question for sound experts

Hi all.

Over a week ago i detected a faint pulse in my left ear. That created some anxiety and insomnia. The pulse is very faint and i can easily mask it with white noise, which I do, but I somehow learned to zone into to similar pulsing sounds all throughout my day to day experiences that are generated by external sources. For example, the shower, the HVAC, the refrigerator in the cafeteria. In all of these locations I can detect audible pulses of similar tone and beat that are clearly coming from external sources (not my head) but they seriously annoy me. It is very difficult to get away from all of these external sources and they cause significant anxiety.


How can avoid zoning into external sources of these pulses? I think my fear of something in my head has morphed into a general fear of that sound all throughout environmental stimuli.

Hello joelin: I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

I'm sorry I cannot be of help with regard to what you are experiencing. (I'm not a sound specialist.) Perhaps other members, here on PC, may have some suggestions. I myself have tinnitus though. So I am at least marginally familiar with conditions related to hearing.

My thinking would be it is unlikely the pulsing sound you are hearing would be coming from all of the different devices you mention. Of course, all of these things do emit sound. And perhaps there is something going on with you that causes your inner ear, & / or your brain, to detect a pulsing sound in them. But this is something that might have to be investigated medically I suppose perhaps by an ear, nose & throat physician (an ENT). I would have to say though, based on my own experience, there may not be a lot they can do either. I know, in my own case, the physicians I've seen have no way of detecting my tinnitus even though I clearly experience it 24 / 7. It may be that the answer to this is simply what you're already doing... white noise... & perhaps headphones. I wish you well...