Health
Ask a doctor: ‘Why am I hearing my heartbeat in my ears?’
You’ve likely felt your heart beating in your chest after strenuous activity — or have taken your pulse by placing your fingers on your wrist or neck.
A less common — and sometimes startling — sensation is to actually hear the “whooshing” sound of your heartbeat in your ears.
Fox News Digital reached out to two doctors to learn more about what causes this and whether it’s a cause for concern.
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Hearing your heartbeat in your ears — also known by the Latin name “pulsatile tinnitus” — isn’t always a sign of a medical problem, but it could warrant a discussion with your physician, according to Frederick James Meine, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Novant Health in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Hearing your heartbeat in your ears — also known by the Latin name “pulsatile tinnitus” — isn’t always a sign of a medical problem. Still, it could warrant a discussion with your physician. (iStock)
“Many people hear it at one time or another, especially when they are lying down on their side,” Meine told Fox News Digital.
What causes the condition?
Hearing your heartbeat can be related to ear issues such as wax buildup, fluid in the ear or other hearing issues, Meine said.
The most common cause is Eustachian tube dysfunction. This is usually due to allergies, according to Jesus Lizarzaburu, M.D., a family physician with TPMG Grafton Family Medicine in Yorktown, Virginia.
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“The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of your nose, and when it is blocked or doesn’t open and close properly, it can cause the sound of your heartbeat to be heard in your ears,” he told Fox News Digital.
Another culprit could be earwax buildup, which can also cause a seal in the ear canal that makes the heartbeat easier to hear, Lizarzaburu added.
Elevated blood pressure is another cause, though less common.
Hearing your heartbeat can be related to ear issues such as wax buildup, fluid in the ear or other hearing issues, a doctor said. (iStock)
On rare occasions, medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), antibiotics, diuretics, chemotherapy medications, aspirin, certain antidepressants, quinine and antivirals can cause tinnitus, a ringing in the ears that is in rhythm with the heart rate, noted Lizarzaburu.
“Extremely rare causes would be an aneurysm (a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain) or a vascular tumor, which is made up of a collection of blood vessels,” he added.
When to seek medical attention
A thorough physical exam, including a blood pressure check and an examination of the carotid arteries in the neck, is an important part of gauging overall cardiovascular health, Meine advised.
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“In addition, ruling out anemia or hyperthyroidism, both of which could cause increased blood flow and possibly contribute to pulsatile tinnitus, could be evaluated with simple lab tests,” he said.
If someone experiences the condition intermittently, it is likely less worrisome, the doctor noted.
A thorough physical exam, including a blood pressure check and an examination of the carotid arteries in the neck, is an important part of gauging overall cardiovascular health, a doctor advised. (iStock)
“However, if it is persistent or new-onset, we would perform a complete history and physical exam,” he said.
From a cardiovascular perspective, if someone is experiencing pulsatile tinnitus or hearing their heartbeat in their own ears, Meine said it’s important to rule out any potential cardiovascular issues.
The doctor would also make sure the patient does not have a blockage or narrowing of the neck arteries, which could contribute to louder heart sounds in the ears and head, he said.
“I do want to stress that most of us occasionally hear our heartbeats in our heads and ears, especially when our heart rate is increased during exercise,” Meine said.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
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Gabe Poirot says he ‘met Jesus’ during an 18-day coma
Kayleigh McEnany interviews Gabe Poirot, who shares his extraordinary near-death experience during an 18-day coma in October 2021. Poirot describes leaving his body, encountering Jesus, and witnessing how heaven is a person rather than a place. He also discusses his book, ’18 Days in Heaven,’ detailing his spiritual journey and message of hope.
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Rudy Giuliani, 81, is recovering from a severe case of viral pneumonia that led him into a coma in early May.
The former New York City mayor returned to his online talk show “America’s Mayor Live!” on May 13 and opened up about his health status.
“I feel like I’ve recovered 100%,” he said. “I’ve been home a few days and doing really, really well.”
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Giuliani reflected on his time in the hospital, revealing that he had a “very significant spiritual experience” while he was in a “state of out of it.”
“I would equate it to a dream of being on line headed for — I can’t say headed for heaven — headed for a trial with St. Peter,” he described.
Rudy Giuliani attends the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City in September 2024. The former New York City mayor, 81, is recovering from a severe case of viral pneumonia that led him into a coma in early May. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
“And there was a very, very significant intervention by my Peter. I have my own Peter, Peter Powers. Peter J. Powers, my friend of my lifetime.”
During this dream state, Peter said some “very significant words,” which Giuliani made sure to repeat and have others record when he woke up, he shared.
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“As soon as I could, I wrote it out so that I wouldn’t forget it, and it’s meant a lot to me, and I’ve been reflecting on it quite a bit,” he added.
Giuliani was able to discuss his experience with a priest — and plans to share more at a different time.
“I don’t want to embellish it,” he said. “I don’t want to deny what was there.”
Powers and Giuliani reportedly became friends in high school. Powers later served as Giuliani’s campaign manager and his first deputy mayor. He died in 2016 at 72 years old from complications with lung cancer, according to multiple news outlets.
Giuliani was hospitalized in critical but stable condition on Sunday, May 3, due to severe breathing issues.
Giuliani’s doctor, Maria Ryan, told Fox News correspondent Danamarie McNicholl that the former mayor began feeling ill after returning from a trip to Paris, with his breathing deteriorating to the point that he was placed on a ventilator.
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Ryan said his condition turned critical, prompting a priest to be called to his bedside to perform last rites. But by Tuesday, Giuliani’s condition had improved enough for doctors to remove him from the ventilator.
According to political strategist Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s response and exposure to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks later led to a diagnosis of restrictive airway disease.
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani stands with Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and Emergency Management Director Richard Scheirer before dedicating a public viewing platform overlooking the World Trade Center attack site in New York on Dec. 29, 2001. (Kathy Willens/AP)
Although Giuliani and his doctors have not confirmed that he had a “near-death experience,” similar encounters are often reported by people emerging from critical medical situations.
In a 2023 review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers analyzed more than four decades of reports of near-death experiences, involving more than 2,000 studies and nearly 500 individuals.
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Near-death events were categorized into four types of experiences: emotional, cognitive, spiritual/religious and supernatural.
The research identified common traits in these reports – especially having out-of-body experiences, passing through a tunnel, having heightened senses, seeing deceased people or religious figures, encountering a bright light and reviewing life events.
A detailed view of the 19th century statue of Saint Peter the Apostle holding a gold key, symbolizing the key to heaven, located in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Rome. (iStock)
Although these experiences can differ by interpretation, the researchers concluded that the heightened senses and improved consciousness indicate that “these experiences are neither dreams nor sleep, nor the disorders caused.”
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“This phenomenon is medically inexplicable,” they wrote, adding that the research points to a consistent pattern that “supports the clarity and authenticity of near-death experiences.”
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed reporting.
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