Case Study - Vernon De Oliveira

WANDSWORTH MAN KEEN TO RAISE TINNITUS AWARENESS

Vernon De Oliveira of Wandsworth, London, suffered a series of ear infections that eventually left him with a constant low buzzing noise mainly in his left ear. He knew nothing about tinnitus until it was diagnosed in 2002 and has since found that there seems to be a general shortage of information about the condition.

"It was terrible at first, especially at night, and I was also told it would be� permanent," he said. "I think its awful that so many people in the UK are suffering with this but there doesn't seem to be too much knowledge about it."

Vernon, 31, has recently found the noise more noticeable and plans to approach his GP after previously managing without medical help. "I don't really notice it too much during the day when I'm busy or at work but it does seem to have got worse lately and is starting to bug me again," he said. "I've heard about different therapies and special hearing aids and hope I can get something to help. It would be great if tinnitus was acknowledged more and obviously even better if a cure could be found."

Vernon, who works as a service engineer, hasn't had to make any major lifestyle changes but does avoid very noisy environments. "Whether you have tinnitus or not, being in noisy places isn't good for your hearing and I wouldn't go anywhere really loud," he said. "I think the only way to cope is to be strong-minded and try not to focus on it but it's not that easy sometimes."

In common with many sufferers, Vernon finds tinnitus most intrusive at quiet times. "If I'm reading or in bed, I notice it much more and I'm truly not happy about the prospect of having it for ever," he said.�

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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