Pulsatile Tinnitus and the Possibility of Hearing Loss

Roger1

Member
Author
Aug 25, 2016
4
Tinnitus Since
1996
Cause of Tinnitus
unknown
I had an audiogram done because tinnitus has been troubling me ever since I found out it wasnt normal a few months back. Everything looked fine but I swear I sometimes cant make hear things that I should despite having "normal" hearing. I wanted to know if my type of tinnitus can be caused by hearing damage and how can I tell if I have some sort of a hidden hearing loss?
 
Hi, @Roger1,

Some people with tinnitus do test in the normal range on an audiogram. However, when you have tinnitus, it can often make it difficult to hear what people are saying, due to the noise. I still believe that if you have tinnitus, there is some type of hearing damage, even if it is only in the highest ranges.

Do you mean that you have pulsatile tinnitus, or normal tinnitus? Pulsating can indeed seem to obscure one's hearing, so that it's hard to determine what people are saying.
 
Hi, @Roger1,

Some people with tinnitus do test in the normal range on an audiogram. However, when you have tinnitus, it can often make it difficult to hear what people are saying, due to the noise. I still believe that if you have tinnitus, there is some type of hearing damage, even if it is only in the highest ranges.

Do you mean that you have pulsatile tinnitus, or normal tinnitus? Pulsating can indeed seem to obscure one's hearing, so that it's hard to determine what people are saying.

I have pulsatile tinnitus but I cant even notice it unless i'm in a quiet room. Sorry for being unclear

So even pulsatile tinnitus is a result of hearing damage, even if I've had it forever?
 
@Roger1,

I'm sorry; I didn't understand. No, pulsatile tinnitus is different, in that it usually is vascular in nature. It is usually NOT caused by hearing loss, and if a cause can be found, it can be treatable.

Do you have any other symptoms, or have you had any health issues? Any sudden changes in weight gain or weight loss, or dietary changes? Are you taking any drugs, such as antibiotics or blood pressure drugs? Any of these could be potential causes.

Sometime, pulsatile tinnitus may be a venous hum, or caused by a dehiscence (wearing away) of the temporal bone. There are many other possible causes, as well.
 
@Karen

No health issues as far as i'm aware but my blood pressure IS a bit high and I'm taking zoloft if that could have anything to do with it.

But I really don't mind since its so quiet, I was just worried about possible hearing impairment. Thanks a lot!
 
Hi, @Roger1,

I'm glad to hear your pulsating is fairly quiet; you're very lucky! Mine is constant and not so quiet, but I think it has improved recently.

Since you have some issues with blood pressure, and since you are taking Zoloft, the pulsating could be due to either of these. I would say blood pressure is more likely to be causing it. Are you currently taking anything for blood pressure?
 
@Karen

Sorry for the late response and sorry for not answering all of your questions in one response, I am not currently taking anything for blood pressure.

Thank you so much for the answers.
 

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