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Weird wooshing in my ear?

Posted by ehdog @ehdog, Jan 18 5:35pm

Sometimes I hear a wooshing woo woo woo sound in my ear

My NP said it could be my blood pressure which makes me anxious as I already have hypertension. What could it be?

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Jan 19 8:18pm
In reply to @ashlynnmae "@ashlynnmae It doesn’t indicate high blood pressure at all. Plain and simple, you’re just hearing your..." + (show)
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@ashlynnmae

It doesn’t indicate high blood pressure at all. Plain and simple, you’re just hearing your own blood flow.

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@ashlynnmae This can be an indication of increased BP and should not be ignored by people diagnosed with hypertension. Please do not dismiss it as "normal".
Please take a look at this discussion:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pulsatile-tinnitus-qa-w-mayo-clinic-expert-dr-joseph-breen/

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rashida | @rashida | Jan 19 11:25pm

@ehdog I have experienced that whooshing sound along with my heartbeat in my right ear. I too thought it was caused by high blood pressure. I took my blood pressure when that whooshing happened and it was normal. I believe in my case it could have been a side effect of two new medications I have been taking - Zoloft and Pravastatin. I don’t hear the whooshing cum heartbeats consistently. It comes and goes, lasting just a few minutes at a time.

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chanda79 | @chanda79 | Jan 20 7:38am

@ehdog They are correct. In my experience with consistently normal BP (110-120 / 70-80 range), my Whooshing and constant high pitched Pulsatile Tinnitus are caused by other factors such as my TMJ and FMD in carotid arteries, not high BP. I also have normal B vitamin levels according to bloodwork. ENT and Vascular doctors might be able to recommend supplements or other solutions.

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kallettla | @kallettla | Jan 20 8:25am

I have that, too. I mentioned it to my vascular surgeon who is watching my carotids. He said it isn't from that. I also asked my cardiologist who dismissed it and said everyone gets it. He obviously wasn't going to listen to me, so I dropped it with him. For me, it is a new sound. I know the sound that appears in both ears after exercising. This is only in my left ear, not all the time, and I can control it by hold my head a certain way. I have my new endocrinologist appointment in March, it's a woman, and maybe she will listen to me. I do not have high blood pressure. I will be following this conversation.

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jamiemj | @jamiemj | Jan 20 11:50pm

Don't worry lots get that. If you are worried take your blood pressure when it happens

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joyeous | @joyeous | Jan 25 1:18pm
In reply to @gardeningjunkie "I think Oranges is spot on identifying your condition. Initially, about 3 years ago I would..." + (show)
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I think Oranges is spot on identifying your condition. Initially, about 3 years ago I would get out of bed at night searching for running water. Finally I figured out the noise was in my head, coming from my left ear and it was highlighted by my heart beat. I do have high blood pressure which I take medicine for by if it is elevated the running water sound is louder and the noise beats in time with my heart beat. It's a good warning to take an extra bp pill.
Pulsatile Tinnitus can have various causes. On the internet several causes are mentioned. It can be a brain bleed or tumor but I had a brain scan and am fine.
But in my case I think it may be resulting from 2 other issues. One could be from an automobile accident resulting in 3 tilted discs in in my neck. I hit a windshield at age 16 and now in my late 70's the resulting traumatic arthritis in my neck is restricting movement or it could be the severe earaches as a child for which my ear drums be lanced to release pressure.

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@gardeningjunkie
I too have had this sound of "water swooshing" and thought it must be a leak, or someone had left a faucet on. Most annoying was that no one else could hear it. I only heard it when I was lying down, usually at night when everything was quiet. It didn't seem to be related to blood pressure. I also had started having hearing problems. MRI of head for the hearing issues showed a problem in inner ear of a bone that had thinned. I can't remember the medical term now but I did read that people with this condition had reported being able to hear internal sounds others could not hear. Such as hearing themselves swallowing. It occured to me that I could be hearing blood moving through veins. Now you mention the issue of arthritis in your spine. I too have that and have very limited movement in my neck. So we both have the ear issues and spinal issue. It could be one or both, a double whammy or neither, but something to consider. Since my lungs have become so bad, I never notice the swooshing sound anymore. It's drowned out by breathing sounds and the soft hum of my o2 concentrator which I have come to appreciate.

