The German Professional Association of Otorhinolaryngologists says that objective tinnitus means noises caused by blood vessel flow due to contractions (pulsatile noise) or clicking sounds caused by involuntary twitching movements of the muscles in the middle ear or palate. This noise may also be related to breathing.
Common causes
The German Society explained that the common causes of audible blood flow noise are heart valve diseases, atherosclerosis, vascular malformations, or swelling of the blood vessel walls in the ear.
Tumors of the middle ear that are rich in blood vessels can also cause objective tinnitus.
Less common causes
Objective tinnitus may be due to less common causes such as abnormalities in the blood vessels of the membrane covering the brain. If these abnormalities are near the ear, blood flow may be audible under certain conditions.
Less common causes include strain on the chewing muscles or strain on the muscles in the middle ear.
Find the source of the noise
The Otolaryngology Society explained that the source of the noise can be detected using a stethoscope, microphone or hearing tube, noting that vascular causes can be identified using imaging procedures such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound of the neck vessels, or radiography of the arteries or veins near the ear as part of angiography.
Muscular phenomena, which arise from the muscles of the middle ear, such as tremors of the eardrum or palate, can be easily identified by the description of the affected person, and can sometimes be seen by an otolaryngologist.
The association pointed out that objective tinnitus disappears once the real cause is treated, explaining that vascular disorders or vascular constriction can be eliminated surgically, while muscle spasms and cramps can be treated with medication.
Cervical vertebrae obstruction can be removed or jaw deformities can be corrected. For middle ear tumors, specific tumor treatment such as surgical removal is required.