Pulsatile Tinnitus on Standing, Stretching, Straining

Hi, I have had pulsatile tinnitus and normal tinnitus for a few years.

I'm 28 years old, the pulsatile tinnitus is intermittent, mainly left sided but sometimes right, usually occurs when I stand up after about 10-15 seconds, lasts around the same time, dies down, then if I move my head/neck I can hear it again then it goes away again I cannot hear it at all 90% of the day.

I can trigger it by straining/stretching/bending over, sometimes the valsalva maneuver can make me hear it too. I can also sometimes stop it completely by sniffing in hard. I have had ear issues ever since my tinnitus started. I had a terrible congested blocked ear for months, doctor insisted no infection, left me to it.. it's never been the same since. I get it yearly, the blocked ear thing now, or more. I hear tonnes of mucus in my ear, swallowing/drinking makes my ear drum open up, I have to sniff to resolve it. I wonder if all this is related. I have sinus pains too right now.

I went to the doctor today because it has been happening every time I stand up lately, I am on blood pressure medications (propranolol) for severe anxiety/agoraphobia and I thought maybe its blood pressure, she took it standing and sitting and it was 110/something sitting, 120/something standing. She says this is fine? I only saw a nurse practitioner, I am seeing my GP in 2 weeks time, in the mean time she has given me some steroid nasal spray to see if this helps my ear issues, as I do have some congestion right now.

I have yet to have any testing, I am extremely anxious and rarely leave my house due to anxiety attacks, I have had this issue for a few years now, and it usually goes away. I feel like it may be getting worse and I'm very worried.

Does anyone here have anything like me or heard of this?

I forgot to mention, I have terrible jaw issues from over a decade of anxiety and grinding, clenching. I do weird things with my jaw for comfort. I get lock jaw sometimes and major pain, My jaws constantly click pop crackle grind etc. I am afraid of dentists. I sit at the computer 12 hours a day, my neck my back is stiff always. I had go to hospital and be put under general anesthetic for tooth extraction because I cannot have my mouth numb, I ran out of the dentist in a panic when they did it. I even tried to have my teeth pulled with no pain relief!!! because the fear is too great. that didn't work lol just before all my issues started. I also wonder if this is it. I just am grasping at straws and thinking. I had 6 teeth out, 3 on top 3 on bottom. Ugh I do not know what to do I just want this all to go away I'm so fed up, I am sick and tired of feeling crap and now this is just too much. I am scared of being sent for tests and finding something bad.

 

Hi, I have a lot of similar symptoms (anxiety, jaw clenching, etc) and my PT seems to be triggered by similar actions. I noticed that for me it tends to be worse when I have bad posture, am dehydrated, or am holding onto tension and stress.

That said, get thee to a doctor! An ENT familiar with PT will use the guidelines shared in this forum (there's a thread linking to a PDF of how an appointment should ideally go) to assess what the next steps are. They can tell you what warning signs are for urgent care. And they'll be in a position to make further testing available to you if they feel it's necessary. My ENT has a note in my file that if it gets worse they'll call in a referral immediately. My anxiety is triggered by health issues and I can sympathize with how you're feeling. It's terrifying to think it might be something severe. Yet, knowing that I've been seen and we have a plan has given me some peace of mind.

Incidentally, hypertension, that is high blood pressure, is when your numbers are 140+/90+ so your systolic is fine. If I recall blood pressure tends to rise toward the evening, but the way I was diagnosed was during pregnancy and because over the course of multiple appointments it was high. So you may be at the edge of hypertension and able to control it without medication. All this to say- trust your GP right now! For preventative care, the American Heart Association is a great resource for lifestyle changes.

Good luck!

 

Hi thank you for the response, I am a bit of a mess. I definitely have been stressed over the past few months more so than usual. I have my doctors appointment on the 24th. Am I ok to wait for this?

What do you mean warning signs for urgent care? eeks

 

Have you tried using a mouth guard while you sleep? It seems that grinding your teeth is the probably the cause of your PT.
Also, be sure you are using the nasal spray correctly (point it horizontally towards Eustachian tube). I used prescription strength nasal spray, flonase, eardrops, and claritin during the first few weeks when I discovered PT. I don't think it would hurt to regularly use all of those considering my ENT doctor recommended I do so.

Best,


Mike

 

Hi Gaz, it sounds like you have very similar symptoms (and lifestyle) to me, I've had it for about 5 years and while the PT hasn't gone away, (I still encounter it daily) my anxiety and physical health are a lot better than when the noise first cropped up. (I was also very afraid of leaving the house when it initially manifested.)

I'd say getting checked is very important, also from my experience it's important to keep active, I do yoga and light cardio exercise and found that to give me so much more control over my life than when I was running from PT triggers.

I realise this thread is a few months old now so I hope you've been doing well in the meantime.

 

This sounds so much like Eustacian Tube dysfunction. I would google “patulous eustacian tube” symptoms!