 | Joseph P. Galichia, MD is the founder and Medical Director of the Galichia Medical Group, PA. He is an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of interventional cardiology. In the 70's, Dr. Galichia studied in Zurich, Switzerland with the inventors of the balloon angioplasty technique for treating heart disease. As a result of his experience, he was able to bring this historic technique back to the United States where he was one of the first physicians to perform coronary angioplasty here. A noted medical spokesman, he appears on a weekly Newstalk segment on KWCH Channel 12 and has a weekly syndicated radio talk show on KNSS 1330 AM every Saturday live from 11:00 am to noon. Dr. Galichia may be contacted by sending an e-mail to service@galichia.com |
Health & Medicine
2003-12-01 09:52:00
What's a buzzing sound mean?
: I have had a constant buzzing/pulsating sound in my head and dizziness for 8 months. My carotid arteries and my blood pressure are fine. I was diagnosed as having a 22% discrepancy in my inner ear and have started vestubular rehabilitation and balance retraining exercises. Is my ear problem causing the sounds?
ANSWER: I'm always concerned when patients tell me they have a constant sound in their head, particularly if it's a pulsating. A constant buzzing or tinnitus is relatively common and usually does not have any significant pathology related to it. There are simply individuals who hear a sound or roaring noise in their head in the absence of any defined pathology. Not uncommonly inner ear problems may result in such sounds and occasionally a benign tumor called an acoustic neuroma may be the culprit. You already had an evaluation for these problems, and are being treated appropriately. The pulsating component is always of concern. Occasionally, blocked arteries in the neck will result the sounds which occur with each heartbeat. You have already had a Doppler Test with no evidence of carotid artery blockage, but this test does not evaluate the smaller arteries in the brain, which can also be the culprit. Finally, irregular heart beats and high blood pressure can also cause a pulsating sound in the head. Further evaluation in my opinion should be carried out. You have already seen an ear specialist but certainly a neurologist may be a benefit. The neurologist may recommend further testing consisting of an MRI scan of the brain combined with another test called MRA, a type of study that can be done to look at the vessels within the brain.
