Pulsates in the right ear like a heartbeat

Physiological causes

Noise, pulsation and other unpleasant sensations in the ears can occur due to:

• Severe damage to the ear.
• Chronic sinusitis.
• Problems with blood pressure.
• Toxic or food poisoning.
• Mental illness (more prone to schizophrenics).
• Lack of sleep.
• Severe fatigue.
• The presence of neuritis and other injuries.
• Deformations of the Eustachian tube.
• Abscesses.
• Poor hygiene, ear plugs.
• Taking certain medications (aspirin).

Groups of causes of pulsation in the ears

• - associated with age-related changes in the hearing aid;
• - diseases of the middle or inner ear that are inflammatory or infectious in nature;
• — pathological changes in the organs of the cardiovascular system;
• - high blood pressure;
• - severe stress;
• - tumor formations of the neck and head;
• - poor hygiene, namely excessive accumulation of earwax, which leads to difficulty in external hearing, thus increasing the noise inside the ear;
• - antibacterial therapy for a long time, the fact is that excessive use of gentamicin leads to its accumulation in the body, this substance can affect the cells of the inner ear;
• - taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also has a negative effect on the hearing organs;
• — osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae;
• - regularly listening to music on headphones at very high volumes;
• - sudden changes in pressure (airplane flights, underwater sports).

• associated with age-related changes in the hearing aid;
• diseases of the middle or inner ear that are inflammatory or infectious in nature;
• pathological changes in the organs of the cardiovascular system;
• high blood pressure;
• severe stress;
• tumor formations of the neck and head;
• poor hygiene, namely excessive accumulation of earwax, which leads to difficulty in external hearing, thus increasing the noise inside the ear;
• antibacterial therapy for a long time, the fact is that excessive use of gentamicin leads to its accumulation in the body, this substance can affect the cells of the inner ear;
• taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs also has a negative effect on the hearing organs;
• osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae;
• regularly listening to music on headphones at very high volumes;
• sudden changes in pressure (airplane flights, underwater sports).

Associated symptoms

Under normal circumstances, a person cannot hear his own heartbeat. The sensation of heartbeat in the ears occurs due to inflammatory processes in the inner and middle ear, cardiac and vascular disorders. The most serious cause is brain tumors. The scientific name for this condition is pulsatile tinnitus.

An unpleasant sensation of pulsation impairs the perception of external sound stimuli. If it persists for a long time, there is a risk of developing nervousness, depression, and sleep disorders.

The sensation of a pulse in the ear can have several causes. Most of them are harmless. But this sign may be associated with a serious disease in or near the hearing organ. Therefore, when it appears, it is recommended to undergo an ENT examination.

Sometimes a hyperfast heart rate does not have any of the above symptoms.

Diagnostics

To determine the cause and nature of the appearance of extraneous noise in the right ear, a set of diagnostic measures is carried out, which include collecting an anamnesis and using research techniques. During the interview with the patient, the doctor finds out the etiology of the noise and its nature. A necessary step during diagnosis is an examination, which includes the study of all parts of the right ear, ear canal and nerve.

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Based on the clinical picture, the otolaryngologist determines further measures to identify the exact cause of noise in the right ear, and the following types of diagnostics can be used:

• palpation diagnostics - painful areas are determined using a metal rod;
• otoscopy – examination of the external auditory canal using an otoscope;
• audiometry – diagnosis of hearing acuity, carried out by an audiologist using an audiometer or tuning fork;
• Dopplerography - identifying disturbances in the movement of blood through vessels using ultrasonic waves;
• vestibulometry – assessment of the functioning of the vestibular apparatus using a set of procedures (caloric test, rotational, pressor, otolith reaction);
• angiographic study - an X-ray study using a radiopaque substance injected into the inner ear;
• Valsalva maneuver - assessment of the state of the autonomic nervous system through a test involving forced exhalation of air with the mouth and nose closed;
• dehydration tests - taking urine samples to determine osmolarity during long-term abstinence from drinking fluids;
• clinical blood test - the level of leukocytes is determined, an increase in which indicates the presence of infection;
• microbiological studies - the study of biological material (discharge from the right ear, accumulations of sulfur) for the presence of pathogenic microorganisms.

Can hypertension cause tinnitus?

Increased pressure is the most common cause of pulsations in the hearing organs. A person feels a pulsating noise due to obstructed blood movement through capillaries and vessels. People suffering from hypertension need to constantly monitor their own blood pressure, and it is better to have it carried out by a qualified doctor.

