At some point in our lives, most of us have experienced some kind of unexplained sound deep in our ear, and most of the time, it stops after a little while. But what about when the sound doesn’t stop? If that sound has a rhythmic component – often described as whooshing, swooshing, clicking, popping, rumbling or even a cement mixer sound – then you might have pulsatile tinnitus (PT). This is a symptom that affects nearly five million Americans.
PT can be maddening for those who suffer from it – difficult to diagnose, unrelenting – and it sometimes indicates a much larger serious health problem. For many, the near constant sound exceeds annoyance and becomes completely debilitating; a majority who experience symptoms also suffer from depression or anxiety. Overall, PT has many causes, including vascular abnormalities, abnormal cerebral pressure and unique blood flow patterns…
