Quiet Issue 4 2019

QUIET 

Issue Four 2019 

Soldiering on: 

The impact of tinnitus 

on older veterans 

No hope? 

Why is there no cure 

for tinnitus? 

Real lives 

How schoolboy 

Toby copes with his 

tinnitus

Corporate members 

AfterShokz 

All Ears 

Hearing Ltd 

Amplifon Ltd 

AngliEAR Hearing and 

Tinnitus Solutions 

Audacious 

Audify Ltd 

Audiological 

Specialist 

Care Ltd 

Autifony 

Therapeutics 

Ltd 

Bloom Hearing 

Specialists 

British 

Academy 

of Audiology 

British Society 

of Audiology 

Cardiff 

Hearing Ltd 

CAuRES Hearing Aid 

Solutions 

Chester 

Hearing and 

Balance 

Services 

Cubex Ltd 

EarDial 

Earplug Hub 

Geraint Davies 

Hearing Ltd 

Guymark UK 

Limited 

Halo Hearing 

Solutions 

Harley Street 

Hearing 

If you would like to see your organisation here, please contact 

Patrick Cavan on 0114 250 9933 or patrickc@tinnitus.org.uk 

to find our more about Corporate Membership 

Hear 

Again 

Ltd 

Hearing Aid 

Solutions 

Hearwell 

Ltd 

Help in 

Hearing Ltd 

Hidden Hearing 

HiKent 

Isabella Fisher 

Independent 

Hearing Care 

Isle of Man 

Hearing Solutions 

Leightons 

Opticians and 

Hearing Care 

Mary Hare 

Hearing Centre 

M C Hearing 

Neuromod 

Devices Ltd 

Oticon 

Peter Byrom 

Audiology Ltd 

Puretone Ltd 

Scrivens Hearing 

Care 

Sivantos Ltd 

Sonova UK 

Limited 

Specsavers 

Starkey Hearing 

Technologies 

The 

Outside 

Clinic 

The Invisible 

Hearing 

Clinic 

Tinnitus 

E-Programme 

The 

Tinnitus 

Clinic 

Widex UK Ltd 

Thank you 

for your 

support! 

Hospital 

services 

Barnsley Hospital 

NHS Foundation 

Trust 

Chesterfield Royal 

Hospital 2 NHS 

Foundation Trust 

East Kent 

University Hospitals 


Trust 

Nobles Hospital 

Royal Berkshire 


Trust 

Royal Cornwall 


Trust 

Sandwell and 

West Birmingham 

Hospitals NHS 

Trust 

Torbay and South 

Devon NHS 

Foundation Trust 

Worcestershire 

Acute Hospitals 

NHS Trust 

2 

www.tinnitus.org.uk 

QUIET 2019 Issue Four

News 4 

International co-operation 

New tinnitus guidelines 

Why is there no cure for tinnitus? 

Events 9 

Information days coming to 

Birmingham and Dundee 

Product update 12 

New products available from us 

to help you manage your tinnitus 

Features 22 

Helpline update 

Do I need a hearing test? 

CBD and tinnitus 

Real lives 31 

Avani, Arthur and Toby share their 

experiences of living with tinnitus 

Farewill 36 

Free wills exclusively for BTA members 

Support groups 37 

Increased tinnitus support in Wales 

Gold Standard groups 

Full group listing 

QUIET 

Volume 30 Number 4 ISSN: 0968-1264 

Research appeal 8 

Tinnitus Week 10 

Research 14 

Tinnitus & the anticipation hypothesis 

Anxiety in children and young people 

with tinnitus and hyperacusis 

The impact of tinnitus on professional 

musicians 

Somatic tinnitus 

Soldiering on 20 

The final report of the Aged Veterans 

Project has been published 

Safe Around Sound 28 

Our exciting new campaign 

Contacts 

Our Vision: 

A world where no one suffers from tinnitus 

Our Mission: 

Research: We want a cure, we will drive & demand progress 

Help: We want everyone to know what tinnitus is, how to 

prevent it & how to manage it 

tinnitus.org.uk 

Editor 

Nic Wray 

nic@tinnitus.org.uk 

Address 

British Tinnitus Association, Ground Floor, Unit 5, Acorn 

Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield, S8 OTB 

Registered charity no: 1011145. Registered in England. 

Helpline 

0800 018 0527 

Whilst the British Tinnitus Association makes every attempt to ensure the accuracy & reliability of information in this magazine, it is 

not a substitute for medical advice. You should always see your GP/ medical professional. Advertisements for organisations, products 

or services do not imply endorsement of them by the British Tinnitus Association.

NEWSROUND 

Risk for musicians 

Award hat-trick! 

People working in the music industry 

are nearly twice as likely to develop 

tinnitus as people working in quieter 

occupations, according to a new study 

led by researchers at The University 

of Manchester. 

The study, published in Trends in 

Hearing, analysed 23,000 people from 

the UK Biobank and compared levels 

of hearing difficulties and tinnitus 

in people working in noisy ‘high-risk’ 

construction, agricultural and music 

industries compared to people working 

in finance, a quiet ‘low-risk’ industry. 

End to firework misery? 

In the summer, we attended a public 

engagement event organised by the 

Parliamentary Petitions Committee 

looking into the impact of fireworks. 

The session was excellent, and we 

were able to make very clear the 

issues around fireworks noise and 

how it affects people with tinnitus 

and hyperacusis. 

