For four agonizing years, Komal Agarwal, a 35-year-old resident of Noida, was trapped in a world of constant, intrusive noise. The sound, a persistent buzz that echoed the rhythm of her own heartbeat, plagued her day and night, severely disrupting her sleep, concentration, and mental peace.
The Relentless Sound of a Heartbeat in the Ear
Komal was diagnosed with a rare condition known as pulsatile tinnitus. Unlike the more common forms of tinnitus, which often present as a ringing or static noise, pulsatile tinnitus is characterized by a rhythmic whooshing or thumping sound that syncs with the patient's pulse. "The sound was relentless. It affected every aspect of my life," Komal shared. "You appear normal to others, but inside, it's an exhausting, continuous struggle." This condition affects only about 4% of the general population and is frequently a sign of an underlying vascular issue.
A Rare Diagnosis After Years of Struggle
Despite numerous consultations and treatments over the years, the root cause of Komal's suffering remained elusive. The breakthrough finally came at Artemis Hospitals in Gurgaon. Detailed investigations led by Dr. Trisha Srivastava, Consultant ENT Surgeon, revealed the culprit: sigmoid sinus dehiscence.
This is a rare anatomical defect where a part of the bony wall covering the sigmoid sinus—a major blood vessel within the skull—becomes thin or develops a hole. This defect allows the turbulent sound of blood flow to be transmitted directly to the inner ear, creating the debilitating symptoms of pulsatile tinnitus.
Complex Surgery Brings Overwhelming Silence
Doctors recommended a specialised procedure called sigmoid sinus resurfacing. This complex surgery aims to reconstruct the defective bony wall to restore normal, silent blood flow. Following the three-hour-long operation, the results were immediate and profound for Komal.
"When I woke up, the noise was gone. Hearing silence after so many years was overwhelming," she recalled. In the subsequent weeks, she experienced a gradual but significant improvement in her sleep quality and overall well-being.
Dr. Srivastava emphasized that this case underscores a critical medical insight. "Many patients with pulsatile tinnitus are told to simply live with it, but this condition often has a treatable, physical cause," she explained. "Accurately identifying rare conditions like sigmoid sinus dehiscence can dramatically change a patient's life outcomes." Komal Agarwal's journey from relentless noise to peaceful silence stands as a powerful testament to the importance of persistent diagnosis and advanced surgical intervention for rare medical disorders.
