Like traffic roaring past

Sister Marika Rebicsek, 45, from Westcliff-on-Sea, has had tinnitus since she was a child. She says she has learned to live with it even though it affects her everyday life.

"I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. When I was six years old I tried to tell my mother, but because I am also deaf I did not have the language or words to describe it. I think I realised then that not everyone had it.

"In my early teens I saw a GP who tried me on medication and then referred me to a specialist who in turn helped me retrain my mind to ignore the tinnitus (known as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy). I found this very helpful. The retraining still works, though I tend to use it most when I have a very bad patch. Sometimes it is so bad it drives me crazy.

"My tinnitus sounds like traffic roaring past or an underground train noise. I also hear bleeps.

"It is worst at night; sometimes it stops me from sleeping. However, the biggest effect it has on my everyday life is that it impairs my lip-reading ability.

"I have acupuncture, which does help, but it is so expensive I cannot afford to have it regularly. I had a cochlear implant in 1990, which was brilliant and gave me the only peaceful period in my life. Unfortunately, the implant had to be removed after a few years as my immune system couldn't cope and it made me ill.

"Some drugs make the tinnitus drastically worse but I need them as I have rheumatoid arthritis. I am trying different brands to see if I can find one that doesn't aggravate my tinnitus."