Seven million UK tinnitus sufferers
Recent research by British Tinnitus Association of 1,620 people with tinnitus found:
- 57% experience low mood and sadness
- 42 per cent say they take part in fewer social activities because of their condition
- One in five say they think about it ‘every few minutes’ or ‘every waking moment’ and say it can be as loud as a jet engine, whistling kettle or dentist’s drill.
- A third said their tinnitus is trivialised by friends, family and work colleagues.
Tinnitus can be triggered by normal hearing loss caused by ageing or from loud noise, making musicians vulnerable. It can also affect people following car accidents or head injuries.
Roughly one in three people will experience tinnitus at some point in their lives.
Hearing aids can help because experts believe that when people cannot hear properly their brain creates its own internal noise to fill the silence.
The BTA claims that research into tinnitus receives 40 times less funding compared to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
“It is a travesty that tinnitus, with its huge mental health impact, receives 40 times less funding than comparable conditions like depression or hearing loss. We need more research to help find a cure, and to find ways of properly diagnosing tinnitus” said David Stockdale of the BTA.
“Our committed research community has made great strides in recent years to bring us to the edge of major progress. We need to seize this opportunity by making the investment needed to grow the field and make the huge leaps forward that are so important to people with tinnitus.”
To sign the BTA’s petition to urge the Government to invest in more research to find a cure click here
If you have concerns about tinnitus come in to see one of our highly qualified Hearing Therapists who can advise you on a package of action to help you manage your tinnitus. For more info on tinnitus click here
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