Pulsatile Tinnitus Made Worse by Bang on Head

[Pulsingeflat]

I've had pulsatile tinnitus for about 5 years. It became apparent when I stopped drinking (after years of alcohol abuse), but I became reasonably habituated and was only really having problems sleeping.
A few months ago I suffered a minor head injury, and since then the volume has gone up 4x. Now I often can't sleep at all.
I'm interested in therapies relating to anxiety, but have become more convinced there is a physical cause in my own case. I have great conductive hearing and can even hear my eyeballs moving around. This is great for practising on the bass guitar as I don't need to plug in, but not much else.
I'm thinking about making a short video investigating tinnitus and therapy (I'm a professional photographer/videographer), and will be interested in hearing from other sufferers who might be able to contribute.
I am based in Salisbury, UK.

 

[Karen]

Hi, Pulsingflat,

I'm also a pulsatile tinnitus sufferer. I've had it for about 4 1/2 years now, and it has been hard to live with for all of that time. Mine started suddenly after taking a blood pressure drug. I also have regular tinnitus, which was quite mild before that time, and became much more severe. The regular tinnitus has a high-pitched, hissing tone. Do you have regular tinnitus, as well as pulsatile tinnitus?

In most cases, pulsatile tinnitus is said to have a physical cause, and there are many tests that can be given to determine the cause. Those include CT scan of temporal bone, CT scan of head (with contrast), MRI/MRA and MRI/MRV, and Doppler of carotid arteries. If the doctor deems it necessary, many people with pulsatile tinnitus have an angiogram. I've had most of those tests, except for the angiogram, and a cause has not been found.

It is probably a good idea for you to seek medical advice from a qualified doctor. In the UK, I don't know how long it will take for you to get an appointment with a doctor who can help you, but it's definitely worth checking into. If your ENT is unable to help you, it is recommended that you then see a neurologist or neurotologist for further follow-up.

I hope this information helps. There are many of us PT sufferers out there, and you can also check out Whooshers.com for further information.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[Markku]

Welcome!

The video sounds like an excellent idea.