Tinnitus with Pulsatile Hissing, Ear Pain, Dizziness, and Suspected Eustachian Tube Dysfunction with No Clear Cause After 5 Weeks

[amyliyahxxx]

Hi all, first time posting here. I'm female, 34, and currently five weeks into this tinnitus journey. I have no idea why it started. I've had issues for years with my left ear popping regularly, especially during exercise. Occasionally, I would get a bit of tinnitus, but it always disappeared within minutes, so it never concerned me. Then five weeks ago, it simply never went away.

The sound I hear is pretty mild. I would describe it as a hissing noise that moves in rhythm with my heartbeat. It seems to get faster and more noticeable if I run or exert myself, matching the increase in my heart rate.

I went to the doctor, who said I had an ear infection. I used an ear spray and nasal spray, then went back a week later for a second opinion. The second doctor told me there was no infection and advised me to stop using the ear spray. He suggested that I might have blocked Eustachian tubes and told me to continue with the nasal spray and take antihistamines. He did not think it was necessary to see an ENT. That left me feeling pretty hopeless, and I spiraled into panic mode, crying most days.

I have no idea if I have hearing loss, as I have not seen an ENT. I had one free session of CBT counseling, but I personally found it really unhelpful.

I regularly experience ear pain, especially just above the ear and in the neck area. There is sometimes pressure, and occasionally my sinus areas hurt a little. I've noticed feeling dizzy when exercising, but nothing major. The pain is not excruciating, so I'm not sure if I'm just grasping at straws.

I am able to mask the noise when I am out of the house, and I manage to sleep with a fan on. Over the last two days, the noise has reduced quite a bit. I'm just scared to get my hopes up. I think my anxiety is worse than the tinnitus itself, as I am constantly worrying about living with this forever.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BuzzyBee]

Have you had a cardiovascular workup and been checked for anemia? Pulsatile tinnitus is different from other types (there is a lot of information about it here on the forum), and from what I understand, it is usually treatable.

Sometimes doctors can actually hear it themselves, which is then called objective tinnitus. It might be worth going back to your doctor to discuss whether it could be related to your heart.

It could also be something related to TMJ or TMD, possibly with an unknown cause that is adding to your stress and making the pulsatile tinnitus worse.

 

[amyliyahxxx]

I have not, no. I do have a follow-up appointment tomorrow, so I will mention all of this, although I am not feeling very hopeful. Thank you.

 

[SueX]

@amyliyahxxx, how was your follow-up appointment?

 

[amyliyahxxx]

The doctor said that infection or earwax cannot cause tinnitus, even though I have read that it certainly can. Once I told her it seemed to be pulsatile, she told me to get a full blood test, as apparently it can be caused by anemia. She also asked me to monitor my blood pressure during the day and night. I find this slightly pointless, as mine is and always has been pretty low.

I received a text from the doctor's office on Friday saying that the doctor wants me to get another blood test and to book another appointment. I asked if they could give me any further results, and they said all they could see was that my Vitamin D was low, but they did not know why the doctor wanted a further blood test. I asked about being referred to an ENT, and she said it was pointless because an ENT cannot tell me why I have tinnitus.