Ear whooshing

I’d say talk to your doctor about something called “pulsatile tinnitus” and “dural arteriovenous fistula”. I had both: the DAVF was the thing that was making the noise (but it was a good thing because it meant that I went to the doc about it).

I got dizzier as well.

It took me 4 months to see an ENT who immediately recognised an arteriovenous malformation or specifically a DAVF. It took another three months for me to get referred successfully to neurosurgery and then a further five months to have a catheter embolization procedure to glue up the naughty connection. That is now over 8 years ago.

Am AVM is a rogue connection between an artery and a vein. A DAVF is a rogue connection between an artery and one of the major draining sinuses of the head, so mine connected to my right transverse sinus. The whooshing was the sound of the arterial pressure blood scooting through the transverse sinus and into the sigmoid sinus that goes past your ear(s).

There are other causes for pulsatile tinnitus as well, though, so it may not be an AVM / DAVF.

If you get a confirmation of AVM or DAVF, I have a whole other support forum with people in the same situation, just let me know and I’ll point you there.

Hope this may be a help.

Very best wishes,

Richard

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