Rapid thumping sound in right ear
Posted , 92 users are following.
Hi for the last couple of months I have experienced a rapid thumping sound in might right ear, like a very fast heart beat.
it only seems to happen at night and is driving me mad.
some nights it wakes me up At 3 or 4 in the morning.
i have been to my GP and he is arranging for me to visit ENT specialist at my local hospital and a head scan.
does anyone know what this could be?
7 likes, 176 replies
monicaham andrew97653
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andrew97653 monicaham
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darlene93723 andrew97653
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Hi Andrew. I have the same thing. It started a long time ago and I get it intermittently. It wakes me up at night hammering and pounding. Some time ago I went on a thread and a lot of people have this. One man told me to put cotten in my ears. He said it workd for him. I started doing it and it really does work. Sometimes I put it in before bed and I don't get the pounding. If it comes during the night like last night, I just put the cotten in and it stops. Hope this helps.
corinne11 andrew97653
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andrew97653 corinne11
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Andrew
jaco64856 andrew97653
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corinne11 andrew97653
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pam2014 andrew97653
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LizzyD1822 andrew97653
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dharris214 LizzyD1822
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LizzyD1822 dharris214
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jaco64856 LizzyD1822
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LizzyD1822 jaco64856
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The ENT was a new doctor for me and didn't seem very concerned about the thumping and stated it could be a muscle inside my ear. He had his audiologist do a hearing test and although I have a slight hearing loss (he did not state which ear) it seems his main concern was wanting me to get a
sleep apnea study and hearing aid testing. My hearing may not be as good as it was at age 30 but I can still hear the damn good and have not been
back to see him. *Side note: A week before seeing the ENT, I started taking
magnesium tablets for leg cramps. In continued research on the inner ear
muscle, I happened upon this last night at another medical form....
itguysf replied to itguysf's response:
Update 3/4: Well the eustachian tube blockage was a false alarm as the primary trigger. In the end, it appears that stress and anxiety are the main factors. Had ears/hearing checked out and all is totally normal. What I did come across not mentioned by anyone before is the possibility of a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is critical for proper nerve and muscle function amongst many other things. Stress and anxiety leads to increased magnesium depletion in the body. It wasn't until supplementing my diet with daily magnesium that the spasms started to diminish in frequency and duration, along with muscle spasms in other parts of my body. While it is not exactly known what started all this and why the right ear, properly dealing with stress/anxiety and ensuring adequate magnesium intake seems to be
the best way to address the problem. Drugs for anxiety and sleeping are a short term help. Nice to know that in extreme cases, surgery for cutting the tensor tympani muscle (if that's the culprit) is always a viable option."
*Side note: I have not had the thumping in my left ear since I've been taking magnesium on a daily basis.
jaco64856 LizzyD1822
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LizzyD1822 jaco64856
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LizzyD1822 dharris214
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sleep apnea study and hearing aid testing. My hearing may not be as good as it was at age 30 but I can still hear the damn good and have not been back to see him. *Side note: A week before seeing the ENT, I started taking magnesium tablets for leg cramps. In continued research on the inner ear muscle, I happened upon this last night at another medical form....
"itguysf replied to itguysf's response:
Update 3/4: Well the eustachian tube blockage was a false alarm as the primary trigger. In the end, it appears that stress and anxiety are the main factors. Had ears/hearing checked out and all is totally normal. What I did come across not mentioned by anyone before is the possibility of a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is critical for proper nerve and muscle function amongst many other things. Stress and anxiety leads to increased magnesium depletion in the body. It wasn't until supplementing my diet with daily magnesium that the spasms started to diminish in frequency and duration, along with muscle spasms in other parts of my body. While it is not exactly known what started all this and why the right ear, properly dealing with stress/anxiety and ensuring adequate magnesium intake seems to be the best way to address the problem. Drugs for anxiety and sleeping are a short term help. Nice to know that in extreme cases, surgery for cutting the tensor tympani muscle (if that's the culprit) is always a viable option."*Side note: I have not had the thumping in my left ear since I've been taking magnesium on a daily basis.
*Side note: It took about 2-3 weeks for the magnesium to stop the thumping but I've been thump-free for weeks now. I believe this guy hit on cause.
jaco64856 LizzyD1822
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It's now 4 hours later and I took 2 tablets(400mg in total) so far of Magnesium Citrate(High Potency highly Absorbable) and the thumping in my ear is gone, for the rest of my mussle stiffness and cramps it's not gone yet, but I know from taking magnesium previously it will go away. I didnt make the connection between the ear thing and my mussles(and stress) until it was brought up in this forum. Thanks
Hepps...Im just glad the thumping is away
LizzyD1822 jaco64856
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LizzyD1822
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lovejoy7878 LizzyD1822
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I then went to an ENT specialist appointment and told him that I was terrified as had thumping in my right ear that wouldn't stop until I put my palm of my hand and covered my right ear. He checked and found wax in both ears BUT THE WAX (mixed with hair) in the Right Ear was touching my Ear Drum and causing the thumping. He removed it and there was a LOT. Go to the ENT rather than a GP as soon as it happens! Thank you ALL for this forum. You have no idea how much you helped me. God Bless you all!!