The report has now been published, and 4 

we're pleased to see that some of our 

suggestions have been incorporated 

into the committee's final report. 

http://bit.ly/BTAfirework 

L-R: Prof David Baguley, BTA Chair Lynne Gillon, Dr 

Eldré Beukes 

At the recent BTA Conference, we 

presented the prestigious Marie & Jack 

Shapiro Prize for an unprecedented 

third year in succession to a team of 

clinicians and researchers led by Dr 

Eldré Beukes, a Research Fellow at 

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). 

It was awarded for the paper 

“Effectiveness of Guided Internet-Based 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs Faceto-Face 

Clinical Care for Treatment of 

Tinnitus: A Randomized Clinical Trial". 

It was felt that this paper indicates 

the real potential for iCBT as a tinnitus 

treatment which has obvious clinical 

benefits and the ability to improve the 

quality of life for people with tinnitus. 

4 



NICE Tinnitus 

Guidelines 

Quiet editor Nic Wray talks about making your voice heard by the writers of new 

guidelines for the treatment of tinnitus. 

The National Institute of Health and Care 

Excellence (NICE) provides expert guidance 

for clinical practice, which is adopted by 

healthcare professionals. NICE are currently 

working on a set of guidelines for the 

treatment of tinnitus. We were invited to 

offer feedback on their draft document. 

To do this, we wanted to ensure our 

views reflected the views of people with 

tinnitus - that meant you! We publicised 

the guidelines via Quiet; FOCUS, our 

e-newsletter; stands at our Conference 

and Expo; and via our social media 

channels, asking for your help. 

And you didn't disappoint us! 

Over 980 of you responded, which is a 

fantastic number, and really drove home 

to us how engaged the tinnitus community 

are in getting the best and most consistent 

care. 

Dave Carr (our Head of Development) and 

Dr Georgie Burns-O'Connell (our Research 

Officer) and I read every single one of the 

responses and discussed, categorised and 

tabulated them before writing a response 

that captured the essence of what was 

said and picking out individual comments 

which really summed up our points. 

Once the internal team were happy, we 

offered the draft to our Professional 

Advisers' Committee, Trustees and 

President for comment, before finally 

submitting it. You can read the draft 

guidelines and the response we submitted 

on our website at www.tinnitus.org.uk/ournice-consultation-response. 

The Committee who produced the draft 

guidelines have read our feedback, along 

with that from the dozens of registered 

stakeholders who all had their own 

feedback to offer. Now that the feedback 

has been considered, revised guidelines will 

be drawn up. The final version is expected 

to be published in March 2020. 

If you would like to see what the other 

stakeholders thought of the guidelines, 

NICE will be publishing those on their 

website in due course. 

You will be able to access these, and find 

out more about the progress of the final 

guidelines by visiting www.nice.org.uk/ 

guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10077. 

QUIET 2019 Issue Four www.tinnitus.org.uk 5

Why is there no cu 

Jenny Thompson discusses a recent paper which asked this question 

A paper called ‘Why is there no cure 

for tinnitus?’ has been published in the 

science journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. 

Remarkably for a research paper, over 

18,000 people have viewed it since 

publication, which indicates the huge 

interest there is in finding a cure for 

tinnitus. 

Tinnitus is unusual in the sense that for 

such a common condition there are very 

few treatments, and even the treatments 

that do exist focus on reducing the effects 

of tinnitus rather than eliminating it. 

Obstacles 

There is no single reason as to why there 

is no cure for tinnitus, but the authors of 

the paper identified a series of obstacles 

in developing one: 

It is unclear how common tinnitus is 

– varying studies suggest that different 

percentages of the population live with 

tinnitus. Without definitive numbers 

it’s difficult to engage with the 

pharmaceutical industry. 

There is no certain definition of what 

tinnitus is. It also has multiple subtypes 

which may require different treatments. 

It is unclear what the exact cause of 

tinnitus is, which can make developing an 

effective drug difficult. 

There is a lack of funding and a lack of 

research. Tinnitus research by nature is 

multidisciplinary, and there are very few 

research centres where cross specialty 

work is available. 

Current treatments 

Currently psychology-based interventions 

such as cognitive behavioural therapy are 

cited as the most efficient treatments. 

Such treatments seem to be effective in 

improving the quality of life and relieving 

tinnitus-related distress yet have little 

effect on tinnitus loudness. Despite 

psychology-based interventions helping 

relieve the distress of tinnitus, most studies 

suggest that people desire a pill that could 

reduce tinnitus loudness and annoyance 

or even eliminate it completely. 

6 www.tinnitus.org.uk 


e for tinnitus? 

Studies also suggest there is currently 

a disconnect between how patients and 

clinicians feel about current treatments 

for tinnitus. A US study showed that the 

majority of audiologists saw treatment 

success as decreased awareness of 

tinnitus, and stress relief, whereas most 

patients viewed success as reduction of 

loudness and complete elimination of the 

sound. 

Membership Survey — Quiet Issue One 

Developing a drug 

Developing a drug that could meet 

patients’ desires would also bring with it 

some financial benefits. At the moment, 

managing tinnitus carries a significant 

financial burden to healthcare systems. 

In 2016 an estimated £717 per patient was 

spent by the NHS on managing tinnitus. If 

a drug was made that met the desires of 

those wishing to control and potentially 

eliminate their tinnitus, it is predicted that 

it could make $689 million (£550 million) 

in its first year. 

Eliminating tinnitus and relieving the 

financial strain put on the NHS sounds 

great, but when we talk about completely 

eliminating tinnitus we run into another 

problem. People with normal ears, normal 

hearing and no tinnitus have been known 

to experience phantom noises when inside 

sound-proof environments. This makes the 

concept of completely eliminating tinnitus 

difficult, as experiences like that will never 

be eliminated; perhaps a more realistic aim 

should be remission? To avoid issues such 

as this, the authors of the paper suggest 

that greater focus is required on definitions, 

subtyping and outcome measures. 

