What is the Difference Between Tinnitus and Pulsatile Tinnitus

The key difference between tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus is that tinnitus is a condition where a person hears sounds such as ringing, whistling, clicking, and roaring that are not audible to others, while pulsatile tinnitus is a medical condition where a person experiences a rhythmic noise or sound that is synchronized with their heartbeat.

Tinnitus is a medical condition where a person perceives noise in their ears or head, which has no external source. The condition is generally classified into three types: subjective, objective, and pulsatile tinnitus.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Tinnitus
3. What is Pulsatile Tinnitus
4. Similarities – Tinnitus and Pulsatile Tinnitus
5. Tinnitus vs Pulsatile Tinnitus in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Tinnitus vs Pulsatile Tinnitus

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a medical condition characterized by the perception of sound or noise in the ears or head that has no external source. In other words, people who suffer from this condition hear sounds that no one else hears – the sounds may be described as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, or clicking. Tinnitus is a common medical condition that affects more than 50 million people in the United States. It can be caused due to abnormal activity in the part of the brain that processes sounds. The symptoms of this condition may include ringing in the ears, hearing sounds like buzzing, humming, grinding, hissing, whistling, or sounds similar to music or singing, and hyperacusis. The risk factors for this condition may include aging, exposure to loud noises and explosions, ototoxic medications, and Ménière’s disease.

Tinnitus can be diagnosed through physical examination, medical history, hearing test, tympanometry, MRI, or X-ray. Furthermore, treatment options for tinnitus may include hearing aids, sound generators, environment enrichment devices, relaxation techniques, and counselling options (cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

What is Pulsatile Tinnitus?

Pulsatile tinnitus is a rare form of tinnitus in which the rhythmic sound that is heard in the ear may be related to the blood vessels near the ears. Approximately 10% of the 50 million people in the United States who experience tinnitus have pulsatile tinnitus. In this condition, the rhythmic sound matches the rate of the heartbeat. This sound may have a rushing or roaring quality (whooshing sound). Pulsatile tinnitus can occur due to a vascular tumor or a blood vessel disorder such as atherosclerosis. The symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus include rhythmic swooshing or whooshing sound inside of your head that often keeps pace with your pulse, interruption of the ability to concentrate or work, depression or anxiety, and high blood pressure. The risk factors involved in pulsatile tinnitus include health conditions like sinus wall abnormalities, arteriovenous malformations, high blood pressure, anemia, middle ear tumors, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, head trauma, hyperthyroidism, and Paget’s disease.

Moreover, pulsatile tinnitus can be diagnosed through physical examination, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), MRI, Doppler ultrasound, CT scan, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan. Treatment options for pulsatile tinnitus may include managing the underlying condition, cognitive behavioural therapy, meditation, medications for anaemia and high blood pressure, relaxation techniques, and tinnitus retraining therapy.

What are the Similarities Between Tinnitus and Pulsatile Tinnitus?

Tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus are two associated medical conditions.
Pulsatile tinnitus is a rare form of tinnitus.
People who suffer from both conditions hear sounds that normal people do not hear.
Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
These conditions are mainly treated through therapies.

What is the Difference Between Tinnitus and Pulsatile Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a condition where a person hears sounds such as ringing, whistling, clicking, and roaring that are not audible to others, while pulsatile tinnitus is a medical condition where a person experiences a rhythmic noise or sound that is synchronized with their heartbeat. Thus, this is the key difference between tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus.

The below infographic presents the differences between tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Tinnitus vs Pulsatile Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a medical condition where people hear sounds that normal people do not hear. Pulsatile tinnitus is a rare form of tinnitus. In tinnitus, people hear sounds like ringing, whistling, clicking, and roaring that no one else hears. In pulsatile tinnitus, people hear a noise that may be loud or soft in time with their heartbeats (whooshing sound). So, this is the key difference between tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus.