Pulsatile Tinnitus - constant 'whooshing' sound in ear - Page 2

[HeatherB]

yastan, that sounds so very much like me! Though yours may be louder. It is so annoying. It comes and goes in intensity - getting more intense with any upper respiratory infection. So I really do feel that mine is a blockage or inflammation of the eustachian tube. Have your eustachian tubes been looked at, specifically? I'm assuming so, but I'm not sure just how much they can really "view" them, you know?

The pseudo tumor cerebri proposal is interesting. I was diagnosed with pseudo tumor when I was maybe 13 or 14 because I have constant headaches of unknown origin that aren't affected by any medication or treatment we tried. So I finally got tagged with psuedo tumor. But doesn't that mean, basically, "symptoms of a tumor [which can do bazillion things] but no evidence of an actual tumor?" It seems like something of a catch-all. At any rate, I had NO issues like this until, like you, I had a significant upper respiratory infection, for which I took abx but found them to be minimally effective.

I think my hearing may actually be getting worse. It is certainly impacted by the noise, and a rudimentary hearing exam at a GP's office did confirm somewhat less ability in that ear. I wish I had some good idea of whom to talk to about it! I may go see an ENT soon just to get his opinion since he'll be in-network and not expensive.

Let me know if you find out anything more or find relief! The idea of living with this for another 50 years is a bit much.

[cmurphy]

Hi:

The "whooshing" sound in the ears is apparently a common condition, more especially in older people.  What I have been told is that it is caused by the "atmosphere" in the ear canal along with tiny hairs in the ear canals.

I have the condition myself, and it sort of comes and goes.  I think it is somewhat akin to the "sound of the sea" that one experiences when he hold a sea shell to his ear.  Actually, anything works here -- a cup or a drinking glass will produce the same results.

From my experience, one can TEMPORARILY stop the "whooshing" sound by sort of replacing the "atmosphere" in the ear canal.  Here you simply blow warm air into the ears with a hair dryer.  Use the dryer in the same way you would use it to dry your hair -- hold it at about the same distance and move it around as if drying your hair.

I don't know if this will work for you, and the sound will come back after a while.  However, it might help you get to sleep -- generally enough time for this.

I first experienced the problem about this time last year.  I checked with my doctor who said nothing could be done and to simply watch TV or something. Nevertheless, he sent me to an ear specialist and my ears were perfect for my age (70).  He said the same thing as my doctor -- atmosphere in the ear canal along with tiny hairs.

After watching CNN about the young girl who came up with a simple  solution to the "phantom pain" condition is soldiers (i.e., pain in a limb that has been amputated) I reasoned that there might be a simply solution to the "whooshing" problem. The girl discovered that if heat were applied to the end of the limb, then the message to the brain by the nerve endings at that point was simply "heat" and not sort of "confusion" that was interpreted as pain. She has subsequently applied for a patent for a heating device for use in artificial limbs so the soldier can be mobile.

Anyway, when my "whooshing" got very bad the other night while watching TV, I decided to see what would happen if I shot warm air into my ears.  I had actually thought about this several times, but wrote it off as "ridiculous."  To my astonishment, when I turned off the hair dryer the "whooshing" had ceased.  I went to bed and slept with no problems.   The "whoosing" did come back the next day, so I used the hair dryer several times.

As I say, it may not work for you, but there is no harm I can see in trying it.

[BJames]

OMG!! I am having the same issues and thought I was going crazy. Yeah it sounds like my heart pulse and I would like to know if there are any home remedies I could use. It is so annoying. Glad to know that I'm not alone. Any suggestions anyone, please. Thank you.

[BJames]

Oh I have to try that tonight. Anything is better than that annoying sound. Thnx

[Cuquies Lambert]

I have the same problem with my left ear, for about a year now, the first temporary treatment that I got is luke warm mineral oil in ear and put cotton in ear for the night, it blocks the whooshing sound, ask your Dr. to listen with a Stethoscope behind your ear, if the Dr. can hear the whooshing sound that is how my dr. found out that I have a Dissecting left Carotid artery, you can check it out on line, it requiers a small surgery, and it gets rid of the noise for ever. 

[Cuquies Lambert]

P.S. On line check Washingtonpost.Medical Mysteries that nois was not tinnitus. 

[HeatherB]

Thanks for the input! I need to look into this again.

[amber27]

omg I have the same thing. yes, it drives me nuts especially at night......have you found anything on how to cure it yet?

thanx, Amber

[jasmine33]

Hi Everyone, i'm new here. I just got back from the doctor. Like u guys, i got a very bad swosshing at my right ear that sometimes very annoying and it make me so sleepy at day time coz at night time it disturbed me. But sometimes it goes away and when i'm stress it comes back.

At first i got respiratory problem so i was x-ray and all is normal...cough and flu was gone and then suddenly i can hear a swooshing at my right ear...my pillow is uncomfortable and this all this swooshing. Then after a month my neck is on pain and then this is the worst after a few more weeks my left wrist and thumb are on pain and swollen that goes up to my back neck with matching swoshing sound so eventually i did go to my very good doctor. He explains to me what's happening. 

"Your neck is hurt by bad posture while u asleep because of ur pillow, the nerves around ur ear and the stress causing that sound and that same neck nerves that goes the way down to ur thumb are causing ur tendon to hurt(tenosynovitis)". He gave me medicines and i'll be back after four days, that kinds of medicine are for nerves so i'll write here again after 8 days, we will see what's the effect of that medicine, if it work out i'll share u guys the medicine name and u can show to ur doctors if u can drink that coz it needs doctor's sign before u can buy. I am so sure that swosshing sound is from nerves.

[jasmine33]

that's funny, i've been drinking the med for 2 days now, both days i got swooshing  but both just last 1min and very little sound of swooshing only...2 more days and i'll post again

[rajasthan]

this condition is known as deficient kidney yin in chinese medicine. acupuncture may be helpful and at least through pulse diagnosis one would get a more accurate diagnosis.

the condition is aggravated by stress.

[Hiba Nadeem]

this is exactly what i am facing for more than a month now.as i am typing i can hear whoosh whoosh whoosh.The ENT told me to ignore it.i have to take nasal drops and a syrup.They spoke about a tube being blocked which needs to open.

i am so depressed by this I just want it to go :'(

[Ethelpea]

I too had some sort of lung infection for a few weeks and finally took antibiotics to clear it.  I have had significant hearing loss and tinnitis for weeks now since stopping the abx.  I attributed it to the ototoxic effect of the abx (z pak).  I don't know if it will resolve on its own or not, so far, it isn't.

[Bruce Lungren]

You just described my experience perfectly. Three weeks of sore throat, sinitus, and following that, a flare-up of asthma (as usually happens when i get a respiratory infection). Now i have whooshing... freaked me out at first so i checked my BP. It's ok. Now that i know i'm not insane, i'll continue researching...

THanks