Friday, November 20, 2009

Pulsatile Tinnitus - What Causes This Tinnitus Type?

By Toby Carr

Pulsatile tinnitus is a rhythmical noise that beats in time with your heart beat. There may be single or multiple regular beats that may be heard as a low pitched thumping or booming sound, or as a higher pitched clicking noise.

While Pulsatile tinnitus is not a widely found form of tinnitus, it has some well known causes including high blood pressure, heart murmur, glomus ( globe-shaped ) cancer, Eustachian tube disorder, or a disorder of a vein or artery. More often than not, Pulsatile tinnitus can be treated effectively .

Pulsatile tinnitus is caused by a change of blood flow in the big arteries and veins in the neck, base of the skull, or the smaller arteries within the ear.

Potential Reasons For Pulsatile Tinnitus Include :

Arteriovenous Malformations ( AVMs ) - Abnormal group of arteries and veins that occur within the cranial hole near the auditory nerve.

Carotid Artery-cavernous Sinus Fistula - Unusual connection between a massive artery and venous pool in the cranial hole ; usually the results of serious head trauma.

Lingering Soreness And / Or Infection Of The Middle Ear. Chronic swelling is kind of always accompanied by increased blood flow to the inflamed tissue. Because this tissue is in the ear, some folks are able to hear the increased blood flow.

Can pulsatile tinnitus be treated?

Treatment for Pulsatile tinnitus is related to its explicit cause. For example, hypertension can be dealt with with medication and blocked or narrowed arteries can be surgically repaired.

Lowering the cholesterol levels in the blood will also help in lowering the levels of pulsatile tinnitus.

Treatment of pulsatile tinnitus generally involves a multi-disciplinary approach and includes a spread of symptom management strategies. The bulk of patients with Pulsatile tinnitus are treated with standard methods of tinnitus treatments including drug treatment, alternative treatments, biofeedback and sound and / or relaxation treatment.

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