The doctor pointed out possible vascular problems with rhythmic pulsation in the ears.

Pulsating tinnitus that matches the rhythm of the heart can be a symptom of serious problems, and not just with the ears. Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, a doctor and expert at the Hemotest Laboratory, told Izvestia on September 3 why this sign should not be ignored and when to sound the alarm.

According to her, tinnitus or ringing in the ears that is not related to external sound sources is called tinnitus or tinnitus. This is not a disease, but a symptom of various diseases of the ENT organs. Tinnitus usually manifests itself as a constant background noise, ringing or buzzing in the ears.

"If the noise is rhythmic, resembles a heartbeat, rustling or gurgling in time with blood flow, it is called pulsating tinnitus. It occurs due to the fact that the hearing aid detects the movement of blood through nearby vessels. Normally, a person should not hear such sounds, so the appearance of such pulsation may indicate disorders in the cardiovascular system, pathology of local blood flow or changes in intracranial pressure," the doctor said.

Atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels, in which cholesterol plaques form on the walls of the arteries, creates a turbulent blood flow, perceived as pulsation. Arterial hypertension increases the hydraulic pressure on the vascular wall, and if it is compacted, blood flow into the systole may become audible. Arteriovenous malformations in the basins of the carotid arteries are dangerous — abnormal connections between arteries and veins that create conditions for blood bypass surgery. There are also aneurysms — local dilation of the walls of arterial vessels with their thinning, having the shape of sacs. The wall of these sacs is thin and can rupture, which in this case causes intracranial hemorrhage. In addition, pulsating tinnitus often indicates ear diseases: inflammatory processes (otitis media, eustachiitis), the appearance of a tumor (for example, glomous formations in the middle ear), perilymphatic fistula, labyrinth drops.

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Even if tinnitus appears sporadically, it is necessary to consult an ENT doctor, neurologist, or otoneurologist and undergo an examination. However, there are symptoms that make it dangerous to delay diagnosis. Warning signs include headache, especially sudden and intense, deafness in the same ear, and severe dizziness.

"If the pulsation in the ear is accompanied by nausea, visual disturbances, this may indicate the growth of an aneurysm or a dissection of the artery wall. Vascular complications can also be indicated by sudden facial asymmetry, weakness in the limbs, impaired speech or coordination, and dizziness," Demyanovskaya said.

If the pulsation increases with a change in body position or physical exertion, the cause may be an increase in intracranial pressure. A gradual deterioration of hearing on the side where the pulsation is heard may be a sign of tumor growth.

When a patient complains of throbbing tinnitus, the doctor conducts a comprehensive examination. Treatment depends entirely on the identified cause. In case of large aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations, neurosurgical intervention may be required. Tinnitus is most often benign and is associated with chronic vascular pathology. Atherosclerosis requires the appointment of statins and antiplatelet agents, hypertension requires careful selection of antihypertensive therapy. When the benign nature of tinnitus is established, antidepressants and antipsychotics can be prescribed, and hearing replacement is selected, possibly using resonant broadband noise.

To prevent vascular complications, it is important to control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Patients with pulsating tinnitus should avoid intense physical exertion and stress, which can trigger an increase in blood pressure, the doctor concluded.

On August 24, Evgeny Kokin, cardiologist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), PhD, spoke about proper nutrition for heart health. According to him, special attention should be paid to the ratio of fats — no more than 1 part saturated to 10 parts unsaturated, and trans fats should be completely excluded if possible.

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