Do any of you have intermittent whooshing, or does it happen to all of you continuously? I have whooshing when I'm lying in bed at night, and sometimes when I stand up after sitting down for a long period of time. Sometimes it lasts for 5-10 minutes and then gradually fades away. It came on in my 40s. I figured it was blood-pressure or stress related.
I'm just starting to deal with my son's AVM. Please tell me the gods of the universe wouldn't gift me with one, too! I think whooshing can be caused by a few other conditions, too -- some of them less serious?
Hi lori! I have a noise in my ear also! i describe it like hearing your heartbeat in your ear! mines is there all the time but it gets louder when it is silent or when i bend down to tie shoe laces or pick something up! i also had a ticking in my ear and this is how i ws diagnosed! i am prescribed amatriptilin( not sure how to spell) to help me sleep and keep the headaches at bay! Hope this helps!? xxx
Hi MMD! I was just reviewing the thread when I saw your note. I am assuming you were referring to me when you asked about recovery from the embo. I had some minor headache and was told to take it easy for a few days, but nothing really radical. Of course, every one is different, so I can only share my own experience. After blocking the blood flow to the main AVM structure (called the nidus) a clot will form, eventually creating scar tissue. This may be cause some discomfort.
My nidus was not completely eliminated until surgery, so your mother may be experiencing the symptoms of a more successful embo. I hope she gets past the discomfort and experiences complete recovery.
This sound has is really changing my life. It is 24/7, no let up. I really don't know how to cope with it. I miss lying in bed with no sounds and just relaxing. What is upsetting is that I am going on 4 months now and 4 doctors didn't know what it was and thought I had Tinnitus.
It's not, the whooshing sound goes to my heartbeat and I've wasted so much time and a lot of money to find the right doctor. This could be a serious condition.
@ Dancermom, please get it checked out and ask the Dr. if it's Pulsatile Tinnitus. @ Lynn, does the meds make the sounds lower? Have you checked with your Dr. to see what the sound is?
I have a CT angiogram this Friday since my MRI/MRA/MRV hasn't shown where the problem is. If the CTA doesn't show the problem I will need an angiogram.
I had "that whooshing noise - bruit. I was often able to describe it as suvh: when the dr. places the stethoscope to your hear while you listened; or listening to your ear drum beat - does that make sense. It never cause me any physical pain - just very annoying!And of course that is what it was - an AVM!
The "whooshing" aka bruit went away following my repair of the AVM.I no longer have it. Mind you, I had an embolization to repair the AVM, followed by a craniotomy to complete the AVM.
Hi Lori! It is called Bruit caused by the blood flow going through my AVM. The meds do something to your blood and yes it takes the sound away as the tablet makes you sleep. I listen to soft waterfall music at bedtime also to help me relax and distract from this horrible annoying noise!! xxxx
The whooshing in my right ear is what prompted the tests that discovered my AVM. It was driving me nuts, I mentioned it to my PC doc and he sent me immediately for a CT scan with dye and they found the AVM in the right side back of my brain on the basal artery. I am scheduled to see the neurosurgeon on April 5. I hope with whatever treatment is chosen the whoosing will go away after!
Anil, did you have a fistula or no? I'm just wondering as I've read that if you have the wooshing you have AVF and not AVM - however they has thus far said I have AVM. Thanks! and best wishes.
Yes, I had a bruit -"whooshing noise" in my left ear! It was not painful - just annoying. It reminded me when the doctor would place the stethosope to my heart and hear a "thumping noise!" When I was given a CT-SCAN(or MRI), they found an AVM. Pls read my story to find out the outcome.
I am doing ok without the bruit and the AVM (embolization procedure) and craniotomy wew done w/in six months. The second procedure was successful!
Yes, my whooshing sound was cured after an embo with my first AVM about 17 years ago. Mine became increasing louder over four months of seeing doctors who couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Most of them thought I was crazy and put me on valium. It was making me crazy 24/7 and the headaches were becoming a problem as well. Finally, it became so loud it picked up on a tape recorder when I put it next to my ear. It also started making musical tones and sent sounds from one ear to the other. The doctors didn't think I was crazy anymore when they could put their ear next to mine and hear it for themselves. It was such a relief in the recovery room when the sounds were gone. But then a few years ago I started hearing the whooshing sound again but it was very faint. That's when I knew something was wrong again because I never forgot that sound. The docs found 2 more AVM. One was treated with another embo, the other with a crainiotomy. I don't hear the whooshing anymore but now I hear my heart beating in my head every night. After all I have gone through I would rather not know if anything else is wrong so I pretty much try to ignore it hoping it will go away. My gut feeling is there is might be another problem but I don't want to look for anymore trouble.
Good luck to you. I know what you mean about driving you crazy. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me and no one can find out what is wrong. I can’t get two drs to agree.
kidogo, did you have an AVM or an AVF (fistula). I've read that if you have the woohsing it's always a fistula and not the AVM and that they are different. And it does seem that most of the whooshers posting on here have the fistula's. But they think mine is an AVM yet I have the whoosing... just curious. Thanks!
Hi Lori. I had the same problem for 8 years - noise would drive me crazy at times and nothing would take it away. Back and forth to ear specialists for a year and they said it was something I had to live with. I found the only way to make it livable, especially at night, was to make up songs to the beat of the noise... This often worked but there were time I honestly thought I would go crazy... Then in 2009 I found out through a MRI and angiogram that it was a DAVF - not a danger to my life, however, as it drained away from the brain. However, because of symptoms they did do an embo in 2010. The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the quiet - even in the recovery room with so many machines all around! I have had complications since - seizures caused by scar tissue from the embo but otherwise, no noise - it is lovely! There are times when I sit in a quiet room and just listen to the quiet because for years I never knew what quiet was.
Lori, the appt. with the neurosurgeon went o.k. I guess. He says I have a DAVF. I go for an angiogram this week (Wednesday) and he will decide then if the risk of a bleed outweighs the risk to treat it. So yes, for now the whoosh is still with me!
Embo is embolisation , which is where a catheter is inserted in groin which goes to the AVM in the brain to fill it with a glue like substance to stop the blood flow, it can be used as a treatment for AVM or a pre op treatment before surgery
I didn’t get the whooshing sound until AFTER I had my craniotomy to remove a DAVM in the right occipital. The whoosh is in my right ear and I hear it mostly at night when it’s quiet or whenever my blood pressure goes up. This is on top of the “droning cicada” tinnitus I’ve had since at least the age of 4.
Should I be worried?
Me too, but like you I had no idea what it meant. I have to sleep with a fan on now to be able to go to sleep. Lol. I think sometimes I can still hear just a small tick sound, but not really the whole whoosh sound, unless I go to stretch or something. Maybe bending over sometimes. Supposed to go back this November for another angio. Wonder if that means it is still there or not?