Expert: Dina Q Goldin, Ph.D. - 3/31/2009

Question
My right ear has been making a loud pulsating noise that worsen when I lay down.  The noise is also causing a noticable vibration across my eardrum. I havnt been able to sleep well due to the noise and vibration.  This has been going on for 3 weeks now.  I am noticing that I am also starting  to have trouble hearing in that ear. Any ideal what could cause this? I also want to add that I have Lupus is there a possible connection ??

Answer
A number of things could be causing the noise in your right ear, from Lupus to a brain tumor. It is impossible to determine what's going one without examining you and performing some tests. You need to see an ENT to refer you for tests that will determine the causes of the noise. Have them send you for a hearing test, and make sure that this test also measures hearing (speech) comprehension, and not just listening to beeps as they usually do. If they find a one-sided decrease in speech comprehension, additional tests are also a very good idea. MRI (with gadolinium contrast) is the best, but it may be too expensive unless there are other good reasons to suspect a tumor.  BSER (brainstem evoked response) is much cheaper (and painless), and allows them to rule out a tumor, so it may be a good alternative to an MRI.