Unilateral Pulsatile Tinnitus Grew Out of Stuffy Sensation in the Ears

Hello!

I'm a 30-year-old, non-smoking, slender male.

Around '06/'07 I remember experiencing, after heavy exercise, a stuffy sensation in both of my ears. This has remaind a frequent occurrence following physical exertion.

Somewhere along the line, unilateral (right ear) pulsatile tinnitus grew out of that. It would only occur during heavy activity, especially if my body was overheating. Symptoms would always subside after an hour or two, so I never worried too much about it. Recently, however, it's been occurring more frequently. I don't have to exercise as much and sometimes I can hear it when I'm just sitting at my desk.

I've also noticed that I hear a wooshing when I tilt my head toward that ear (the wooshing only happens when my head is in motion; when I stop moving my head, the sound stops) as well as when I do a valsalva maneuver (bearing down).

I went to a doctor, concerned that I'm hearing a bruit which would indicate a vascular issue, but I was only seen by a nurse. Although she listened around my neck, she didn't listen around my jaw/ear. Ultimately she referred me to an ENT.

Any suggestions on where to go from here? Should I try the ENT or should I go elsewhere?

NOTE: The nurse did find a lot of impacted wax (yuck!) in my ears. I washed them that night with hydrogen peroxide and horror stories could be written about the things I saw. A day after that I'm having no change in the tinnitus.

 

You should definitely see an ENT.

 

After more investigation I'm wondering if it might be a patulous eustachian tube. One the one hand, I don't hear any amplification of my voice or breathing, but on the other, the tinnitus disappear if I lay down or bend over with my head at my knees (while sitting). It also seems to subside during a sharp / long inhalation through the nose.

 

I went to the ENT and on physical inspection there's nothing obviously wrong, so she's ordered an MRI. *nervous*

 

Did you ever find a cause? I know this post is a few years old but I have the same thing....pulsatile tinnitus when my head is moving. When I'm still I don't hear it. I've had all kinds of tests and nothing can be found, but I worry everyday about this. Any info you have would be great!!!