Conclusions 

The researchers conclude that to move 

ourselves closer to a cure the following 

research aims need to be met: 

Understand what causes tinnitus. 

Have a robust idea of what we want the 

outcomes of a cure to be – complete 

elimination or remission? 

Have meaningful subtyping, and 

understand how each type needs to be 

treated. 

To achieve this, the work and research 

needs to be interdisciplinary, international 

and engaging to both researchers and 

clinicians. 

Reference: 

McFerran DJ, Stockdale D, Holme R, Large 

CH, Baguley DM. Why is there no cure for 

tinnitus? Frontiers in Neuroscience. August 

2019 [online] https://doi.org/10.3389/ 

fnins.2019.00802 

Photo by Luis Quintero from pexels.com 


Tinnitus Research 

Appeal 2019 

Can you imagine a tinnitus-free world? 

That’s our vision for the future. A 

world where no one suffers from 

tinnitus. 

Current treatment options, whilst effective at 

improving quality of life and reducing tinnitusassociated 

psychological distress, leave many 

of those living with tinnitus dissatisfied. “We 

need a cure” is a comment we hear often. 

We don’t know when a cure, or cures, for tinnitus 

will come. We do know that momentum is building, 

and that there is every reason to believe that cures 

for tinnitus are possible. 

So that’s where you come in! We need your help to 

support our work in the world of tinnitus research. 

£15 

£34 

could help us to continue groundbreaking 

work with researchers 

across the world. 

could fund an hour of a senior 

tinnitus researcher's time. 

How to donate 

To support tinnitus research today please donate 

safely and securely on our website: 

www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-research 

Or you can donate over the phone on: 

0114 250 9933 

£50 

£100 

could go towards helping us 

identify pathways for future 

drugs research. 

8 

could contribute to the 

development of a Tinnitus Biobank 

(a database of health information) 

for a long-term study into genetic 

and environmental factors 

associated with tinnitus. 

Thank you. 

Together we can 

silence tinnitus. 

Together we can 

cure tinnitus. 


QUIET 2019 Issue Four Two

BIRMINGHAM 

TINNITUS 

INFORMATION DAY 

SAT 18th JAN 

THE STUDIO 

7 Cannon St, B2 5EP 

They’re FREE but please book to let us know you’re coming 

www.tinnitus.org.uk/BHAM 

0800 0180 527 

What’s on offer? 

• Learn about tinnitus • Meet people 

with tinnitus • Chance to talk • Support 

& Advice • Hear from experts • 

Who should come? 

Anyone who would like to know more 

about tinnitus and ways to help 

EVERYONE 

WELCOME 

www.tinnitus.org.uk/DUNDEE 

Helping you live well with tinnitus 

DUNDEE 

TINNITUS 

INFORMATION 

DAY 

SAT 1st FEB 

APEX HOTEL 

1 West Victora Rd, DD1 3JP

TINNITUS WEEK 

Tinnitus Week in 2020 is taking place from 3 to 9 February and we’re delighted 

to let you know that the theme for the week will be tinnitus research. Emily 

Broomhead, the BTA’s Campaigns Manager, explains more about the week, 

and our plans. 

Without research, we won’t find a cure for tinnitus, 

so Tinnitus Week will be a great opportunity to 

showcase: 

• research that is currently going 

on across the UK 

• research the BTA is involved with 

• what the future holds 

During the week we’ll be doing all we can to help 

you see that research is a key priority for us, and 

we hope to be able to talk about it in a way that 

makes it more understandable and relatable to 

all our audiences. 

The importance of 

tinnitus research 

Research has always been a key priority for the 

BTA; you’ll know this if you take a look at the 

research section on our website or if you were a fly 

on the wall listening to our Chief Executive talking 

at the many meetings and events he attends 

where research is on the agenda. 

It is of course important that we balance research 

priorities with helping the thousands of people who 

contact us each year needing support and advice, 

but research is something which is never far from 

Dr Will Sedley setting up a test on a patient. 

Photo: Action on Hearing Loss 



2020 

our thoughts and actions. It’s something we are all 

very passionate about and are pushing for. 

Sadly, there’s a big difference in tinnitus funding 

compared to other common conditions which 

affect people’s health in a similar way to tinnitus. 

And we all know that tinnitus needs more 

recognition and more funding. The condition 

affects over 7 million people in the UK: 1 in 3 

people will have experienced tinnitus at some point 

in their lives – people of all ages, all backgrounds, 

anyone can have tinnitus and we need a cure. 

Getting our voices heard 

The BTA is undeniably a smaller charity but we are 

well recognised as an authority in the tinnitus field. 

We have a strong voice, but we need to get that 

voice heard in the right places. 

We want to get tinnitus research high up on the 

political agenda for every single person who 

experiences the condition. We want all MPs to 

be made aware of the number of people in their 

constituency who struggle with tinnitus and need 

more help. During Tinnitus Week you will be able to 

help us get our message out by sending a letter to 

your MP, and contacting them on social media. The 

letters and suggested messaging will be available 

online when the week launches on 3 February, so 

please do keep an eye out for them. 

We are exploring the potential of petitioning the 

Government, and are working on shaping plans for 

activity to take place during Tinnitus Week. We will 

share more details and information about how you 

can get involved on social media, our website and 

in the monthly FOCUS e-newsletter. 

