Sudden pressure and loss of hearing on left side of head while (internally) hearing and feeling heart pulses?

Question

I have expereinced this on occassion over the years but more often lately. Just sitting at my desk for example, I suddenly feel a huge pressure on the left side of my kneck and ear, I lose my normal hearing but can hear and feel my heart beat/pulse. It seems loud and heavy and happens for about 5-10 seconds then goes away. It happens most often when I am at rest. I am 45, don't smoke, have not had high blood pressure before and am in generally good health. Any idea what this might be? I plan on checking with my doctor but love to do a bit of research myself.

Answer 1

Tinnitus is a noise that originates within your ear rather than from an external source. The sound may be described as hissing, squealing, buzzing or roaring. In pulsatile tinnitus, the sound follows the same rhythm as your heartbeat.

Tinnitus isn't a disease. It's a symptom that can have a number of causes, including accumulated wax in the ears and exposure to loud noises. Pulsatile tinnitus, also called objective tinnitus, may be due to irregularities in a blood vessel that passes into or close by the inner ear. Although the noise of tinnitus may be annoying, the condition is rarely a symptom of a serious underlying problem.

Sometimes, a doctor can hear the sounds of pulsatile tinnitus with a stethoscope. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Your doctor can discuss with you steps you can take to reduce the severity of the noise or to better cope with the noise.

Answer 2

I just went to the Head and Neck Surgery Department at Kaiser for something different but I got a couple different handouts about head stuff. Tinnitus is a noise in the ears such as ringing, buzzings, roaring, clicking, etc. It is common and more noticeable at bedtime. It results from the failure to supress the natural sounds occuring in the head. I would suggest writing down the symptoms in a journal b/c if you decide to see a specialist, you can tell them exactly what has been going on. Once thing I have learned is that anxiety about your health aggravates the little things. If you are a generally healthy person, I would keep track of this but not worry too much about it.