The thumping in my right ear is somewhat similar to how pulsatile tinnitus is described, though different. In my case, it seems directly connected to rhythmic sound. If for instance I hear a clock ticking, the thumping begins, without fail. Running an air conditioner or some other kind of background noise makes the thumping stop. The thumping is most pronounced when I lay my right ear on a pillow. The same ear is sensitive to loud noises, sometimes painfully so. I also have ringing in both ears fairly often, though I seem to have gotten used to that. The right ear thumping has been more or less always present ever since I had a very bad earache at the age of 8. If I recall correctly, my mother told me my eardrum had burst, but I don’t recall at this point if I ever was seen by a doctor for it.