A message on social media, a re-tweet on Twitter 

or a share on Facebook can have a massive 

impact. During Tinnitus Week we really want to get 

our hashtags trending so more people are made 

aware of tinnitus and the importance of tinnitus 

research. If you are active on social media, or even 

if you have a look now and again, please support 

what we are doing by using #TinnitusWeek. 

How you can help 

We say it every year, but we really DO need your 

help to make our campaigns successful. There 

will always be a selection of ways you can get 

involved, from sharing content on social media, 

putting a poster up in your local area or becoming 

a case study and sharing your story. 

If you’ve been involved in a tinnitus research 

trial, we’d love to hear from you. It’d be great 

for us to let others know first-hand what 

being involved in research entails, 

to encourage more people to 

get involved. If you’d be 

interested in finding out 

more about how you 

can help us share these 

experiences, or if you’d 

simply like to share views on 

the importance of tinnitus 

research, please 

get in touch with 

me by emailing 

emily@tinnitus.org.uk or 

calling 0114 250 9933. 

You can find out 

more about 

current tinnitus 

research at www. 

tinnitus.org.uk/ 

research. And please do look out for all things 

#TinnitusWeek on social media in the coming 

weeks. 


More than just a shop 

David Steele talks through some of our best-selling products and merchandise 

Bluetooth Sound Therapy System 

by Sound Oasis 

“The great thing about this sound therapy system 

is how much you get from such a small package. 

The sound quality is exceptional and its compact 

size means its ideal for travel. You can choose from 

the carefully selected built-in sounds or stream 

your own via Bluetooth. Pre-loaded sounds include: 

ocean surf, rain, white noise, rocky mountain 

stream, and summer night. 

Terrific to take with you when staying away and 

needing to get a good night’s sleep”. 

£37.80 for members. 

How to buy 

All of the featured products and much more 

are available in our online shop at: 

www.tinnitus.org.uk/shop 

Or place your order over the phone on: 

0114 250 9933 

Amplified Pillow Speakers 

by Sound Oasis 

“The standard pillow speakers are one of our best 

sellers, and for good reason. They’re designed to 

be easy to use and to focus sound in one direction. 

However, we received feedback from some people 

saying they weren’t loud enough due to their 

hearing loss. 

The amplified pillow speakers have 58% more 

volume compared to the standard unit, and are 

suitable for use with most equipment that has 

a 3.5 mm headphone socket.” 




Earplugs by EarDial 

“The unique selling point for EarDial earplugs is the 

companion mobile app. It allows you to know the 

sound level around you, and how long you can stay 

safe. 

The low-profile, highly transparent design means 

they’re almost invisible when you put them in your 

ears. 

Perfect for concerts, nightclubs and festivals, as 

well as other loud social events, like sport events, 

or cinemas.” 


Publications for mindfulness 

“We now sell a range of books based around the 

themes of mindfulness and wellbeing. We have 

mindfulness guides such as the Frazzled book by 

Ruby Wax, where she shows us how to de-frazzle 

for good by making simple changes that give us 

time to breathe, reflect and live in the moment. 

We’ve also got a number of colouring books for 

anti-stress art therapy. Working with your hands 

is one of the best ways to soothe anxiety and 

eliminate stress. The Beatrix Potter Colouring Book 

is a particular favourite of mine and could be a 

great present for friends and family too.” 

Please see website for prices. 

“I’m living with tinnitus” badges 

“We recently introduced these badges following 

suggestions from members. Share your experience 

of tinnitus and start conversations, whilst 

supporting our work. 

Badges come in blue, orange and teal, and can be 

purchased individually or as a pack of three. 

Each 25mm button badge is about the same 

size as a £1 coin and has a traditional safety pin 

fastener.” 

£1.50 each or a pack of three for £3.00. 


Tinnitus and the 

anticipation hypothesis 

In the second of a two-part series, Dr James Jackson, Senior Lecturer in 

Psychology at Leeds Trinity University, discusses his research. 

In the previous issue, we considered the 

Anticipation Hypothesis – when the 

human body is believed to decide, almost 

immediately on awakening, what it needs 

for the day ahead. 

A normal day results in secretion of a 

normal amount of cortisol – which puts 

sugar into the blood for energy. A ‘big day’ 

ahead (e.g. an important presentation at 

work, getting married, etc.) leads to more 

cortisol in the blood, more throughout the 

day, and more energy for all the important 

things you have to do. 

We know from research that roughly 75% 

of people have a normal Cortisol Awakening 

Response (CAR) day-to-day. 25% of us 

don’t, and those that do not are supposed 

to have a long-term condition which causes 

this disruption. 

Tinnitus has strong links with clinical 

depression – while 20% of people will have 

a bout of clinical depression during their 

lives, that rockets up to 62% in individuals 

with tinnitus. 

My BTA-funded research has shown that 

individuals reporting severe tinnitus 

distress have a ‘flat’ Cortisol Awakening 

Response (i.e. no early morning increase 

in cortisol) and researchers know that a 

flat CAR is linked to ‘less effective coping’ 

(Powell & Schlotz, 2012), and ‘more physical 

symptoms’ (Garland et al., 2014) of every 

Cortisol 

Levels 

Challenges 

ahead 

Typical day 

Stressors ahead 

Awakening +15mins +30mins +45mins 

Figure 1: Cortisol 

Awakening Responses 

Time 



type. People who have habituated to 

their tinnitus sensation have a CAR 

which is indistinguishable from those 

of individuals without tinnitus. 

So, we can use the Cortisol Awakening 

Response, by measuring cortisol 

concentrations in human saliva, and 

distinguish between people habituated 

to their tinnitus from those who have not. 

