Could this be serious?

[BabsD]

Hello. I am a 38 year old, overweight female. I take 25mg atenolol and 81 mg aspirin daily for a prior silent heart attack, diagnosed 6 years ago. My blood pressure is normal.

For the last 6 months or so I have experienced a blowing or whooshing sound in my left ear. It occurs mostly when I tilt my head to the left, but sometimes occurs with other head movements. Sometimes its pulsating, sometimes not. If I press down where my jaw meets my neck on my left side, the noise will go away.

For the most part, I'm not really aware of it during the day.  It is most noticeable in the evening and when I first get up in the morning. There is also a feeling of fullness in that ear, like when your ears pop on an airplane. I'm not aware of any balance problems. I don't know if this is related, but I've missed my last 2 periods and I am not pregnant (I took a home pregnancy test).

I went to a pop concert a few days ago, and whenever the music got really loud I would get a loud static sound in that ear. I've never experienced that before and it really frightened me.

Is this something to be worried about? I'm very scared that it may be a brain tumor of some type (an acoustic neuroma?). I also have been experiencing blurry vision and mild headaches, but I had thought it was eyestrain due to working on a computer all day. What are the most likely possibilities? I am driving myself crazy with worry, and I'm not seeing my doctor for another month. Any info you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

Please keep in mind I have not personally examined you nor have I reviewed your clinical history in detail.  Before jumping to the possibility of tumor causing your symptoms, it could represent a primary problem with the ear like a perforated (hole) in the ear drum. Also there is a specific entity called pulsatile tinnitus which is whooshing pulse you hear due to a problem with the arteries in your neck, high output states such as that seen in thyroid disease, and increased pressure of the fluid around the brain or CSF.  

The blurry vision and headache in a young, obese woman raises the possibility of pseudotumor cerebrii which is a condition of increased CSF pressure in the absence of any brain tumor or other neurologic abnormality. This is diagnosed by a spinal tap and can be treated with medication, weight loss, or a shunt. It is quite possible that all of the symptoms are related and represent this diagnosis. If the symptoms get worse or you experience new worrisome symptoms such as persistent nausea and vomiting with worsening headache, consider going to the ER for further evaluation. Good luck

[puppyboy]

Hi there, it sounds like you might have pulsatile tinnitus.  This can come from a number of different problems.  To rule out anything serious you probably should seek a medical opinion from either a neurologist or neurosurgeon or perhaps an ENT specialist. They would be able to order a CT/MRI scan of the brain to rule out any venous flow problem either from a blockage or perhaps a tumour or perhaps even an angiogram.  I'm sure you'll be able to get further help when you see the specialist soon.  If your symptoms change with a sudden severe headache, nausea or vomiting make sure to go the local emergency room to be checked out right away.  Best wishes