Case Study - Fiona Duncan

DUNDEE WOMAN FINDS TINNITUS A CONSTANT BATTLE

Fiona Duncan of Dundee, Scotland, developed tinnitus after a freak accident in 2005. She was travelling abroad when a laptop computer fell onto her head as a fellow passenger opened an overhead locker. The incident left her with a high-pitched ringing in both ears and although the noise in her right ear gradually disappeared, it remained in the left and has had a devastating effect on her everyday life.

Fiona endured months of anguish trying to live with the condition and found some members of the medical professional completely unhelpful and unsympathetic. She struggled to cope with her much-loved job as an English teacher and eventually had to take leave after 30 years in the profession. "I was utterly exhausted as it was taking so long to prepare my lessons and mark work. I had to read and re-read everything as I found it difficult to make sense of the written word," she explained.

Fortunately, with the support of her employers, Fiona was finally referred to a counsellor who introduced her to relaxation therapy and self-hypnosis which she now practises regularly. She also had a phased return to work which gave her some cause for optimism. "Things are definitely looking brighter than they did a year ago and the self-hypnosis has really helped. It's something that I would recommend to everyone, whether or not they suffer from tinnitus," she said. "I hope to become habituated in time but I do find it difficult day to day. The noise is there constantly, I get extremely tired and still have problems with insomnia and concentration."

Fiona believes there is a distinct lack of awareness about just how debilitating tinnitus can be as well as a shortage of funding. "There should be much more money made available for research and to help people with this condition because, although it's not life-threatening, it can take away everything that you hold dear. It impinges on all aspects of your life including simple things such as joining in a group conversation or reading a book. It also stops you being able to enjoy the beautiful sound of silence," she added.

The UK-based charity Action for Tinnitus Research focuses on funding medical and scientific research into the condition. Its operations director Nick Doughty said 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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