Just as interestingly, a flat CAR predicts 

greater tinnitus severity on testing day, not 

just in the morning, but also at lunchtime 

and into the evening. Therefore, a flat CAR 

predicts an inability to cope with predicted 

stressors. 

All well and good, but so what? What use 

is this? Firstly, seeing that it is possible to 

physiologically and objectively distinguish 

between those coping with their tinnitus 

and those who do not, it becomes possible 

– and indeed, desirable – to put known 

tinnitus treatments and interventions 

to the test. 

Can an intervention be given to tinnitus 

patients with a flat CAR? If so, how will 

we know if that intervention has worked? 

The typical method is to hand out 

questionnaires before and after an 

intervention (and perhaps during). The 

literature makes much of reduction in 

distress scores, but it’s not always clear 

as to how large a reduction in scores needs 

to be in order to indicate that the treatment 

has been worth time and effort – and 

expense. Could an improvement be nothing 

more than a fleeting placebo effect? If 

the research takes place abroad, are 

foreign language versions of the tinnitus 

questionnaires broadly equivalent in 

meaning? If not, a great deal of research 

cannot and should not be compared. 

If we can make use of an objective measure 

such as the CAR, we can see if normal 

Dr James Jackson 

function is restored on intervention, or 

whether early morning cortisol secretion 

remains in the doldrums. 

There are issues. This is a research/ 

laboratory test, and not one that can be 

used by an audiologist in the high street. 

Salivary cortisol testing is complex and 

has a host of rules and methodologies that 

need to be followed meticulously in order 

to avoid risk of mistake. Further, it comes 

under the Human Tissues Act. Your spit 

is my human tissue sample(!). In addition, 

there are a great number of exclusion 

variables – smoking, night shifts, 

pregnancy to name but a few – there 

are many things which affect the diurnal 

(daily) cortisol cycle. 

But under research conditions, I 

fundamentally believe that we are edging 

towards true objective measurement of 

the effectiveness of tinnitus interventions. 

What works? What does not? What is 

thought to work, but doesn’t really? That 

tinnitus distress results in a flat Cortisol 

Awakening Response proves that it is 

a real condition, that it does affect us 

and that it does reduce our physical and 

mental wellbeing. 


Anxiety in children 

with tinnitus and h 

Samantha Lear of Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust talks about 

her BTA-supported research 

As a clinician who works with children who 

have tinnitus and hyperacusis (a lowered 

tolerance of everyday sounds), I’ve seen 

first-hand how children can be worried or 

have anxiety related to their conditions. 

I’ve relished the opportunity to be able to 

research into this and understand how 

anxiety could be associated with tinnitus 

and hyperacusis. 

There has not been much research done 

to understand how tinnitus or hyperacusis 

affect children’s mental health. This was 

also related to the research priorities 

identified by a partnership between the 

British Tinnitus Association and the 

Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research 

Unit in 2013. So I was glad to be able to look 

into this further and understand how and 

why anxiety may be linked to the conditions 

in children and young people. 

Our research study 

The aim of our study was to find out 

whether levels of anxiety were higher the 

more severe the tinnitus is in children and 

young people. Levels of anxiety were also 

compared in children with and without 

hyperacusis. 

16 

The study recruited 139 children, aged 8 to 

16, attending Hearing Services at Sheffield 

Children’s Hospital. 98 children had tinnitus, 

and 41 didn't; 31 of these children had 

hyperacusis (with and without tinnitus). 

The children and young people were each 

asked whether they had tinnitus, and if they 

had, they were asked to rate its severity if 

present, using 0-10 scales. They were also 

asked whether or not they suffered from 

hyperacusis which actually affected their 

day-to-day lifestyle. 

16 



and young people 

yperacusis 

The study participants were then asked 

to complete a short questionnaire 

especially designed to measure levels 

of anxiety in school-aged children – the 

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children 

[Speilberger, 1972]. 

Results 

associated with higher levels of trait 

anxiety in children and young people. 

Age and hearing levels did not 

significantly affect the levels of anxiety. 

It is hoped that the results of this study will 

encourage those professionals working with 

children and young people with tinnitus and 

hyperacusis to not just focus on the ears 

and hearing, but to consider that the 

children may also be quite anxious. 

Clear explanations and reassurance about 

tinnitus, and introducing interventions such 

as counselling and relaxation techniques in 

clinic, may significantly ease a child’s 

anxieties, and hopefully prevent further 

exacerbation of tinnitus symptoms. 

All the data collected from the children and 

young people taking part was then analysed 

to see how anxiety was related to tinnitus, 

taking into account the presence or not of 

hyperacusis, and of other factors such as 

hearing levels and age. 

The study’s results showed that: 

levels of state and trait anxiety were 

higher in children and young people with 

tinnitus and/or hyperacusis than in 

children without. State anxiety reflects 

how the child was feeling specifically at 

the time in clinic, whereas trait anxiety 

reflects the tendency to be anxious 

across different situations (in other 

words: a personality trait). 

tinnitus and hyperacusis are particularly 

The study was supported 

by a grant from the British 

Tinnitus Association. 

References 

Hall DA et al. Identifying and prioritizing 

unmet research questions for people with 

tinnitus: The James Lind Alliance Tinnitus 

Priority Setting Partnership. Clinical 

Investigation 3(1) 2013. 

Speilberger DC. Manual for the State-Trait 

Anxiety Inventory for Children, Palo Alto CA: 

Consulting Psychologist Press, 1972. 

