Noise in ear - NOT Tinitis - from my neck

[edf]

Help!  I have had minor noise in my left ear for a long time but this has changed.  I recently had an ultra sound and to my surprise ... the noise coming from the machine is EXACTLY what I hear constantly in my left ear.  A doctor said there was nothing he could detect and tried to sell me a hearing aid.  ugh   My doctor has basically ignored this (GP) and this has gone undiagnosed.  I sometimes have trouble falling asleep due to the noise.  The strange thing is that if I gently put my hand on my neck under that ear the noise almost goes away.  There are times when there is a slight pain there as well.  Right now my concern is there is something major, big time, going on in there.  My biggest fear is this might cause a stroke if it is my artery.  I don't understand why no one seems to have concern except me.    Please help me or suggest something I can do or at least say to my doctor to get proper medical help for this.  Thank you!  

[edf]

THANK YOU so very much for the information and encouragement.  I should have said that the US like continuouse noise I hear is recent - maybe 6 months now.  The other long time noise, like being in an aviary (I like to hear birds chirping) didn't bother me so much and most of the time I actually could ignore it.  I will certainly let my doctor know about the tests suggested here and know he will follow up.  He's really a good doctor - but it just seems that I need to be the aggressor.  

This is scary to me since I don't know that much about anatomy and how it might be "fixed".  That is if it's possible to be fixed.  My blood tests as of 1 week ago were perfect - cholesterol was perfect, Aic was 6.0, weight down, etc.,  Dr. was very pleased with my results .... and I am miserable!  

I will also need to make sure my Medicare and insurance will cover these tests.  I am pretty much a happy-go-lucky 70 yr. old female, still working, and this is the only big problem I have.  To me it's a mountain!  

Thank you again - particularly for the encouragement - much appreciated.   edf

[tomsant]

Correction: First para, 3rd sentence:

Missed to add "the brain"  Read as: The artery and vein going into the Brain or coming out of it passes near the cochlea.

TA

[tomsant]

Your doubt is right, that the pressure alters the flow in either the artery or vein. But don't be scared, as it may not mean you have some serious illness. The artery and vein going into or coming out of it passes near the cochlea (sound sensor of the ear) and hence you may hear the continuous hum of blood flow in the vein or the pulsatile 'Wof..Wof' sound from the artery.

You have to be seen by an ENT; inform the ENT that pressure in the neck aborts the sound. You discovered that the sound from US machine is similar to the one you are having in your left ear. It may mean their frequencies (pitch as you hear) are same.

Since it is gone with a 'gently placing of the hand' it is likely to be vein. This MAY have to be looked into. The ENT MAY order an imaging study if required. Which may be a CT with contrast or MRI or MRI angiogram. If it draws a blank, it may just be a venous hum, when  the hearing aid will help, in giving some noise in the ear to mask the 'tinnitus', so that you can sleep.

In the meanwhile, try a 'walkman' to mask the sound to go to sleep.

It can't be an artery, as it will require a greater pressure purposefully given in some exact location to stop the noise.

Don't be  worried so much, it may not be anything at all, as you have been living with it for a long time. Since you have noticed a change recently, have an ENT to look into it.

Best rgds,

Thomas Antony