The short explanation
A whooshing sound in one ear that beats in time with your heartbeat is called pulsatile tinnitus. It is different from the more common constant ringing. It is often more noticeable at night when it is quiet. Common causes include increased blood flow, such as from anaemia, high blood pressure, thyroid problems or pregnancy, or blocked ears that make internal sounds more noticeable. Sometimes it is linked to changes in blood vessels near the ear or raised pressure inside the head, which need investigation. Because of this, pulsatile tinnitus, especially in one ear, should be checked by a doctor, who may arrange tests or scans.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Headaches, vision changes, hearing loss, or dizziness with the whooshing are important to mention.
- Weight gain and some medicines may be linked to raised pressure inside the head.
- Anaemia and thyroid problems can be checked with simple blood tests.
- Gentle background sound at night may make it less distressing while being investigated.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you the cause of your pulsatile tinnitus. A doctor needs to examine you and may arrange tests.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- What could be causing the whooshing sound?
- Do I need blood tests for anaemia or thyroid?
- Do I need a scan?
- Should I see an ENT specialist?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 if you have sudden severe headache, vision loss, weakness or confusion.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a few days to look into pulsatile tinnitus, especially in one ear.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Tinnitus NHS
- Hearing loss NHS
- Deafness and hearing loss — fact sheet World Health Organization
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
Did this answer your question?
Whatever you choose is filed against this version of the answer, never against you, and it is never shown as a count.
“Explain more simply” asks you which part was hard to follow, so the author knows what to rewrite. “My question is different” opens a private follow-up with this answer attached.
Saving, following up and reporting are all private. Nothing you do on this page is visible to other readers or to the doctor who wrote it, unless you ask a question.