Case Study - Dennis Flower
SUSSEX MAN WARNS OF TINNITUS RISK FACTORS
Dennis Flower of Hastings in Sussex has been affected by tinnitus for almost 20 years and believes it was triggered by regular exposure to excessive noise. As a typical teenager, he enjoyed clubbing and going to concerts but went on to work in a noisy printing factory and also practised clay pigeon shooting - all without hearing protection. Now aged 47, Dennis describes his tinnitus as a constant high-pitched whistle or whine. He also has a hearing loss of between 25 and 30 per cent but his symptoms have been alleviated to some degree by a digital hearing aid which he acquired from the NHS last year.
Learning to live with the condition has been no easy task as both treatments and awareness are sadly lacking. Dennis has had to make lifestyle changes but has found that background noise such as playing the radio can help although it isn't always a practical option.
"I suppose I'm fairly lucky that my tinnitus is at least constant rather than hearing random and irregular noises which I think would be worse," he said. "It's often more intense at times of stress or when I'm tired and is particularly noticeable when everything else is quiet. I try to avoid noisy places now but again that's not always possible especially when you're socialising," he explained.
Dennis, who works as a freelance journalist, believes the condition isn't always taken seriously but has been encouraged by more recent publicity highlighting the effects and possible causes. "I think considerably more needs to be done in terms of warning people, particularly youngsters, about the sort of things that can lead to tinnitus such as listening to loud music. If the sounds of tinnitus could be replicated and played to children in schools, for example, it might help to get the message across about the risk factors."
The UK-based charity Action for Tinnitus Research focuses on funding medical and scientific research into the condition. Its operations director Nick Doughty said that raising awareness was an important part of its work in the pursuit of a cure. "It is estimated that over five million people in the UK are affected by tinnitus and it can have a seriously debilitating effect on their quality of life," he explained. "Not enough information is available about this complex condition and we are one of the few organisations determined to do something about it.� We are committed to funding leading edge research and providing practical information to health professionals for the benefit of sufferers," he added.
For more information on Action for Tinnitus Research, logon to the website at www.tinnitus-research.org, e-mail [email protected] or telephone 0115 925 4065.
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