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rashida | @rashida | Jan 25 2:48pm
In reply to @joyeous "@gardeningjunkie I too have had this sound of "water swooshing" and thought it must be a..." + (show)
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@gardeningjunkie
I too have had this sound of "water swooshing" and thought it must be a leak, or someone had left a faucet on. Most annoying was that no one else could hear it. I only heard it when I was lying down, usually at night when everything was quiet. It didn't seem to be related to blood pressure. I also had started having hearing problems. MRI of head for the hearing issues showed a problem in inner ear of a bone that had thinned. I can't remember the medical term now but I did read that people with this condition had reported being able to hear internal sounds others could not hear. Such as hearing themselves swallowing. It occured to me that I could be hearing blood moving through veins. Now you mention the issue of arthritis in your spine. I too have that and have very limited movement in my neck. So we both have the ear issues and spinal issue. It could be one or both, a double whammy or neither, but something to consider. Since my lungs have become so bad, I never notice the swooshing sound anymore. It's drowned out by breathing sounds and the soft hum of my o2 concentrator which I have come to appreciate.

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@joyeous same here - except for the lung problem.

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joyeous | @joyeous | Jan 25 3:53pm
In reply to @sueinmn "@ashlynnmae This can be an indication of increased BP and should not be ignored by people..." + (show)
Profile picture for Sue, Volunteer Mentor @sueinmn

@ashlynnmae This can be an indication of increased BP and should not be ignored by people diagnosed with hypertension. Please do not dismiss it as "normal".
Please take a look at this discussion:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pulsatile-tinnitus-qa-w-mayo-clinic-expert-dr-joseph-breen/

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@sueinmn
Thank you for that information. I read about Dr Breen and saw where it mentioned Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence. That is what I could not remember. It's what showed on my MRI. I still don't know that it is something that causes the whooshing sound, but this thread makes me feel better. Because when ever I would mention it to anyone they looked at me like I was nuts.

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bjjoyce1 | @bjjoyce1 | Jan 27 4:41pm
In reply to @joyeous "@gardeningjunkie I too have had this sound of "water swooshing" and thought it must be a..." + (show)
Profile picture for joyeous @joyeous

@gardeningjunkie
I too have had this sound of "water swooshing" and thought it must be a leak, or someone had left a faucet on. Most annoying was that no one else could hear it. I only heard it when I was lying down, usually at night when everything was quiet. It didn't seem to be related to blood pressure. I also had started having hearing problems. MRI of head for the hearing issues showed a problem in inner ear of a bone that had thinned. I can't remember the medical term now but I did read that people with this condition had reported being able to hear internal sounds others could not hear. Such as hearing themselves swallowing. It occured to me that I could be hearing blood moving through veins. Now you mention the issue of arthritis in your spine. I too have that and have very limited movement in my neck. So we both have the ear issues and spinal issue. It could be one or both, a double whammy or neither, but something to consider. Since my lungs have become so bad, I never notice the swooshing sound anymore. It's drowned out by breathing sounds and the soft hum of my o2 concentrator which I have come to appreciate.

Jump to this post

@joyeous I know this might sound strange, but I get this type of sound in my head/ears. I put a large fake fur hat on which warms my head/ears/neck. I wear it at home to eliminate pain and take the noise away. I think i am allergic to cold. My head feels a chill , even when i am unaware. I put the hat on so it covers my ears and a scarf around my neck.. It all goes away, the sound and any pain. You might try covering your head with a hat/scarf. I awaken yesterday at 3am with that noise, I wrap myself up and its gone. I don't care what anyone things about my looks... That noise makes me cry. I have terrible sensitivities to so much, and do get fluid in the ears. It works and doesn't cost anything except looking odd. lol When it first started it sounded like when you put a sea shell to your ears. Good Luck and God Bless

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margaretfriel | @margaretfriel | Jan 28 2:18pm
In reply to @bjjoyce1 "@joyeous I know this might sound strange, but I get this type of sound in my..." + (show)
Profile picture for bjjoyce1 @bjjoyce1

@joyeous I know this might sound strange, but I get this type of sound in my head/ears. I put a large fake fur hat on which warms my head/ears/neck. I wear it at home to eliminate pain and take the noise away. I think i am allergic to cold. My head feels a chill , even when i am unaware. I put the hat on so it covers my ears and a scarf around my neck.. It all goes away, the sound and any pain. You might try covering your head with a hat/scarf. I awaken yesterday at 3am with that noise, I wrap myself up and its gone. I don't care what anyone things about my looks... That noise makes me cry. I have terrible sensitivities to so much, and do get fluid in the ears. It works and doesn't cost anything except looking odd. lol When it first started it sounded like when you put a sea shell to your ears. Good Luck and God Bless

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@bjjoyce1
I have the same sounds in my ears … it started after I was diagnosed with A-Fib & started taking medications for it.
One of the informational sheets the pharmacy includes when I picked up a med listed it as a “potential side affect”.

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