Pulsatile Tinnitus in Certain Positions, Like When Lying Down — Any Insight on My Case?

Hey all, I’m new here but not new to pulsatile tinnitus. I can’t remember exactly when it started, I think maybe 1.5-2 years ago (I’m 22 now). A progression of my symptoms:

• It started as slight ringing/pulsing only when lying on right side.
• It progressed to throbbing/pulsing/can feel heartbeat in ear when lying down.
• It happens when I lie in any position now, but still most frequently right side. However, it’s sporadic; I know there’s 100% chance it will happen when I lie on my right side, but it may or may not happen if I lie on my back or left side.
• Not sure when this began, but I started noticing my right ear often feels full, kind of a pressure when lying down. Valsalva maneuver briefly stops the fullness and pulsing the majority of the time, and sometimes yawning.
• I began noticing a crackling sound in right ear when I heard high pitched noises (such as dog squeaky toy) and sometimes when I talk and chew.
• Heartbeat in ear/pulsing when bending over.
• Pulsing/whooshing and fullness is happening more often now, even when sitting up sometimes, or propped up in bed. Muffled hearing on right side accompanies the whooshing.

This has all progressed within the span of 1.5-2ish years like I mentioned before. The fact that it’s happening more frequently has been stressing me out and interrupting my sleep, although I know I’m fortunate it’s not constant. I saw an ENT and he’s ordering an MRI and possibly MRA. He does not seem to think it’s ETD. I don’t have any hearing loss or impacted ear wax.

If anyone has any insight or suggestions, I’d really appreciate it. I’m not sure why it’s positional and why it’s progressively been getting worse. After going down the Google rabbit hole, my brain is filled with a million possibilities which I’m sure doesn’t help my stress. I do clench my jaw, however I don’t think this is somatic because I can’t manipulate the pulsing with jaw movements. I have severe anxiety. I have slightly elevated diastolic blood pressure, but my systolic is normal. I have tachycardia due to POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). I crack my neck a lot during the day and always hear creaking and crackling, and it’s always tense but I’m used to it. I’ve been on antidepressants for a decade but I don’t necessarily think that’s the cause of the pulsatile tinnitus. I’ve been under extreme stress and sleep deprivation lately due to a sudden onset of a new tinnitus sound, so maybe the stress has caused my heart rate and blood pressure to elevate which is why I’m hearing the pulsing more frequently and in more and more positions? I’m worried I can’t habituate to this because it’s so sporadic and I never know when it will happen (except if I lie on my right side, which I rarely do anymore).

Thanks in advance, and sorry for my rambling!

 

Hey all, I went to my primary care doctor today and she mentioned I had some fluid in my right ear but that it’s “normal”. Neither my ENT nor an ER doctor mentioned anything about fluid despite looking in my ears. And my primary care doctor seemed unconcerned as well. However, I don’t see how this could be normal? The right ear is the ear I have all of my symptoms in... pulsatile and now non-pulsatile tinnitus as well, ear crackling, fullness, etc.

So I guess my question is, is this worth looking into? I’m not sure how I’d go about addressing or fixing this especially since the ENT made no comment on it. I was taking Zyrtec for a few days just because I was desperate and wanted to see if it could help, but it didn’t really do anything. I’ve also been taking Hydroxyzine (antihistamine) for anxiety and sleep. I don’t think I have any sinus issues. I’ve suspected ETD for a while but I’m not sure, especially due to the unilateral pulsatile tinnitus.

 

Muscles (front/side) of your neck could be a factor. Stretch those bad-boys out. Cheap experiment. My pulsatile tinnitus subsided with notable work on said muscles.

 

Could you share some exercises one can do? Push ups? I don't have a gym membership, anything I could do at home?