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Tips for Managing Tinnitus
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Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
Our doctor told my husband that he has a retracting eardrum. What does this mean?
Retracted eardrums are usually an indication that there is negative pressure (a vacuum) behind the eardrums in the middle part of the ear. Some of the symptoms can be: a feeling of fullness or pressure in the e... continue reading about Our doctor told my husband that he has a retracting eardrum. What does this mean?
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
My 7-year-old son gets nosebleeds often. What causes them and can they be prevented?
Generally nose bleeds occur because the small blood vessels are shallow within the tissues of the nose. This is normal, but the constantly wetting then drying of the nose can cause the nasal tissue to crack (si... continue reading about My 7-year-old son gets nosebleeds often. What causes them and can they be prevented?
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. I have always had ringing in my left ear. Recently I have noted a thumping sound in my left ear. Is this another symptom of Meniere's Disease?
Meniere's disease or syndrome is named after a French physician who first described the disorder in 1861. It is not a disease in that it cannot spread to another person. It is a syndrome of three symptoms chara... continue reading about I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. I have always had ringing in my left ear. Recently I have noted a thumping sound in my left ear. Is this another symptom of Meniere's Disease?
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
I have a thumping sound in my left ear. The sound is rapid and irregular, and not synced with my pulse. It started four days ago at night. Today for first time I noticed sounds like tapping gently on a speaker cone. It doesn't seem to affect hearing.
Noises in the ear, whether it be thumping, ringing, buzzing, roaring or any other unusual sound not explained by outside sounds, are called tinnitus. Tinnitus can be constant, intermittent, high or low pitched,... continue reading about I have a thumping sound in my left ear. The sound is rapid and irregular, and not synced with my pulse. It started four days ago at night. Today for first time I noticed sounds like tapping gently on a speaker cone. It doesn't seem to affect hearing.
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
What would cause a muffled thumping sound in my left ear (almost like hearing a heart beat)? This sound is not in the right ear, only the left. It doesn't happen all the time and there is no hearing loss.
A couple of possible answers come to mind. First, there is a large source of blood flow in your head close to the bottom of your ear canal. The carotid artery is large and can sometimes produce a pounding or he... continue reading about What would cause a muffled thumping sound in my left ear (almost like hearing a heart beat)? This sound is not in the right ear, only the left. It doesn't happen all the time and there is no hearing loss.
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
I have a seasonal reoccurring rash. Can this be related to allergies?
Usually when someone has a “seasonal” allergy, it means springtime symptoms caused by pollen. Although pollen allergy certainly can cause nasal, eye or asthma symptoms, it rarely would cause a rash ... continue reading about I have a seasonal reoccurring rash. Can this be related to allergies?
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
I have moderate hearing loss in both ears. I've been fitted with behind the ear hearing aids at three centers with no real improvement in discerning speech (ambient noise comes through loud and clear). Which are best to help me hear normal conversations?
There are many brands of hearing aids and some are clearly more advanced than others. Without seeing your hearing test and taking a thorough history of your listening needs, it is hard to say what would work th... continue reading about I have moderate hearing loss in both ears. I've been fitted with behind the ear hearing aids at three centers with no real improvement in discerning speech (ambient noise comes through loud and clear). Which are best to help me hear normal conversations?
Ask the Expert Team
Sutter Health
It's hard for me to follow a conversation when two or more people talk at once. I'm a 48-year-old woman who has had no hearing problems in the past. Should I be concerned?
Hearing loss is often the main culprit with concerns about communication difficulties. Communication is the ability to hear, listen and respond to others appropriately. In order to hear, the auditory system (ou... continue reading about It's hard for me to follow a conversation when two or more people talk at once. I'm a 48-year-old woman who has had no hearing problems in the past. Should I be concerned?
Catherine A. Madison, M.D.
California Pacific Medical Center
For the first time in my life I experience vertigo after climaxing. Why is that?
Headaches after climax have been described over the years and are felt related to changes in the size of blood vessels after sex. Vertigo is more unusual and might suggest a problem with the inner ear system; a... continue reading about For the first time in my life I experience vertigo after climaxing. Why is that?
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