About the author 

Samantha Lear is Lead Clinical Scientist in 

the Hearing Service department of Sheffield 

Children's NHS Foundation Trust. 


The impact of tinnitus on 

professional musicians 

18 

The BTA is partnering with the 

musicians’ charity Help Musicians 

UK to conduct research into the 

impact of tinnitus on professional 

musicians. 

Noise exposure and noise-induced hearing 

loss has been found to be the most 

common factor associated with tinnitus. 

Musicians can often be exposed to high 

levels of sound, meaning many are at risk 

of hearing loss and tinnitus. However, 

the relationship between tinnitus and 

its impact on musicians has not been 

rigorously researched. 

18 

The aim of the planned research project 

is to find out about the impact of tinnitus 

on musicians’ professional and everyday 

experiences. In addition, this will enable 

identification of the techniques and 


services musicians access, if any, to help 

prevent or manage their tinnitus. 

We’re delighted to be working with Help 

Musicians UK to deliver new research into 

the as yet uncharted territory of tinnitus 

and its impact on musicians. We will have 

access to a pool of HMUK-supported 

musicians and will collect quantitative 

and qualitative data, allowing for more 

in-depth insights than have ever been 

captured before. Considering everything 

from genre and frequency of performance, 

to instrument and the position it’s played 

in, the findings will pave the way for the 

broadest understanding of the effects of 

tinnitus within the UK music sector yet and 

open doors for effective, targeted support. 

The study, led by Dr Georgie Burns- 

O'Connell has just begun, and we hope to 

publish our findings in August 2020. 


Somatic 

tinnitus 

Rebecca Prince looks at this common type of tinnitus 

It has been known for some time that there 

are connections between sensations from 

the jaw and neck and the part of the brain 

responsible for hearing. These connections 

mean that sensory information from the 

jaw and neck can change the pitch or 

volume at which tinnitus is heard. This 

is known as somatic or somatosensory 

tinnitus. 

Statistics on how many people have 

somatic tinnitus vary, but one recent 

study found that 12% of people with 

tinnitus will have somatic tinnitus. 

Dr Sarah Michiels, a researcher at the 

University of Antwerp, has recently 

reviewed our knowledge about somatic 

tinnitus for the the Research Review series, 

as well as conducting her own research into 

the condition. 

Michiels and her colleagues have developed 

a set of criteria to help to diagnose somatic 

tinnitus. They consulted 13 experts from 

10 different countries. If moving the head, 

neck or jaw or clenching the jaw affects 

your tinnitus, then it is likely to be somatic. 

Certain qualities can also mean your 

tinnitus may be somatic. For example, if 

you experience jaw or neck pain at the 

same time as tinnitus, or if you started to 

get tinnitus after a head or neck injury. 

People with tinnitus may notice other 

symptoms which mean tinnitus is more 

likely to be somatic. These include frequent 

head, neck or shoulder pain and muscle 

tension at the back of the neck. 

Somatic tinnitus can still be difficult to 

diagnose but once it has been, there are 

specific treatments which may help. One 

example is physiotherapy to the cervical 

spine (the bones which make up the neck). 

There is also some evidence to support a 

treatment which includes jaw exercises and 

a mouth splint. Another treatment called 

bimodal stimulation involves sound and 

electrical stimulation. This shows promise, 

but needs further research. 

Dr Michiels' review is available to read or 

download at www.tinnitus.org.uk.somaticsomatosensory-tinnitus 


Soldiering on 

The Aged Veterans Project has been completed with the publication of the report 

'Soldiering on: the impact of tinnitus on veterans'. Dr Georgie Burns-O'Connell 

summarises the research. 

Little is known about the impact of 

tinnitus on UK veterans. Service in 

the military can involve exposure 

to high levels of noise, resulting in 

many military veterans experiencing 

hearing loss and tinnitus, which 

can continue beyond their service. 

Tinnitus is the number one Servicerelated 

disability in the US. 

Our project 

In collaboration with the University of 

Nottingham, we secured funding from 

The Royal British Legion from the Aged 

Veterans Fund, funded by the Chancellor 

using LIBOR funds, to explore how tinnitus 

impacts aged UK military veterans. 

A questionnaire, focus group and interviews 

were conducted to explore older UK 

veterans’ experiences of living with tinnitus. 

To take part, the participants had to have 

served at least one day in the British Armed 

Forces and be born before 1950. 

Our findings 

The research found that over half of older 

veterans had lived with tinnitus for over 20 

years, with many experiencing symptoms 

more severe than other groups of people. 

There was a lack of knowledge amongst 

the veterans about tinnitus, how it can be 

experienced and the available management 

Arthur Currie, who took part in the the research, with Dr 

Georgie Burns-O'Connell 

options. Veterans spoke about the lack 

of health and safety when they were in 

the British Armed Forces. During their time 

in the Services, veterans were exposed 

to high levels of noise and had no access 

to (adequate) hearing protection. 

A number of beliefs prevented veterans 

from seeking help for their tinnitus. 

Veterans believed there were no effective 

treatments because tinnitus cannot be 

‘cured’, and that tinnitus was not a priority 

healthcare demand compared to other 

conditions. 

Participants had complex and diverse 

relationships with their identity as a 

veteran, and this influenced views about 

whether a veteran-specific tinnitus service 

would be beneficial. The ‘military mind’ 

20 



was viewed as an integral part of being a 

veteran, which meant that veterans were 

viewed as different to civilians. 

A difference which was highlighted was 

veterans’ increased acceptance of difficult 

situations; many had accepted their 

tinnitus and come to endure it instead of 

seeking help. This research indicates that 

older UK veterans with tinnitus experience 

more severe symptoms than was reported 

for a general research population or US 

veteran population. 

