To understand it better, let us take the headline apart and see the result at once. Unilateral stands for hearing the buzzing in one ear (bilateral involves both the ears); pulsatile stands for pulse-like sound effect while tinnitus represents all those tinkling, hissing. whooshing, roaring, tingling sounds that are heard by the affected person day in day out, turning him/her crazy like hell. Rejoining the title head we find the picture in its entirety where the person suffering from pulsatile tinnitus hears the resonance of his/her own heartbeat from which the name of the disease has been taken.  However, the reason behind this strange phenomenon is erratic or constricted blood flow in the arteries that run through the head and neck region of the patient which sometimes correspond to the beating of the heart.

Unilateral pulsatile tinnitus falls under the category of subjective tinnitus in which the sound is heard only by the affected person and no one else. Detailed studies have revealed that it is usually associated with otologic disorders having two basic types of hearing problems – Conductive and Sensorineural. While the first one relates to inhibition of sound transmission to the inner ear, the later results from infection, disease condition or abnormality found in the inner ear. The uncommunicativeness can be triggered through a number of factors that comprise inflammation of the external acoustic canal from the otis externa, perforation of the tympanic membrane, cerumen impaction, collection of excessive fluid or discharge in the middle ear, etc. It may also happen due to otosclerosis, signifying abnormalities in the ossicular bone chain. Of course, problems arising out of the cochlear part of the 8^th cranial nerve should not be ruled out in this matter. NIHL or Noise-induced Hearing Loss and presbycusis (progressive loss of hearing with advancing age) are some of the common etiological factors responsible for this kind of hearing loss.

Unilateral Pulsatile Tinnitus – some of the causes

Though there is hardly any fatality factor associated with unilateral pulsatile tinnitus, it can, nonetheless be caused by heightened pressure in the head (hydrocephalus) as well as hardening of the arteries, both considered to be lethal in terms of medical science. However, one of the causative factors resulting in unilateral pulsatile tinnitus can be linked to the carotid artery and the jugular vein, both of which are located fairly close to the inner ear and so are likely to conduct noise to it. Sometimes a vericosal vein structure can also transmit beating sound to the middle ear, resembling heartbeat. A rather rare but plausible cause that may give rise to the beating sound is ‘dehiscence’ that is the missing bone of the jugular vein and an unusually formed carotid artery. This part of the information has seemingly been gleaned from a post mortem examination conducted on person suffering from unilateral pulsatile tinnitus. Apart from such complex issues, unilateral pulsatile tinnitus is also caused due to hyperthyroidism, below normal blood viscosity and poor and erratic blood flow in the head and neck region.

How does unilateral pulsatile tinnitus affect the victim

Very unenviably indeed! The patient suffers from two different kinds of ailment. While one type makes him/her suffer from giddiness, loss of balance and unilateral feeling of heaviness in the ear, the other subjects the person to hear his/her own heartbeat day in and day out 24 x 7.

On top of all that there is no hope of recovery unless one opts for Holistic way of treatment which is rather rigid, having no room for tomfoolery. However, here are some of the basics, cited for the benefit of the readers. It involves some of the following and many more

• Elimination of meat and/or meat-based food items, viz. ham, bacon, sausages, salami, beef, pork and other kinds of exotic meat dishes.
• Elimination of tinned or processed food
• Elimination of fried and spicy food
• Elimination of fast food
• Discarding alcohol or alcohol-based beverages
• Consuming fruits and vegetables on regular basis
• Eating fibrous food like whole grain bread, organic food and dry fruit
• Practicing Yoga and deep breathing
• Following less stressful lifestyle.

If someone follows what has been mentioned above, the person can get a cure from the factors that go on to cause unilateral pulsating tinnitus, which is…

• Sinusitis in acute form
• Tension and stress
• Damage to the cochlear nerve

This sure will lead to a healthful physical state that would take care of the three factors (acute sinusitis; stress and tension and cochlear nerve damage) that are responsible for unilateral pulsating tinnitus. However, one should bear in mind that in Holistic method of treatment the body is treated as a whole in order to identify and locate the root causes of the disease condition and then specify the appropriate remedy. Conventional medicine, on the other hand, put emphasis on the symptoms, ignoring the root cause of the disease and that is precisely why the holistic remedy is ideal fro treating unilateral pulsatile tinnitus.

This article is based on the book, “Tinnitus Miracle” by Thomas Coleman. Thomas is an author, researcher, nutritionist and health consultant who dedicated his life to creating the ultimate Tinnitus solution guaranteed to permanently reverse the root of ear ringing and naturally and dramatically improve the overall quality of your life,  without the use prescription medication and without any surgical procedures.