Case Study - Kate Spittle

KIDDERMINSTER 25-YEAR-OLD STRUCK WITH TINNITUS AFTER NEW YEAR PARTY

For Kate Spittle of Kidderminster, Worcester, the New Year brought with it bad news. The first day of 2007 began with an incessant ringing in her ears, which she realised was a result of the previous night's partying in a Birmingham nightclub. But when the noises refused to subside a few weeks later, Kate knew she was in trouble. As she struggles to cope with tinnitus, the 25-year-old is dismayed at the lack of awareness, support and treatment for sufferers and believes there is a desperate shortage of funding for research.

Kate was prepared for new beginnings this year, with a new job and a promising career ahead in accounting. But ever since her trouble with tinnitus began, Kate's life has taken a turn for the worse. "I went to the doctor the day after the ringing in my ears began. My left ear canal was red and inflamed, and I was given some ear drops to ease the discomfort. It reduced the swelling, but after a few weeks when the noises didn't stop, I started getting concerned. I had to go to the GP several times in January and February. My sinuses started acting up as well, which made the tinnitus worse. I was then prescribed another course of aural antibiotics," says Kate.

Her experience with the medical profession left much to be desired. It was Kate who requested to be referred to an ENT specialist. However, a three-month waiting list prompted her to pay �150 for a visit with the doctor. He diagnosed her with tinnitus and recommended a hearing test. "On one frequency my hearing is very sensitive, but on another level there is borderline nerve damage," she adds. She has regular appointments with a nurse, who provides information on the possible causes of tinnitus, what to avoid and how to live with the debilitating symptom. Kate has since found one doctor at her assigned GP's clinic who has been very helpful.

But her life has changed irrevocably. Her social life is almost non-existent, with no more outings to pubs, clubs, bars, cinemas, concerts, music festivals and other noisy venues. "There are good days and bad. You think it will be alright if you go somewhere. But then you get scared, wondering if it will make the tinnitus worse. If you're having a good day, you don't want to ruin it," she explains. "It's terribly upsetting and very hard dealing with the fact that you might possibly have to live with this for the rest of your life. There are no cures and no real treatments. You have to deal with that first, before you can help yourself."

Her partner of eight years has noticed that she gets depressed and stressed far more easily since developing tinnitus, and she is generally dispirited a lot of the time. She even had to inform her new employers of her symptom, because she needs the radio on while she works. "I used to work in an open-plan office, which was fine because the background noise meant I didn't notice the ringing in my ears too much. But now I share an office with one person and it's too quiet." Kate will have to take several accountancy exams in the next few years, the first of which is in November. But already her concentration has suffered as a result of tinnitus. "It's an intrusion on my life," she says.

She is particularly frustrated about the slow progress of medical advances. "I have been reading up about tinnitus on the internet, but there is not enough awareness. There is very little research, because of a serious lack of funding. The attitude is that because it is not life threatening, it doesn't really merit any attention," Kate laments.

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

Regular e-comms
Keep up to date with tinnitus news by subscribing to our regular newsletter, via our website: http://www.tinnitus-research.org/informed/

Press enquiries�
BeyondPR. Direct line 0114 275 6996. Mobile 07930 697773. e-mail: [email protected]
www.tinnitus-research.org