Tinnitus Awareness Week 8 - 14 February
Clicking, whistling, crackling and even ‘broadband-type noise’ are just some descriptions of the sound tinnitus sufferers learn to live with inside their head or ears.
The condition will be brought into focus from February 8 -14 during Tinnitus Awareness Week.
The British Tinnitus Association is organising the UK-wide campaign to ensure as many people as possible are informed about the condition and that free support services are available.
The themes of Tinnitus Awareness Week are the effect of stress on tinnitus and the risks of exposure to loud music.
Tinnitus is a common condition, with almost everyone experiencing very brief periods of high-pitched ringing tinnitus at one time or another.
Common causes include loud noise, clubs, discos or concerts; ear infections; changes in hearing; stress and anxiety; some drugs and medications.
The condition can “come and go for some people” said Prof Peter Wheeler, a trustee of the BTA, and Engineering Manager, Institute Of Acoustics.
In most cases, tinnitus is not due to any serious problem and will respond to self-help strategies. However, BTA said that if you have just started experiencing tinnitus and it has not resolved, you should consult your GP.
Tinnitus Awareness Week highlights how people vulnerable to anxiety and tension can learn to manage their tinnitus by adopting healthy stress management.
Taking control of your tinnitus means reducing the importance of the condition in your life and learning new ways of responding and behaving, and by reducing negative attitudes, such as excessive self-criticism and social anxiety.
The BTA has teamed up with the Birmingham and District Tinnitus Group to help promote their new CD “Deep Relaxation – A Journey”, designed to teach sufferers how to relax and distract the mind from tinnitus symptoms.
A concern for the current “iPod generation”, with young people unknowingly increasing their risk to hearing damage listening to personal music players, is also providing the impetus for increasing awareness of the risks of exposure to loud music.
According to a 2008 British study, an astounding 81 percent of people do not realise that they can permanently damage their hearing after just 15 minutes of exposure to loud music.
Tips and advice are shared on the recently launched BTA Facebook profile, reaching tinnitus sufferers across the world while providing a forum of support, news and events.
See here for more information on Tinnitus Awareness Week
Phone the helpline free on 0800 018 0527
Or you can become a friend of the BTA on Facebook by searching for “British Tinnitus”.
