Is the Ringing in my Ears Caused by Blood Pressure?

As you may know, some people sufferer from having a constant ringing or noise in their ears caused tinnitus. Most of the time tinnitus comes from the damage sustained within the inner ear. But, in some cases tinnitus can be a symptom of an underlining cause. One of these causes could be high blood pressure.

There are several different forms of tinnitus but, one rare form of tinnitus is known as pulsatile tinnitus. It is the type of ear noise that can be heard as a rhythmic pulsing that is often in time with the heartbeat but only three percent of patients experience this type of tinnitus. It is sometimes heard as a thumping or whooshing sound. It is due to a disturbance of the individual’s blood flow. Pulsatile tinnitus occurs when the blood vessels inside the neck or head of the patient experience an increased blood flow or a narrowing of the opening of the blood vessel itself. The turbulent blood flow can be then heard in one or both of the ears. Pulsatile tinnitus is completely independent from continuous tinnitus which is caused by damage to the cochlea of the inner ear of the hearing nerve. Although, it is possible to experience both types of tinnitus at one time.

With pulsatile tinnitus an underlying serious condition can be the problem like high blood pressure. Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure can have many symptoms or it can occur with no symptoms at all. Although hearing a ringing in the ear can be a symptom of high blood pressure, it is not a common symptom. Typically patients with high blood pressure that experience pulsatile tinnitus do not start to hear a noise in their ears until after they start taking blood pressure medication. The tinnitus can resolve on its own after about four to six weeks or a change in the medication can resolve the issue. Other individuals developed tinnitus due to the high blood pressure which then resolved after medication reduced the pressure with in the blood vessels.

Several other conditions can be the cause of pulsatile tinnitus. One of the more common causes of pulsatile tinnitus is BIH (benign intracranial hypertension). This is a condition where there is an increased pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain resulting in young, overweight females. Another cause for pulsatile tinnitus is due to a glomus tumor. This is a benign vascular tumor typically located in the ear or just below the artery and results from a cholesterol build-up in the artery wall. Pulsatile tinnitus can also be due to a middle ear infection or inflammation.

Depending on the result of the pulsatile tinnitus, there may be several different cures. In the case of high blood pressure, the doctor might prescribe a medication to reduce the symptoms. It is important to report any side effects resulting from a new medication. If you suspect that your tinnitus is due to high blood pressure, see your doctor to get your pressure checked.