February 08, 2007

Pulsatile Tinnitus - What Is It?

Pulsating Tinnitus -

Pulsatile tinnitus is a rhythmical sound that beats in Tune with your hearbeat. The noises and rhythms you experience will vary from person to person.

Pulsatile tinnitus results because of other underlying health conditions. Treatment is always available for pulsatile tinntus because you can treat the problem responsible for the pulsatile tinnitus.

throbbing tinnitus can be the result of increased blood flow in the large arteries in the neck, base of the skull, or the smaller veins inside the ear.

There are many circumstances, that can be responsible for increased blood flow.

Localized faster blood flow in the body which occurs during strenuous activity or can also be caused by severe anemia.

Localized increased flow of blood occurs when a blood vessel is narrower than it should be. Obviously other veins in the area will now need to move more blood as a result. The additional flow generates noise and can result in Pulsatile tinnitus.

Causes of Pulsatile Tinnitus Include:

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) - Abnormal groups of arteries and veins that occur within the cranial cavity near the auditory nerve.

Carotid artery-cavernous sinus fistula - An aberrant connection between a large artery and venous pool within the cranial cavity; generally the result of severe head trauma.

Chronic Inflammation and infection of the middle ear. Chronic inflammation is accompanied by increase in the flow of blood to the inflamed tissue. You are able to hear the increased blood flow noise because the inflamed tissue is in the middle ear.

Middle ear fluid. The middle ear is normall an air-filled space. If infection or inflammation occurs, or there are blocked Eustachian tubes, fluid will accumulate behind the middle ear, resulting in Pulsatile tinnitus.

Pulstile tinnitus will also occur when the is a constriction or a partial blockage of these blood vessels from an atheroma which is a fatty deposit in inner lining of a blood vessel, which can restrict blood flow and is caused by high levels of cholesterol .

Pulsatile tinnitus treatments are related to it's peculiar cause. Reducing the cholesterol levels in the system will also help in lowering the levels of pulsatile tinnitus.

Treatment of pulsatile tinnitus normally involves a multi-disciplinary approach which can encompass a variety of symptom management approaches. The majority of sufferers with Pulsatile tinnitus are treated with conventional allopathic methods of tinnitus treatments including drug therapy, alternative treatments, biofeedback, and sound and/or relaxation therapy.

John Currie provides free tinnitus counselling and offers alternative tinnitus treatments and remedies via his tinnitus website online.