Ask the Cardiologist

Q. Hearing your own pulse

I am a male aged 62 years and in reasonably good health. On and off for the last couple months, I have been hearing my pulse (or heart) when I lie in bed in certain positions. Sometimes, I continue to hear these sounds for a few minutes after rising. Then, the sounds disappear.
What is the significance of this phenomenon, if any at all?

A. What you are hearing is the blood in an artery near your eardrum. While this can be annoying, this is often normal.

Q. A Question about PAT (paroxysmal atrial tachycardia)
     I was recently diagnosed with paroxysmal atrial tachycardia. I am 29 years old and am in good health. I have experienced the condition only once after strenuous exercise (bicycle racing) and then about 4-6 times at near resting heart rates. I believe the first time I experienced it was in my early twenties. It usually lasts about 5-10 minutes, with the xception of the occurrence after exercise, which lasted over an hour.
     My doctor said medication would be inappropriate, given the frequency. He did recommend that I cut caffeine out of my diet, although I usually only drink two cups of coffee per day and one diet coke in the afternoon.
     In addition, I inquired about running a marathon or a half marathon. To that I was told to call and schedule a full exam with a cardiologist.My question is am I doing everything possible or are there other risks I may experience? Is this an early indication of a more serious heart condition to be discovered later? What type of "lifestyle" changes, if any, are needed? I am a runner and biker but cannot duplicate the condition. It simply happens unannounced.
     Thank you in advance for you help.

A. Your condition is very common and generally not life threatening. It is uncommon for serious heart disease to be associated with PAT and a full exam with a cardiologist will help make sure none is present. Look on our web site at conditions- arrhythmia and under procedures, electrophysiology and ablation. You might want to see an electrophysiologist to talk about an ablation which may offer a ‘cure’ for this condition.