Medical advice on ‘rare condition’ to look out for if you can hear your heartbeat when you lie down at night
As it turns out, being able to hear your heartbeat when you rest your head on your pillow at night could be indicative of a health problem.
Dr. Anthony Youn, a Detroit-based physician and medic, drew attention to the warning signs on TikTok.
He advised: "If you’re hearing your heart beating all the time when you’re lying on your side, or especially when you’re standing up, then it could be pulsatile tinnitus.
"Although it’s usually benign, there are some potentially concerning causes, so it’s best to see your doctor."
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As for how pulsatile tinnitus feels, a patient told the New York Post that the sound is akin to 'a washing machine in a spin cycle and a vacuum'.
The NHS advises that the condition is a variation of tinnitus - the perception of sound even when there is no source.
In its usual form, tinnitus leaves patients having to endure an uncomfortable sound, like ringing in the ears, or a buzzing sensation.
Boots Hearingcare advised the sounds you may hear if you're experiencing pulsatile tinnitus include:
- Whooshing
- Grinding
- Hissing
- Whistling
- Thudding
They further advise that these aren’t the only sounds you may experience. As per Boots, 'you may also hear a thumping or throbbing sound that beats in time with your heartbeat (an effect of the blood circulating around your body)'.
He said: "If, every once in a while, you’re lying on your side and you hear your heart beating, it’s most likely your carotid artery basically sitting against your pillow."
So, it's not always a sign of something bad.
Causes of hearing your heartbeat on your pillow
"This condition is often linked to changes in blood flow through vessels near the ear, typically occurring unilaterally (in one ear)", Boots Hearingcare advises.
The following can lead to the change:
- An increase in the blood flow around your body - This can happen as a result of pregnancy, exercise, some medications, or anaemia (a severe iron deficiency).
- Irregularly shaped blood vessels - Blood vessels with irregular shapes can encourage your blood to flow faster, which makes more noise than slow-flowing blood.
- Artery blockages - Atherosclerosis is a condition that causes fatty deposits to clog up your arteries, meaning your blood will not be able to easily flow through them.
- Your awareness of the blood flowing in and around your ears can be caused by conditions that can block your ears, meaning your internal sounds are amplified. These include a perforated eardrum and impacted earwax.
Other common causes of pulsatile tinnitus are:
- High blood pressure
- Hyperthyroidism – when the thyroid gland is overactive
- Blockage in your arteries
- Altered awareness – brought on by factors such as conductive hearing loss
- Head or neck tumours.
How to treat it
- Regular exercise
- Quitting smoking
- Reducing stress
- Switching to a low-sodium diet
You may also try:
- Sound therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
- Relaxation exercises
- Mindfulness techniques
- Counselling
Kya Buller