Case Study - Bob Gibb

ABERDEEN MAN IS KEEN TO RAISE TINNITUS AWARENESS

Bob Gibb of Aberdeen developed tinnitus suddenly more than ten years ago and has found it a frustrating and initially terrifying experience. The persistent noises he hears intrude on his everyday life and have affected simple pleasures that most people take for granted. Previously an avid reader, Bob hasn't read a book from start to finish for years and even finds it difficult to enjoy television because the background music in programmes makes it hard to distinguish dialogue.

He now wears audio aids in both ears which lead some people to assume he must be deaf. "People really don't seem to understand what tinnitus is or the effect it has and there's definitely a lack of awareness," he explained. "I didn't know what it was until it was diagnosed and I'm sure there must be other people in the same situation."

Audio aids can be uncomfortable to wear in bed so Bob finds sleeping particularly difficult. He wakes regularly and sometimes hears noises all through the night. "The audio aids don't kill the sounds but they do mute them so it's especially bad at nightime," he said.

Bob, 74, has worked as a journalist all his life and still pens a couple of monthly columns. He also keeps busy in his role as a community councillor and says he can't imagine retiring. "I really don't know how I would cope if I had nothing to do all day and being busy is definitely a distraction. Listening to soft music also seems to help and I can occasionally forget about the tinnitus although not for very long. "It is very annoying and can make me grumpy sometimes but there's really no other choice than to put up with it," he said. Fortunately Bob's experience of the audio clinic in Aberdeen has been 'brilliant' and he would advise anyone in a similar situation to be honest and seek support. "I'm sure there are people who have tinnitus but don't admit it possibly because they're scared or embarrassed but they should really be up front and tell someone who can help," he added.�

The UK-based charity Action for Tinnitus Research focuses on funding medical and scientific research in pursuit of a cure and raising awareness is a key part of its work. Operations director Nick Doughty said: "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. Not enough information is available about the very complex symptom 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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