Our recommendations 

Download the report 

You can download the report in full here: 

www.tinnitus.org.uk/aged-veteransproject-final-report 

Read Arthur's story 

Until he took part in this research project, 

Arthur had never talked to anyone about 

his tinnitus. He tells his story on page 33 

- don't miss it! 

Our four main recommendations are for the 

Government, healthcare professionals, and 

service providers, including any charities 

working with the UK veteran community, 

older people and/or people living with 

tinnitus to: 

1. Inform 

Share information with the veteran 

community and their friends and 

family about what tinnitus is and 

how it may be experienced. 

2. Prevent 

(worsening) tinnitus through training 

about healthy hearing behaviours 

with the veteran community. 

3. Encourage 

aged veterans to challenge any 

potential tinnitus help-seeking 

barriers. 

4. Educate 

the public about who is a veteran, 

and the characteristics of the 

'military mind'. 


Helpline 

update 

Colleen Hewitt shares details of our new support services for you 

I’m excited to be able to share some news 

with you about the helpline services we 

provide. 

I joined the Information Management team 

at the BTA in 2019 and am delighted to be a 

part of such a dynamic, knowledgeable and 

caring team. We offer a range of support 

services including our: 

• freephone helpline on 

0800 018 0527 

• email service 

helpline@tinnitus.org.uk 

• web chat facility which can be 

accessed via www.tinnitus.org.uk 

and now 

• our text service on 

07537 416841 

We are a helpline for people in stressful 

situations associated to their tinnitus. We 

also support families who feel they have 

no one else to talk to, and provide advice 

on how to cope with a loved one going 

through this condition. The helpline is 

aimed at people struggling with issues 

around and associated with tinnitus, for 

example anxiety, depression, low mood 

and sometimes suicidal thoughts. 

Suicide is complicated and sometimes hard 

to predict, but the healthcare professionals 

and staff at MIND say it can be preventable. 

That's one of the reasons why we are here, 

and the hope is that people will use us if 

they, or someone they know, are having 

a crisis associated with their tinnitus. 

We talk to a variety of people on a daily 

basis, including those with tinnitus and 

family members or friends. It is not an easy 

journey for either. But as I always reiterate 

on the call, "there is always hope, there is 

always a tomorrow and the day does not 

start without you. Make a conscious effort 

to start your day positively. Have a plan 

and execute that plan. If it fails, get back 

up and try again". 

Calls vary, some people need someone 

to listen, which is a key factor on all of 



so often talk about being 'lost for words'. 

But if you’re able to type it, you have 

a sense that you’re still in control of it. 

Statistically speaking, web chat has 

received the most increased response 

this year to date. 

It is a great way of communicating ‘on 

the go’. Many people prefer to send a text 

nowadays or engage in a web chat where 

they can feel more confident putting their 

feelings and emotions out there. You are 

able to join in whilst you are at work without 

anyone knowing, so this is a discreet form 

of communication. Getting that extra help 

can make someone’s day better. You can 

text us whilst walking, sitting in the park 

or simply relaxing at home. 

our calls. Some need guidance to move 

forward and there are others who need 

a lifeline. Ultimately, our helpline advisers 

believe that the power of listening 

translates no matter how it’s done. As 

Pauline Brennan from Childline said, 

"to have someone who really listens, 

and really hears – that’s one of the most 

powerful things in the world". 

We have also introduced our web chat and 

text facilities so that individuals can put 

some of their thoughts and feelings into 

written words which can be difficult at 

times to say out loud. That’s why people 

We are also very excited about the launch 

of our text service which happened earlier 

this month, and we are very much looking 

forward to chatting with you further. Our 

helpline email service is also still very 

much active at helpline@tinnitus.org.uk. 

It can be a tough job, but we get to go home 

knowing we’ve helped someone, that we 

have been kind with our words and listened 

without judgement. 

Our helpline facilities are open Monday 

to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. 

“It was a great help speaking to the advisers on the helpline. I was extremely anxious 

and found myself in quite a dark place wanting to end it all, feeling I had no hope. 

The adviser helped me through some breathing exercises and was able to calm 

myself down and speak through my journey. They were very patient and time was 

not of issue. I left the call feeling a lot better and more positive. I am now doing lots 

of mindfulness techniques and doing what works for me. 

My tinnitus is still there, but I’m able to manage it now and keep doing the things 

that I love to do. So thank you to the helpline team for all your hard work, advice 

and understanding.” – Anon 


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Do I need a 

hearing test? 

Rebecca Prince gives some pointers to consider 

Tinnitus is more common in people with 

hearing loss. You may not realise you have 

hearing loss; it is often a gradual process 

which goes unnoticed. Friends and family 

members may complain about the volume 

of the TV or that you are repeating yourself. 

You may be finding it more difficult to hear, 

but blame this on tinnitus. 

It is important to identify and manage 

hearing loss as soon as possible as it may 

help to reduce your tinnitus. Hearing aids 

can amplify the sounds around you and 

distract from tinnitus. There is also a link 

between hearing loss and dementia. To find 

out if you need help with your hearing, you 

need a hearing test. 

To book a hearing test, you can visit your GP 

who can refer you on to audiology services 

in your local area. Some audiology services 

also accept referrals directly without going 

to your GP first. Private hearing tests are 

also available. 

At the hearing test, the audiologist will do 

a few different tests to check your hearing. 

This may include responding to sounds or 

speech you hear through headphones and 

checking for fluid behind your eardrum. 