opt1mistyc_60 LizzyD1822
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I woke up this morning to this pulsating beating of my eardrum type sensation this morning. It's like an annoying weak battery of a smoke alarm going out. Like a jack hammer yet only hammering on muscle. I used my headset yesterday morning and when I woke up this morning I'm experiencing this. I pray that I haven't damaged my eardrum. Whatever it is its extremely annoying. I also hear and feel it. I've covered my ear with my hand also but to no avail. I will try using headphones at night to quiet this condition until I can visit with an ENT.
jon91690 LizzyD1822
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khatuna1964 LizzyD1822
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Lennie50 LizzyD1822
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That's awesome glad you found a cure
Penguin123123 khatuna1964
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I have also had this thumping sound at different times in both ears at certain periods for over a year now. I haven't been to the doctors with the problem and have worked out that when I have the problem it is due to a lot of stress and anxiety (repeat surgery in September 2015, husband passed away in March and had it for 3 months then and I've just got it back after another stressful week and got to go into hospital Monday for a procedure. Obviously it could be a different reason for someone else so I'm not saying it is just due to stress but definitely seems to be the cause with me.
maryann0705 LizzyD1822
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Came across this post. And wondering if the magnesium is still a success? Do you still hear your heart in your ear???
marlene12003 LizzyD1822
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maryann0705 marlene12003
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Hi Marlene
I'm going crazy. I went to the hospital yesterday and after 7 hours I did ct scan and blood and everything normal don't know what else to do but I need to try the magnesium.
marlene12003 maryann0705
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HI maryann, it's amazing how many people have this problem! I'm encouraged to know that the magnesium seems to work for many.
Have you tried that? I plan to as soon as I can get to the pharmacy.
maryann0705 marlene12003
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Yes I need to get myself to the store to buy it so I can try it. I hope it works. I tried almonds handfuls as someone mentioned with no luck.
lynn02493 Penguin123123
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maryann0705 lynn02493
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Haven't tried it yet. Does it help???!
kerry3968 LizzyD1822
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Hi Lizzy can you tell me which magnesium it was u purchased and brand as there is all different ones you can buy a lot don't absorb into the body very good if u don't buy the right sort
Thanks
brenda04797 jaco64856
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I read your post a few days ago when I was researching the thumping in my ear. I was starting to get concerned when it wouldn't go away. After reading your post about the magnesium I immediately popped 2 multi vitamins. In 20 minutes it was gone ! I was amazed , so I've been taking magnesium supplements ever since and the thumping has never come back.
sandra45631 LizzyD1822
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LizzyD1822 khatuna1964
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LizzyD1822 maryann0705
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LizzyD1822 maryann0705
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LizzyD1822 sandra45631
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LizzyD1822 kerry3968
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maryann0705 LizzyD1822
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antonio20149 maryann0705
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claire_00540 jaco64856
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Hi, can I ask what happened with your ear please. This started for me 10 days ago and it doesn't seem to be getting any better despite the suggestions I've read so far. I must say that this site has been really helpful though as it's been giving me new things to try that I hadn't though of. Thank you
jim121272 claire_00540
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I had this condition for several months, which occurred only after consuming more than one alcoholic beverage.
I visited an ENT, who 'scoped my ear and found a good deal of hard, dried wax on my eardrum. After cleaning it with a small suction tube, the thumping went away, and hasn't returned.
Prior to the condition, I had been cleaning my ear canals frequently with cotton swabs. This might have contributed to the problem by pushing wax deeper into the ear. So, I rarely do that anymore.
Hope that's helpful to you.
claire_00540 jim121272
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That is helpful thank you. The gp last week said that he couldn't see any wax but I feel like if they cleaned them out there was a possibility that it could help. It's a strong thumping sound and it actually disappeared for a few minutes last night after I emersed my head in water so my ears became filled. Once the water had drained away though the sound came back. I was so disappointed as I thought I'd 'fixed' it!
claire_00540
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I'm going to ask them if they will clean my ears out when I go again on Monday!
jim121272 claire_00540
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GP is worthless. Mine was, too. They'll simply diagnose you with tinnitus and send you on your way.
Go to an ENT. They need to inspect your ear with a specialized borescope, not that useless plastic tool that GPs stick in your ear.
jim121272 claire_00540
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Once again, get a referral if you need one, and go see an ENT. They have the proper tools for inspecting and cleaning your ears. GPs have none of this.
claire_00540 jim121272
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Thank you again for your reply. I did ask for a referral but they said they wouldn't refer me because I hadn't been suffering for long enough. They kept saying it's probably viral and will go away on its own but so far it hasn't. So back to gp tomorrow and am going to push stronger for a referral. 💪🏻
chris25041 claire_00540
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Hello. I hope it isn't too late to enter this discussion. I have had this irregular thumping in my ears for about 40 years. A specialist thought it was tensor tympani syndrome. I had an operation in one ear to cut this small muscle but it didn't work. I get this pounding every night and drugs don't help. Have tried magnesium but perhaps not for long enough. Very keen to hear of other experiences.
chris25041
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To add to the above - what I do is listen to white noise every night and this stops it - but is starts again the instant I turn the noise off....
LizzyD1822 khatuna1964
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sorry this is three years late getting to you. yes, the magnesium stopped the thumping i am hoping you started taking it 3 years ago and are thump free.