Q: I suffered from malaria and typhoid eight years back. After 3-4 months, I started hearing some sounds in both ears. I feel that these sounds are coming from the brain. Some doctors have diagnosed it as tinnitus. I have already undergone a CAT scan twice and MRI of the brain. The reports are clear. I have contacted a neurologist also. I want to ensure two things:- Do I have any problem related to the brain? I have read in newspapers that CAT scan & MRI are hazardous to health and they cause cancer, is this right?

A:I agree that you have tinnitus. While there are several causes for tinnitus including hypertension, high cholesterol, autoimmune disease certain infections etc, in general no cause for the tinnitus is found. Your plan to see a neurologist is a good one. If you have normal brain CT and MRIs it is highly unlikely that you have brain disease. Getting 2 or 3 CTs or MRI of the head will not predispose you to brain cancer.