Case Study - Stephen Harrison

BRIGHTON MAN HOPES TO HELP TINNITUS SUFFERERS

Stephen Harrison of Brighton in Sussex developed tinnitus suddenly after a bout of flu in his 20s and believes the underlying cause was exposure to excessive noise.� Working on construction sites without hearing protection and weekends spent clubbing may have contributed to the problem and he now has tinnitus of different frequencies in each ear.

Stephen, 31, believes the condition is often viewed as being associated with older people and supports moves to raise awareness among the younger generation too. "I knew absolutely nothing about tinnitus until it was diagnosed and was pretty much told to learn to live with it," he explained. He uses white noise generators to distract from the intrusive sounds but finds them only partly helpful as they also affect his ability to distinguish other sounds such as conversation.

As a musician, he has particularly perceptive hearing and says certain external sounds can amplify the problem. "Things like driving and the screech of brakes definitely aggravate it and it's quite hard to deal with at times. It's much worse in quiet environments but I don't really notice it in social situations which is one positive thing although it's effectively ended my clubbing days! It can drive you crazy but you just have to accept it and try not to let it get you down," he added.

Working in an office environment can be difficult and tinnitus does affect his concentration. He also tries to avoid using mobile phones too often which leave him with a dull ache in his ears.

Although Stephen manages to sleep fairly well, he no longer enjoys the luxury of snoozing which most of us take for granted. "As soon as I'm awake, I can hear the noise so dropping back off to sleep just doesn't happen anymore," he explained.

He's now exploring the possibility of recording a tinnitus therapy CD to help fellow sufferers and would welcome any support for the project. "I think it could benefit a lot of people and I'd like to do something positive to help if I can," added Stephen.

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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