Pulsatile tinnitus may be subjective (only the patient can hear it) or objective (the patient AND others can hear it).

Sometimes objective pulsatile tinnitus can be heard with a stethoscope.

Sometimes it can even be heard without a stethoscope, just by putting your ear next to the pulsatile tinnitus patient's head. 

It is repeated in the medical literature that doctors should try to listen for the bruit (the sound) when a patient presents with pulsatile tinnitus.  Sometimes where the sound is located can be a clue as to the source. At the very least, hearing the sound gets the attention of medical professionals and may speed up the inquiry as to the cause. 

The right spot for the stethescope bell will vary by the patient, as the location of the source of the pulsatile tinnitus differs from patient to patient. 

Here is a very helpful post with images from "Kate," one of the members of our very active Facebook group page, republished with her permission, on how to listen for the bruit with a stethoscope:

Sometimes it's easy to forget that we are indebted to some of the pioneers in medicine who take a chance and create something that will endure their lifetimes and help more people than they ever could have imagined!

Sir Peter Mansfield, whose research led to the invention of MRI, died February 8, 2017.

While an MRI can't detect each and every possible cause of pulsatile tinnitus, it can detect many of them.  A number of people in our community, including Yours Truly, are pretty glad Sir Mansfield was born! 

Read more about Sir Peter Mansfield's amazing life and discoveries here, from the New York Times.

"Peter Mansfield, M.R.I. Pioneer and Nobel Laureate, Dies at 83," New York Times, February 11, 2017.