Case Study - Kelly Watson

KIDDERMINSTER MUM FRUSTRATED BY LACK OF MONEY FOR TINNITUS RESEARCH

Kelly Watson of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, developed tinnitus last year and has sometimes been driven to the brink of despair by the excruciating noises she can't escape. While trying to cope day by day, she has been shocked at the lack of awareness, support and treatment for sufferers and believes there is a desperate shortage of funding for research. Despite being a busy mum with a demanding job as a medical secretary, Kelly is doing what she can to highlight the devastating effects of tinnitus and has even written to the Prime Minister in a bid to get the issue taken seriously.

Kelly, 30, first experienced problems one evening in November when she suddenly heard a strange high-pitched hissing sound that grew gradually louder. Not surprisingly, she became focused on the intrusive noises and found the following few weeks horrendous. She also encountered a dismissive attitude from some members of the medical profession but was later referred to a very helpful tinnitus nurse and now has an understanding GP. "It really is horrible and makes you wonder how you're going to live with it for the rest of your life," she said. "It can drive you insane and some days are worse than others. I try to look ahead if I'm having a particularly bad day but it's very hard at times."

Her social life has diminished because visits to venues like bars, clubs or the cinema are no longer enjoyable. Even everyday sounds such as air-conditioning units can exacerbate her symptoms and make dealing with `normal' situations a real struggle. White noise generators have helped Kelly to some extent and she often switches on the TV or radio to provide a distraction at quiet times. She has also experimented with her diet in the hope of seeing an improvement, visited a chiropractor and explored alternative therapies but so far without success.

Kelly is particularly frustrated about the slow progress of medical advances. "When you visit an ENT department and find that the same treatments are being offered that were around ten years ago, it makes you feel like a second-class citizen," she said. "Money seems to pour in for other long-term conditions but not for tinnitus. It might not be life-threatening but it's extremely debilitating and can make people suicidal." She also pointed out that recent American drug trials had achieved excellent results in mice but that human trials wouldn't take place for another three to five years. "That sort of thing can be depressing and the only approach is to keep trying to raise awareness. I think it would help if more sufferers took action and started protesting, even if only by writing letters," she commented. "All we can do is inform the public and hope to generate funding for more research," added Kelly.

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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