You should see your doctor asap. What I learned in the process of getting my diagnosis for Middle Ear Myoclonus is that the thumping in the ear can be due to problems with the veins/artery, especially the carotid artery and can be potentially life threatening. The thumping with MEM does not match the rhythm of your heartbeat. If you go to your primary care doctor and he/she can't diagnose a problem through the exam, then you may need a referral to an ENT. There is a type of tinnitus called pulsating tinnitus which does match the rhythm of your heartbeat. Hope this helps and you find out the reason for this problem soon.

@sharihall, might you have pulsatile tinnitus? Does this sounds like what you are experiencing?
- Pulsatile Tinnitus https://www.healthline.com/health/pulsatile-tinnitus

Here's a discussion where other members are discussing pulsatile tinnitus:
- Pulsatile tinnitus https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pulsatile-tinnitus-1/