Some individuals hear their pulse noticeably. What does this indicate? The German Heart Foundation explained that hearing the pulse prominently indicates a condition known as "pulsatile tinnitus," meaning hearing a real nearby sound close to the inner ear. The foundation added that imaging procedures such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) help identify the causes of pulse sounds in the ear more accurately.
Diseases of the head and neck vessels can cause pulsatile tinnitus, including:
- Fistulas and bleeding in veins and arteries
- Narrowing or dilation of blood vessels
- Tumors at or near the base of the skull
- Venous malformations
- Tissue structures that compress and narrow neck vessels, such as bone spurs
Additionally, the cause of "pulsatile tinnitus" may be related to high blood pressure.
