Case Study - Ian Smith
DEWSBURY MAN IS KEEN TO RAISE TINNITUS AWARENESS
Ian Smith of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, was wrongly diagnosed three times by his GP who said Ian had an ear infection. When he was finally referred to a consultant, it was confirmed that he had been suffering with tinnitus all the time. Ian was left with an almost constant low buzzing noise in his left ear similar to the sound of a tumble dryer. He has had a series of hospital tests to try to determine the cause but there is currently little in the way of treatment for sufferers.
Fortunately Ian's hearing has not been affected and he finds his condition more annoying than debilitating but thinks he may be one of the luckier ones. "From the research I've done since having tinnitus, I know there are a lot of people who are really suffering," he said. "The noise I hear is almost constant but I'm managing to cope with it. It's definitely more noticeable in quiet places but my outlook on life hasn't changed and I don't seem to have too many problems day to day. It is a very strange sensation and can be difficult at times so I'd like to think that something could be done to fix it," he added.
Ian, 32, believes tinnitus is a condition that people don't entirely understand and says there is a shortage of information available on the subject. He supports efforts to raise awareness about it, particularly to help those experiencing the severest form. "People are obviously affected to different degrees and I hope that more can be done for sufferers in the future," he commented. Ian still works as an account manager but some people are even driven to give up their jobs because the noises intrude so much on their everyday lives.
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 devastating 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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