can do to take my mind off the pulsating really helps me. I hear mine 24/7, so I must find ways to distract myself all day as well as all night.

You might also want to look on Whooshers.com for stories about other people with pulsatile tinnitus, for information and success stories.

I hope that this information is helpful, and will be interested to hear what others have to say.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[AmndaLeigh]

Hello,
My 13 year old daughter has come with pulsatile tinnitus (a kind of mid-low frequency sound linked with her hearbeat) after some weeks at a 3000ft summer camp. Our home is at about 900ft. She hears it mostly when there is none or very few ambient sounds around. I would need help!

I've gone to the doctor and as I expected, nothing is wrong with my ear and my neck is fine via touch/feel. I did not get an mri or anything as such bc the pain/sound is honestly a 2 out of 10 and like your daughter, it is mostly at night even if I am not laying down.

Does your daughter have allergies? I have quite annoying allergies to just about any that can go up your nose so I switched to a better pill. Every time I go to this place either my nose bleeds or I just feel a lot of pressure/fatigue - this is why I am pretty sure it is just a terrible new reaction combined with swimming and a lot of walking around and a lot of driving, which I dont usually do to such a degree (16 hrs walking and standing in the sun + at least 5 hrs swimming + 12 hrs of driving). I've been sleeping a lot and wake up feeling better each day but I was thrown by the whooshing becoming an actual pain. I think summer took a lot out of me, and I'm sure you daughter feels the same way. I went to camp in the same 5000ft city as a young teen and definitely always came back feeling 'off' for a little bit and one time was very very poorly during camp. Hopefully she feels better and before school starts it lessens - I can only imagine how stressful it would be to deal with this when trying to learn.

 

[AmndaLeigh]

Hi, to both of you. It must be a really strange experience to have pulsatile tinnitus after being in a high-altitude location for a short time. I had never heard of that happening before, and I hope that for both of you it settles back down after awhile.

I have pulsatile tinnitus, too, so I know how scary it can be. The best thing I can suggest right now would be to remain calm, try to provide background sound so that it masks the pulsating beat, and perhaps consider taking some calming natural supplements.

I take magnesium chloride tablets about an hour before bedtime, and it helps me to get to sleep naturally and to relax. One of the worst things about pulsatile tinnitus is that it can be unsettling and upset one's nerves, so for me that has really helped. Another natural supplement I took when this first started was holy basil. It helped with calming, too.

For me, distraction really works. Anything I can do to take my mind off the pulsating really helps me. I hear mine 24/7, so I must find ways to distract myself all day as well as all night.

You might also want to look on Whooshers.com for stories about other people with pulsatile tinnitus, for information and success stories.

I hope that this information is helpful, and will be interested to hear what others have to say.

Best wishes,
Karen

I think it is settling down for me, although I hate that I have traded a whoosh for very very minor pain all over my left side near my ear. I like to imagine its just a shift from having a lot of pressure to getting back to normal, though I am no doctor.

It's definitely nerve racking, and I'm really surprised how hard it is to convince people just how strange it is to basically hear your blood - people act like it is just fine! haha. But, I'm very sorry you hear it all day. I am loving listening to music and watching youtube videos at the moment because even though I don't hear it all the time just having something in that ear makes me feel better and stretching the earlobe a little feels good? I'm not sure.

What is funny is I am sleeping great! I am sleeping more than normal, which is a little annoying and very deep, which is nice for someone who lucid dreams, so hopefully my body is able to work out whatever has caused this little problem as I let it chill without the anxiety.

 

[Danny Boy]

Hello. Has anyone experienced pulsating tinnitus after an extended stay at high altitude? When did it go away, if it has? I'm usually living in a city at 300ft but last week I spent a full week at 5000ft and I think my ear did not like it. It was never a constant sound, at first I thought it was from swimming, and it only happens SOMETIMES when I lay down or sit funny, like hunched over or with my head down - and it has helped to clear my outer ear out, pop my ears and keep my nose clear, but it always seems to flare back up at night. It sounds exactly like if I stick my finger in my good ear and hear my heartbeat that way but even quieter, and the sound always goes away when I press below my earlobe where it is soft.

It is in the early stages and since I currently do no have the money to see a doctor multiple times, and from the looks of it tinnitus is not taken too seriously unless you can make many trips to many doctors, I would like to hear some personal experiences and maybe fine something to soothe the issue w/o doctors help. I think I have read one too many terrible stories, so my attention comes more from than anything, as my ear does not really hurt and only sometimes feels stuffy.

Anna Selezneva? How was Mcdonalds in 2007?

 

[Karen]

Amanda,

From what you've described, it sounds like your PT may begin to settle down soon. Hopefully, it will go away in time. It truly may have had something to do with altitude. At any rate, I hope so, and I'm glad you're already feeling a little better.

Take care,
Karen