by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A lady asked:
Can unilateral pulsatile tinnitus in my right ear only be the cause of hypertension/high blood pressure? What are the causes unilateral pulsatile tinnitus?
Its the other way around, but yes, high blood pressure can result in pulsatile tinnitus.
There are a good number of causes of pulsatile tinnitus. All of them are vascular—meaning having to do with blood flowing in the various blood vessels near your ears. This is because pulsatile tinnitus sounds are rhythmic, pulsing sounds that are synchronous with your heart beat.
The most common cause of pulsatile tinnitus is benign intracranial hypertension, followed by carotid artery disease, glomus tumors, turbulent blood flow, increased blood flow in different blood vessels, emissary veins, high blood pressure, twisted arteries, aneurysm in an artery, and a number of other things.
If you are interested, you can read more about pulsatile tinnitus (and all the other kinds of tinnitus) in my book, “When Your Ears Ring! Cope With Your Tinnitus—Here’s How“.
