Hello MM family,

Actually, it's been about one year since I've been getting
"swooshing sounds" behind my left year. It sounds like
my heart is pumping behind my ear and it's LOUD.
I feel like it's going to BLOW UP, sometimes. It's more noticable during the night but DOES ANY ONE get them?
Is it a moya symptom? I've asked my doc's but they say
"ahhhh, it's your heart." If it is, I never knew it can travel
to your head!

Any way, thank you for your "input."

itsme

Hi itsme!

I'm Kevin's (cubbie) sister Lore.  Kevin had swooshing noise in his ears.  We were told the swooshing noise is the blood trying to flow past the blockage. Obviously, he hasn't heard the swooshing since he had bypass surgery.

Have you had surgery or are you awaiting surgery?

Hi "Itsme",

The swooshing noise is very common with MM.  It is the blood being pumped by your heart into the arteries in your head.  When the arteries are blocked, as with MM people, the force of the blood being pushed thru is more forceful hence the noise.  So, in a sense, it is your heart or more precisely, your heartbeat, that you hear.  It's more noticeable at night because you are laying down and the blood is going even more to your head plus it's quiet, with your ear on a pillow magnifying the sound.  I know it's quite disconcerting at times.  I don't know if you are on any medications for headaches or not but I have found that when it was REALLY bad with me, I could take a Fioricet (for headaches), which helped the noise by dilating the blood vessels.

It was my experience that after surgery the wooshing noise lessened and then disappeared completely unless I did something that obviously was pushing my limits physically.  When my wooshing returned a year or so after my first surgery, I took that as a sign that something was acting up again and, sure enough, I needed another surgery.

Woosh Woosh!
Lisa

Thank you so much for your input guys....Yep, I think it's time for me to get this bypass. I've been dealing with this for quite some time and if the bypass can take care of this, it's a "good thing." I hate the noise, but confirms
my MM.....

Thank you again and hope all of you are looking forward to a wonderful 3 day TIME OUT from WORK/SCHOOL etc.

LOL,
itsme

Lisa H, you said you needed another surgery when the swooshing came back - is that surgery for the other side? I get swooshing but have already had surgery on both sides. It's not something that has concerned me before.

Hi Roz,

In Dec. 2002 I had the STA-MCA surgery on my left side.  I felt pretty good for about a year and then started having MM symptoms again.  The wooshing noise returned, I had problems with my speech and words, tingling/numbness etc.  I wasn't sure what was going on although I really thought it was the other side that I didn't have surgery on (my right) that was probably the problem.  It turned out that it was the original side that was still causing me problems.  In fact the MM had progressed to the basilar area which I understand is fairly rare. I consulted with several neurosurgeons at this point, some told me there was nothing further that could be done. I saw Dr. Steinberg who told me he could "try" to do an indirect surgery, but there were no guarentees.  I ended up having surgery again in April and my neurosurgeon here in Chicago did indeed do the indirect bypass (again said no guarantee) but surprised me, during surgery, by also tacking on the direct bypass by using the occipial artery.  I had two surgeries in one- the indirect overlay and a OA-MCA direct.

Roz, did the swooshing noise just recently start up again?  Are you having any other symptoms or TIAs that you weren't experiencing until lately?  If so, I would definately get it checked out, otherwise, if the wooshing is normal for you I wouldn't worry too much about it.  Everyone experiences different things with MM, both before, during and after the corrective surgeries.

What I hope my experience shows to everyone is to remind us that there is no cure for MM.  That has been written in medical journals time and time again.  BUT, surgery is a treatment, the best and only treatment that they know of right now.  Could the surgery not work?  Could the MM progress, even after surgery, 10 years down the road?   It's a possibility.  I just want to remind everyone to always pay close attention to their bodies, even after surgery.  If at any time you just don't feel right again, show any signs/symptoms of MM, do not hesitate to contact your neurologist/neursurgeon and get it checked out via MRI/MRA or an angio if necessary.  I don't mean to scare anyone, not my intention at all, but I don't want anyone to take the surgeries for granted and think all will definately be A-OK just because you have had a surgery.  I know there are a couple of other people on this board that have had to have repeat surgeries.  It's not the "norm" but it can happen.

Lisa

Very well said LisaH.  My thoughts are with you.

Trina

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for your post.

The swooshing has been a background thing for years though I've only really noticed it after my surgeries, I think. I can't even remember mentioning it to my doctors as I thought it was normal. I think I might bring it up at my annual appointment in August though. The only different thing I've been experiencing are the dizzy spells though, this is looking like it's more ear related than Moya Moya.

I'm scheduled for an MRI scan soon - my apponment came through for August but I am away on the date they have in mind so it's being rescehduled. That should be reassuring and am waiting for an appointment with an ear specialist for the dizziness.

Thanks for your advice, Lisa.

Best wishes,

Roz