Question

I am a 44-year-old woman. About six months ago, I started to get a sporadic 'ringing' in my ears. Initially, I didn't think anything of it, since it only happens occasionally and I thought it would just disappear in time. However, the 'ringing' is still there and it is now starting to really aggravate me. Can you advise me on whether there is any way to treat it? And do you think it might be tinnitus? I am not keen to take any medication and would appreciate your expert advice on how to live with it if it can't be treated. Thank you for your help.

The medical expert
Dr Chris Milford

Noise in the ear is very common, affecting roughly 2m people in Britain. The medical 'shorthand' is tinnitus, an umbrella term that describes noise in the ear with no external source. There are no specific drugs or operations that improve it, but be assured that the ringing in your ears will get better - the brain will usually adapt to filter out the noise within two years. As a precaution, see your GP and get referred to an ENT surgeon who can eliminate alternative causes. Excessive wax in the ear can occasionally be a factor, as can loss of hearing. Ringing in one ear may require a scan to rule out benign growths on the nerve, which is rare but possible. Your ENT surgeon can put you in touch with an NHS hearing therapist for practical help. Background noise often helps, so hearing aids or 'masker' machines can make a difference. The RNID shop (0870 789 8855; www.rnid.org.uk) sells various devices.

· Dr Chris Milford is a consultant ENT surgeon, the Radcliffe Infirmary, and Secretary of ENT.UK (www.ent.co.uk)

The psychotherapist
Phillip Hodson

Your symptoms can become acutely distressing. However, it is interesting that there tends to be a fluctuation in your levels of irritation. Why? If you monitor things carefully, you may notice that the irritating peaks tend to coincide with periods of high stress, overwork, poor sleep or relationship difficulties. Enter psychotherapy, including hypnotherapy. The problem is partly a matter of labelling. If you call a pain a pain, it bizarrely hurts more than calling it something else. So acquiring 'thought-stop' techniques and learning simple relaxation exercises can help you develop a greater coping strategy. Think of the seagulls that keep tourists awake at the seaside but never disturb the locals. By tuning out the background noise, the residents partly choose how much they hear. Counselling or psychotherapy can improve your tolerance of tinnitus by 30 per cent, on average.

· Phillip Hodson is a Fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk)

The fellow sufferer
Jason Finch

Over a period of years as a DJ, I began to notice a ringing in my ears at the end of the night. It started to last through to the next day and beyond, and became very distressing. Your 'ringing' seems quite mild at the moment, but ask your GP for an audiogram to confirm your condition. If it is definitely tinnitus, there's not much your GP can offer you except good advice and counselling. It sounds ridiculous but the solution can be found inside your head - to tune out the 'bad' ringing, and listen to 'good' sounds instead. I bought a sleep machine that made ocean, wave and wind noises, and it really helped to divert my attention. I also tried acupuncture, breathing techniques and relaxation CDs. The acupuncture was especially useful - I fell asleep on the therapy table! The British Tinnitus Association (0114 250 9922; www.tinnitus.org.uk) really helped me know I wasn't alone and could talk to others in my situation.

· Jason Finch (aka JFK) is taking up a residency at Eden for Gatecrasher this summer in Ibiza (www.djjfk.co.uk)

· If you have a health question for our experts, email health@observer.co.uk