DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have tinnitus. It sounds like roaring in my head. I take gabapentin for it. Do you know of anything else for it? — E.A.

ANSWER: You have an affliction that would drive me crazy — tinnitus, a constant noise in one or both ears or the head that people describe in a variety of ways as ringing, whistling, buzzing, hissing or roaring. An estimate of the number of Americans suffering from tinnitus (TIN-uh-tiss or tuh-NITE-iss) is somewhere between 16 million and 60 million.

Tinnitus mostly happens to older people whose hearing is diminishing. Why tinnitus arises in them is explained by the fact that head noises are generated constantly. Outside noise entering the ears obliterates these internal noises. When deafness approaches, the volume of external noises greatly lessens, and the internal noises then become prominent and nerve-racking. If your hearing is growing dimmer, a hearing aid will help you hear more clearly and will dampen your tinnitus.

Other causes of tinnitus are as banal as a wax impaction in the eardrum, something easily taken care of by the family doctor. Drugs like aspirin and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (Aleve, Advil, Motrin) can bring on tinnitus if they are constantly used.

If a cause cannot be determined, then other approaches have to be taken. A bedside radio tuned to a station that plays the kind of music you like can reduce the volume of tinnitus. Nighttime is the worst time for it.

Tinnitus maskers, devices worn like a hearing aid, emit a constant sound that dulls tinnitus.

Do get in touch with the American Tinnitus Association. It will provide you with a wealth of information on tinnitus and its treatments. You can reach the association online at www.ata.org. If you don’t have a computer, surely a friend, neighbor or relative does and can hook you up with the association.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I read your article on a low number of platelets. What if the count is high? My son had a stroke at age 48, presumably because of that. What does bruising at older age mean? — L.D.

ANSWER: A high platelet count is thrombocytosis, “thrombocytes” being another name for platelets, the small blood cells instrumental in forming clots. Iron deficiency, some cancers, some infections and polycythemia are examples of the conditions in which the platelet count is high. Essential thrombocytosis is an overproduction of platelets without a discernible cause. High counts can lead to bleeding and possibly to inappropriate clot formation. Is this what happened to your son?

Bruising at older ages has to do with the fragility of blood vessels that comes with age and with the loss of cushioning tissues for those vessels, another age-related problem. It’s not ordinarily a sign of any illness.

TO READERS: Questions on colon cancer can be found in the booklet with that name. To order a copy, write: Dr. Donohue — No. 505, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: A few years back, my doctor gave me a sulfa antibiotic that turned me beet-red. She said I was allergic to sulfa. Now my scalp itches like crazy, and I wonder if it’s due to sulfates in the shampoo I use. Are sulfates related to sulfa? — K.M.

ANSWER: Sulfa and sulfates are very distant relatives, because they both contain some sulfur atoms. But in all other respects they’re quite different. Sulfas are synthetic materials that stop the growth of bacteria.

Sulfates are mainly industrial compounds that also contain some sulfur, but they are used for different purposes. They are not taken orally like the sulfa drugs are.

Your allergy is to sulfa drugs. Most people allergic to sulfa drugs are not allergic to sulfates. On the outside chance that you are allergic to sulfates, stop the shampoo and see what happens.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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