Two weeks ago, I wrote about tinnitus - that maddening condition of hearing phantom ringing, hissing, or pulsating sounds that aren’t there. To my surprise, the reaction from readers was overwhelming. Emails and messages have been pouring in and I’m still working my way through them (apologies to anyone I haven’t replied to yet).

It turns out many of you, including people I’ve known for years, have been quietly battling tinnitus without ever speaking about it. Some have theories about the cause - standing too close to deafening speakers at gigs, car accidents, or the creeping effects of aging. Others have no clue. One day, the infernal noise just started and hasn’t stopped since….