Doctor Cautions: Hearing Your Heartbeat While Lying Down Could Signal a Concerning Health Issue

A doctor has issued an important warning about hearing your heartbeat when lying down, cautioning that it could be a concerning health issue. While this sensation may seem normal in some cases, it could also indicate underlying health conditions that warrant medical attention.

Typically, lying down to sleep is a time for relaxation—your breathing slows, muscles loosen, and heart rate decreases. Hearing your heartbeat in such moments can often indicate healthy bodily functions, especially after physical activity or during medical exams. However, healthcare professionals warn that if you consistently notice this sound, it might be more than just a benign occurrence.

Source: Freepik

What Hearing Your Heartbeat May Indicate

Dr. Anthony Youn, a Detroit-based physician renowned for his health advice on TikTok, addressed this issue in a recent video. He described how you might hear a rhythmic thudding when your head hits the pillow, comparing it to “a little person inside your pillow with the bass turned up too loud.”

Dr. Youn explained that hearing your heartbeat occasionally while lying down is generally normal. “If you’re lying on your side and hear your heart beating, it’s most likely your carotid artery basically sitting against your pillow,” he said. The carotid arteries are vital blood vessels located along the neck, near the ears, which can amplify the sound of blood flow.

However, the doctor cautioned that if this sound is constant, regardless of your position, it might signal a concerning health issue known as pulsatile tinnitus.

Source: Freepik

Understanding Pulsatile Tinnitus

According to Penn Medicine, pulsatile tinnitus is a form of tinnitus characterized by rhythmic sounds resembling a heartbeat, which are heard without any external source. This condition may cause noise in the head, ears, or both. Dr. Youn emphasized that while pulsatile tinnitus is often benign, it’s essential to consult a healthcare provider to rule out more serious conditions.

Potential Causes of the Condition

Hearing your heartbeat while lying down could stem from several underlying health issues, including:

  • High Blood Pressure: Increased blood pressure can elevate the sound of blood flow in your ears.
  • Atherosclerosis: This hardening of the arteries can cause irregular blood flow, which may produce a pulsating sound.
  • Anemia or Pregnancy: Both conditions can increase blood flow and make the heartbeat sound more noticeable.
  • Tumors: Rarely, pulsatile tinnitus could be a sign of vascular tumors near the ear or neck.

When to Seek Medical Advice

While Dr. Youn reassured his audience that pulsatile tinnitus is usually harmless, he advised that frequent or persistent instances warrant medical evaluation. Consulting a healthcare provider can help identify the root cause and prevent potential complications.

Please SHARE this article with your friends and family on Facebook.

Bored Daddy

Love and Peace

Bryan Seal
Bryan Seal
Bryan is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things.

More from author

Related posts

Latest posts

Senate votes against Sanders resolutions

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, has made multiple efforts to stop the sale of offensive weapons to Israel. The US Senate rejected three...

1 tablespoon every morning to naturally cleanse your blood vessels

Blood vessels are channels that carry blood throughout your body and form a closed loop, like a circuit, that begins and ends at your...

The difference between the spirit of a loved one and other forces

Losing someone we love is never easy. The grief that follows can last weeks, months, or even years, leaving a void that feels impossible...

The little girl lifted her hand with all five fingers spread — but it wasn’t a simple greeting

Officer Daniel Reyes was at the supermarket as part of a new effort to ensure officers remain visible in the neighborhood. The night was...

Minneapolis ICU nurse faces horror as school shooting victims arrive

Amy Forchas, a pediatric nurse at Hennepin Healthcare rushed to work on Wednesday morning to assist with the influx of victims from Annunciation Catholic school shooting. What...

Tragic update: 5-year-old girl pulled into storm drain

On a Sunday evening, 5-year-old Zaria Miller, her brothers, and some friends were cheerfully playing outdoors near Bahia Vista Street, close to Sarasota Christian...