Hearing one’s own heartbeat in the ears can be an unsettling sensation. This experience, often described as a whooshing, thumping, or pulsing sound, is a common and often temporary phenomenon, though it can cause alarm.
Temporary Causes of Hearing Your Heartbeat
Several common factors can temporarily cause you to hear your heartbeat. Intense physical exertion increases blood flow and heart rate, making circulation more noticeable. Elevated stress or anxiety can also raise blood pressure and heighten awareness of internal sounds.
Changes in body position, such as lying down, can affect blood flow and pressure in the head, making the heartbeat audible. Excessive earwax can block the ear canal and amplify internal noises, including blood flow. Eustachian tube dysfunction, where the tube connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose does not function optimally, can cause fullness and clearer perception of internal sounds. These temporary causes usually resolve once the contributing factor is alleviated.
Medical Conditions Linked to Pulsatile Tinnitus
When hearing your heartbeat in the ears becomes persistent or recurrent, it is medically termed “pulsatile tinnitus.” This rhythmic noise, often described as a whooshing or thumping sound, typically synchronizes with your pulse. It is a symptom signaling an underlying medical issue, frequently related to blood flow dynamics near the ear.
High blood pressure (hypertension) can increase the force of blood against vessel walls, leading to a more audible flow near the ears. Atherosclerosis, plaque buildup in arteries, narrows vessels and causes turbulent blood flow, perceived as pulsatile tinnitus. Vascular abnormalities, such as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) or aneurysms (bulges in arterial walls), can create turbulent or altered blood flow that is audible. Narrowed blood vessels in the head or neck, including from venous sinus stenosis, can disrupt smooth blood flow, leading to whooshing sounds.
Anemia, particularly iron deficiency, can cause pulsatile tinnitus because the heart works harder to deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. This increased cardiac output makes blood flow audible. Thyroid disorders, like hyperthyroidism, can increase the body’s metabolic rate and cardiac output, contributing to audible blood flow.
Middle ear infections can cause fluid buildup, making internal sounds more noticeable. Otosclerosis, abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, can affect sound transmission and contribute to perceiving internal noises. Benign vascular tumors, such as glomus tumors near the ear, can also cause pulsatile tinnitus due to blood flowing through their many vessels.
When to Seek Professional Medical Advice
Seek medical evaluation if hearing your heartbeat becomes persistent or concerning. Key indicators suggest a medical consultation is necessary. These include if the sound is constant or worsens over weeks or months.
Prompt medical attention is warranted if pulsatile tinnitus occurs in only one ear. If the sound is accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness, headaches, vision changes, hearing loss, ear pain, or new weakness, it could signal a more serious underlying condition. A sudden onset of pulsatile tinnitus also warrants a medical assessment.
Coping Strategies and Treatment Options
Managing pulsatile tinnitus primarily involves addressing its underlying cause. If a medical cause is identified, treatment might involve managing high blood pressure with medication or lifestyle changes, addressing anemia through iron supplementation, or treating thyroid conditions. For vascular malformations or tumors, surgical interventions or specialized procedures may be considered.
While medical treatment targets the root cause, strategies can help cope with the sensation. Sound therapy, such as white noise machines or environmental sounds, can mask the rhythmic noise. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can reduce stress and anxiety associated with the sound. Avoiding triggers like excessive caffeine or alcohol, which can exacerbate the perception of internal sounds, may also be beneficial.