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cannot sleep. It’s making me so depressed. I’ve had many tests and been told I’ve just got to live with it.
APULSATILE tinnitus is a rhythmical noise inside the ear that appears to have the same rate as the heart. It is thought to be due to a change in the blood near the ear. This can occur naturally during pregnancy or exercise and with an overactive thyroid.
It can also develop when there is fluid in the middle ear cavity or if the arteries around the ear are narrowed by fatty deposits. But in many cases no underlying cause can be found. If this is the case then there are methods that can help you manage and cope with the noise. These include sound therapy, relaxation therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and tinnitus retraining therapy.
These are designed to help block out the noise coming from your ear so you are less aware of it.
For details call the British Tinnitus Association on 0800 018 0527 or visit tinnitus.org.uk.
If you have a health question for Dr Rosemary please write to her in confidence at The Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN or email health@express.co.uk
Dr Rosemary’s reply will appear in this column. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence and that due to the volume of letters she cannot reply to everyone. Find out more about Dr Rosemary at drrosemaryleonard.co.uk.