Noise-making devices, special diets and certain medications may be used to treat Individuals who hear beating in their ears, according to American Hearing Research Foundation. If the source of the sound is a tumor or vein, surgery may be necessary.
Hearing a sound resembling the heartbeat in the ears, a phenomenon known as pulsatile tinnitus, may be caused by aneurysms, hardening of the arteries, an increase in cerebral pressure, low blood viscosity, hyperthyroidism or atherosclerotic disease, as confirmed by American Hearing Research Foundation. If a doctor is unable to find and treat the underlying cause, the patient may have to cope with the noise. The noise may go away as the body adjusts to it, or the patient may need to maintain background noise since pulsatile tinnitus is most noticeable in quiet environments.
Medications such as furosemide, nortriptyline, clonazepam and melatonin are sometimes used to treat pulsatile tinnitus with no identifiable cause, but side effects can be substantial, as stated American Hearing Research Foundation. If a patient experiences venous tinnitus, a surgical procedure, such as sigmoid sinus occlusion or jugular vein ligation, may be required. Patients with tinnitus should limit their intake of caffeinated beverages, which are known to aggravate the phenomenon.