A general blood and urine test will help determine the presence of this disease. Among the technical means - ECG, pressure gauge. After following all the doctor’s instructions and effectively treating high blood pressure, the pulsating noise disappears.

Knocking in the ear can occur as a result of damage to any of the ear parts, as well as due to traumatic brain injury. The reason for this is impaired blood circulation in the area of ​​the bruise and the development of edema. If there has been an injury to the middle or internal part of the organ, there may be a noticeable deterioration in hearing, in which case the ear may hurt.

If, in addition to the presence of sounds, your ear also constantly hurts, you should be wary. A benign or malignant tumor in the brain or spinal cord, neck, or auditory nerve may also explain why there is a knocking in the ear. An increase in the size of the tumor can lead to the fact that the blood supply to nearby vessels will be complicated.

There are other causes of pulsation, these include:

1. Age-related organic changes. As a person ages, various changes occur in the hearing organs. Sound signals entering the ear can be distorted, causing the friction of blood against the walls of blood vessels to be heard.
2. Hormonal changes. Often, a feeling of pulsation is characteristic of pregnant women and appears due to swelling of the mucous membranes. The development of edema is caused by an imbalance of water and salt in the body.
3. Medicines. For example, long-term use of Gentamicin or Aspirin by a patient can lead to structural changes in the cells of the inner ear. This explains the deterioration of hearing and the appearance of noise.
4. Listening to music on headphones at high volume for a long time.

People often ask the question: what to do if I hear a pulse? The presented list does not cover all the reasons, so it is very important to consult a doctor in a timely manner. After all, only a specialist can determine the causes and treatment of this pathology.

Overwork

In healthy people, the occurrence of pulsating tinnitus is a sign of fatigue, exhaustion of the nervous system and chronic stress. At the end of a busy day of work, which is spent in an uncomfortable and noisy environment, your ears may begin to throb. Intrusive noise at night prevents people from falling asleep, resting and relaxing.

Tired people can listen to everything, falling into depression and starting to invent a non-existent illness. If drug treatment does not help cope with this problem, then the help of a psychotherapist is required.

Other reasons include the following factors:

• Pulsating pain in the ears appears in patients who suffer from cancer pathologies. Brain tumors, along with acoustic neuromas, can grow rapidly and compress the main vascular and nerve bundles of the neck. This leads to the appearance of painless pulsation, and, in addition, to unilateral hearing loss and disturbances in facial expressions and speech.
• Hormonal changes that occur in the body of pregnant women lead to disruption of water and electrolyte balance, swelling of the mucous membrane of the hearing organs. That's why you can hear blood pulsating in your ears.
• As a person ages, all sorts of degenerative and atherosclerotic processes can develop in the body; among other things, the functions of auditory cells are disrupted, and at the same time, acoustic signals are distorted and a constant background noise arises.
• The onset of multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheaths of nerve fibers. It is also accompanied by slow transmission of nerve impulses. Patients may develop paralysis with paresis, and it is possible that breathing problems and tinnitus may appear.

  

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• Depression, along with neuroses, can manifest itself as psychogenic noise, and, in addition, pulsation in the ears. Stress, combined with nervous overstrain and lack of sleep, exhausts the human nervous system. Against the background of all this, neurasthenia may develop, manifested by excessive fatigue, and along with this conditions such as insomnia, irritability, depressed mood, pulsation, noise in the head and headaches. Why else is there a pulsating knocking sound in the ear?
• Long-term use of drugs such as Gentamicin, Streptomycin, Haloperidol, Furosemide or Aspirin can cause damage to the structure of the inner ear and cause hearing impairment.
• The cause may also be occupational hazards, against the background of which hearing loss develops. We are talking about increased noise levels in production.
• People suffering from chronic sinusitis often complain that their ears are blocked and there is pulsation in them. In this case, pressing sensations may occur in the head, sound perception decreases, and autophony with monotonous noise is observed. If the stuffy ear pulsates very strongly, and at the same time also hurts, then you need to visit an otolaryngologist. The fact is that such symptoms are characteristic of otitis media, which becomes a complication of inflammation in the maxillary sinuses. And this is not at all surprising, since there is a close connection between the organs, which contributes to the migration of infection.
• Poisoning of the body with poor-quality food, and, in addition, with narcotic and sleeping pills, can manifest itself as vomiting and diarrhea, an increase in temperature, and at the same time pulsation and tinnitus. Chills, lightheadedness, weakness, convulsions, and so on cannot be ruled out.
• Alcohol abuse.

If the cause of the pathology cannot be established, it is called idiopathic. We found out why it pulsates inside the ear.

