What Causes Hearing Heartbeat in Ears?

Last Editorial Review: 6/16/2017

Ask the experts

When I lie down at night with my head on my pillow I can hear my heart beating loudly in my ears. It is often so loud that I cannot get to sleep. I have borderline high blood pressure, could that be it?

Doctor's response

It is very common to sense your heart beat while lying in bed - rarely is it anything serious, but certainly this sensation will be aggravated if your blood pressure is high. If your blood pressure is normal, it most likely is not a cause of concern. It may also be intensified by any heightened "catecholamine" release (for example, adrenaline) state, such as caffeine consumption, anxiety, fear, etc.

References
Medically reviewed by John A. Daller, MD; American Board of Surgery with subspecialty certification in surgical critical care

REFERENCE:

"Overview of hypertension in adults"
UpToDate.com
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