I have a "heartbeat-like" pounding in my ear, but I don't think it's Pulsatile Tinnitus. Any ideas?
It’s been happening on-and-off for as long as I can remember, years and years. Recently it’s gotten a lot worse, with frequent occurrences (usually 8-10 hours long) each week. It’s not always constant – it can also go on for several minutes, stop for a minute, then continue. Often when this is happening, any noises at all around me (even the sound of my typing or people talking at normal volume in the next room over) will cause a sympathetic “boom” in my ear (I don’t know how else to describe it…it’s the same sound as the heartbeat, but in time to outside noises instead of my pulse). It most commonly happens in my left ear alone, but occasionally in both ears at once. I’ve also recently noticed a hearing issue – I can hear fine, both very high and very low sounds, but I have trouble differentiating between sounds (any background noise at all can cause me miss what people say). I am not stressed at all. I have perfect blood pressure, perfect cholesterol… I’m 22 yrs old, and female.
I do clean my ears of wax regularly, using the warm water flushing method, and I’m sure it’s not a build-up of that.
This sounds like a neurological hearing problem, we see this frequently in the clinic, people can hear sound at normal levels, but have difficulty understanding speech, it’s called a central heaing loss. And as far as the pounding, it IS tinnitus, if not that, then your ears are so sensitive that your hearing your own otoacoustic emissions – the sounds that come out of your ears. Hope this helps, good luck!
wax
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I know what you mean but I'm not exactly sure what it is either. Usually I get that when i'm wicked anxious or upset or nervous about something, and it comes periodically. It's sometimes painful with the loud sounds, but it does go away. I always just thought it was fluid or something but I guess maybe not? Haha i'm gonna ask my doctor. Have you been to your yett?
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see your doctor.
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You know what's freaky? I thought this question was out of date and was about to contact you to see if perhaps you might've gotten any results from the doctor… but.. I just noticed that you've been a member since this day.
The freaky part is this.. I just started getting that too just today when you decided to ask! (maybe we're soulmates..! j/k) 😉
It pulses.. and pulses.. uncontrollable. 🙁 It's worried the heck out of me since I can't figure out what it might be.
I've done some research.. and apparently there's nothing simular to it.. just yet.
But yea, I know this response is completely useless.. in the sense of providing a proper answer.. but.. I just wanted to let you know that you weren't alone.. 🙁 I'll try to find more stuff online for us too…
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This sounds like a neurological hearing problem, we see this frequently in the clinic, people can hear sound at normal levels, but have difficulty understanding speech, it's called a central heaing loss. And as far as the pounding, it IS tinnitus, if not that, then your ears are so sensitive that your hearing your own otoacoustic emissions – the sounds that come out of your ears. Hope this helps, good luck!
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I'm a doctoral student in audiology