Next, we will consider the main ways to eliminate this disease.

Causes and diseases

What causes pulsating ears? Many factors. First of all, these are heart disorders that disrupt the normal electrical impulses that control the frequency and strength of the pulsation. They include the following violations:

• damage to heart tissue from heart disease;
• abnormal electrical pathways in the heart present at birth (congenital heart defects);
• anemia;
• excessive exercise;
• sudden stress, fear;
• high or low blood pressure;
• smoking;
• fever;
• drinking too much alcohol;
• drinking too much caffeine;
• side effects of certain medications;
• drug abuse, particularly cocaine;
• imbalance of electrolytes, minerals necessary for conducting electrical impulses;
• hyperactive hypertrophy of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).

Other causes of palpitations in the ears:

1. Aging. This symptom is most often associated with hearing loss due to aging. With age, the number of nerve fibers decreases, which is considered one of the causes of pulsatile tinnitus.
2. Noise. Another common cause is exposure to loud noise. If a person is exposed to loud music, gunshots, explosions, or other loud noises (construction vehicles, tools), it may cause temporary pulsation in the ears.
3. Earwax. Throbbing in some cases can also be caused by earwax blocking the ear canal.
4. Other reasons. Upper respiratory tract infections, jaw fractures, and cerebral tumors can cause palpitations in the ear.

Otitis

Otitis is an inflammatory process within the middle ear. In this case, noise and pulsation in the ear are localized only on one side. In addition, the person experiences ear and headache pain and loses the ability to hear.

For diagnostics the following is used:

• Otoscope.
• General blood analysis.
• Rarely - audiogram.
• To clarify the stage of the disease, use an x-ray.

The disease occurs when:

• Lack of personal hygiene, contamination of the ear canals.
• Pathological structure of the ear.
• Weak immune system.

For treatment, antibacterial drugs and medications that narrow the walls of blood vessels are prescribed. To avoid the risk of the disease, regularly see a doctor, clean your ears (preferably without using ear sticks, which cause excessive dryness of the ear)

Treatment

It is important to understand pulsation in the ear, it is a symptom that does not need to be treated, its cause must be diagnosed and treated.

Rules

Experts recommend that patients follow these rules:

• — Observe the rules of personal hygiene, promptly remove wax from the ears;
• — Do not drink alcohol and stop smoking tobacco products;
• - Perform a neck massage to relieve any pulsation;
• - Do not listen to music at full volume with headphones;
• — when indicated, use sedatives and psychotropic drugs in a timely manner;
• - walks in the fresh air are useful;
• - exclude fried and other unhealthy foods from the diet, give preference to fruits and vegetables;
• - physical activity will also be very useful;
• - perform neck gymnastics;
• - in the cold season, it is mandatory to wear hats;
• - eliminate sources of stress;
• - normalize blood pressure.

These recommendations will help improve the general condition of the body, as well as prevent the recurrence of pulsation in the ears.

1. Drugs that improve microcirculation of cerebral vessels - Vinpocetine, Cerebrolysin, Piracetam.
2. Medicines that normalize heart function - “Korglikon”, “Strofanthin”, “Digoxin”,
3. Drugs that help cope with stress - “Novopassit”, “Persen”, “Tenoten”.
4. Physiotherapeutic procedures – magnetic therapy, ultrasound, microcurrent therapy and others.

Atherosclerosis and pulsatile murmur

This disease has a negative effect on blood vessels and arteries. The presence of atherosclerosis predetermines formations in the form of bulges on the blood conductors, which causes an increase in pressure. With the gradual development of the disease, the brain ceases to function normally, fainting and tinnitus begin.

Previous symptoms:

• ear pain;
• constant fatigue;
• irritability;
• pulsations in temples and ears.

If such indicators are detected, diagnostics are carried out. The examination includes:

• Ultrasound;
• blood pressure measurements;
• angiography.

Atherosclerosis may appear if:

• you are prone to the disease hereditarily;
• have problems with excess weight;
• you don't eat well;
• abuse alcohol.

Possible complications

Tinnitus may appear without warning, disappear spontaneously, or become chronic.

In addition to constant pulsation, a person may suffer from stress, sleep problems, anxiety or depression. These conditions can cause further deterioration of the heartbeat. Thus, a person finds himself in a vicious circle.

Therefore, it is important to contact a specialist who will help cope with the problem.

If the cause of tinnitus is a heart condition, if left untreated, the normal functioning of the heart can be affected, leading to serious complications over time, including:

• heart failure;
• heart attack;
• sudden cardiac arrest, death.