Based on these tests, the audiologist 

may decide that you have hearing loss 

and would benefit from hearing aids. 

You can find more information about 

hearing aids and tinnitus at www.tinnitus. 

org.uk/hearing-aids-and-tinnitus 

5 signs a hearing 

test is a good idea 

1. Experiencing tinnitus 

2. People are mumbling 

3. Difficulty hearing in noisy 

places 

4. History of loud noise exposure 

5. Concern from family or friends 


WILL CBD OIL 

CURE MY 

TINNITUS? 

Nic Wray investigates the claims made for this widely available product 

Take a walk down any high street and you 

will see health food shops and pharmacies 

stocking cannabidiol (CBD) oils. Sales of the 

cannabis extract CBD have roughly doubled 

over the past two years in the UK, and there 

are now an estimated quarter of a million 

regular users in this country. 

Online, it's hard to miss articles touting 

the health benefits of CBD oil, which is 

claimed to support general wellbeing, 

reduce anxiety, improve sleep problems, 

ease chronic pain and of course, alleviate 

tinnitus. 

What is CBD oil? 

CBD oil is a product that is derived from 

cannabis. It's a type of cannabinoid, which 

are the chemicals naturally found in 

marijuana plants. 

Even though it comes from marijuana 

plants, CBD doesn't give you a 'high' – 

that's caused by another cannabinoid 

called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). 

What can you buy in 

the UK? 

The most common product being sold 

at the moment is CBD oil. Some CBD oil 

is available in capsule form. The CBD is 

extracted from hemp plants. 

CBD flower and bud are sometimes sold as 

ingredients for tea, but these are illegal in 

the UK. 

It is important to remember that the market 

is unregulated, and products vary widely 

in quality and composition. Some may 

not contain any CBD at all, and some may 

contain illegal levels of THC. To be legally 

sold in the UK, for example, CBD oils must 

have a very low level of THC – often cited 

as 0.2% although the situation is actually 

somewhat more complex. 

Independent testing in the US has also 

shown contamination with pesticides, 

metals and solvents. 



Does CBD oil work 

for tinnitus? 

Is there any evidence to back any of 

these claims up, including the ones 

about tinnitus? 

One of the reasons cannabinoids are 

attracting attention for tinnitus is 

because of their anti-epileptic treatment 

properties, decreasing neuronal (brain 

cell) hyperactivity. However, the current 

evidence from animal studies suggests 

that in the auditory areas of the brain, they 

could actually lead to increased neuronal 

activity, and hence an increase in tinnitus. 

To date, there have been very few studies 

into the affects of cannabinoids, the 

family of substances that CBD belongs 

to. Research is still in the very early 

stages. Of the 229 trials related to tinnitus 

currently registered on clinicaltrials.gov, 

only one mentions the use of cannabis 

as a treatment for tinnitus, and that was 

withdrawn in 2016. 

But is CBD oil 

actually harmful? 

The side effects of CBD products can 

include nausea, fatigue and irritability. 

CBD can also affect liver function. CBD 

and THC may also interfere with how other 

medications work. 

Most CBD products will contain some THC. 

The main risks with THC are psychosis and 

dependency. 

A new study has shown that marijuana 

users were almost 20 times more likely 

to report having tinnitus within the past 

month as compared with non-users but 

of course, that is not considering CBD in 

isolation, as marijuana contains many 

cannabinoids. 

There is a lack of evidence for the 

effectiveness of CBD products for 

tinnitus, and potential risks for harm. 

Photo: Rick Proctor via Unsplash 

If you would like to find out more, consult our Tinnitus and cannabinoids 

fact sheet at www.tinnitus.org.uk/tinnitus-and-cannabinoids 


Safe Around Sound 

How safe do you feel 

around sound? 

Our #SafeAroundSound campaign, looking 

at noise levels in social environments, has 

been running for a coule of months now. 

We recently shared a short survey to get 

your views on loud social situations and this 

was spurred on by a timely comment on 

social media from actor Hugh Grant, who, 

when visiting a cinema in London, simply 

tweeted: “Am I old, or is the cinema MUCH 

TOO LOUD? Unendurable. Pointless.” 

Emily Broomhead updates us on our new campaign 

In this issue we wanted to share some of 

our campaign supporters' views about 

social noise and how it’s impacted them. 

Russell 

Russell, 49, shared his thoughts with us 

about his own experiences: 

“Personally, I wouldn’t ever go to a live gig 

again, they are way too loud for anyone's 

hearing and I’m not sure I would even go to 

the cinema. I can listen to a busker on the 

street and I suppose you have to be happy 

with a 'less is more' mentality. 

"I try not to be paranoid about every sound, 

but when you think that a power tool in your 

garage could be over 100db, you need to be 

a little bit. 

"If I could give myself advice two years 

ago, it is that once you have tinnitus, the 

recommended exposure level is probably 

half or even less than quoted. 

"I often try and convey the safety message 

to musicians, if the subject comes up, but 

90% of the time I get the bewildered 'it won’t 

happen to me' expression looking back at 

me. 

"Please look after your own hearing, 

because unfortunately, nobody else will.” 

Sarah 

Sarah, 23, has had tinnitus for almost 

eight years. She told us: 

“It probably goes without saying, but 

developing tinnitus has affected my 



social life negatively in the past, and has 

given me a needlessly analytical approach 

to many social situations. 

Kate 

"While I have largely adapted to tinnitus, 

I tend to avoid social situations which 

I know are going to be loud, such as 

concerts and clubs. When I’ve been in loud 

social situations in the past, I’ve become 

physically uncomfortable, and have 

experienced spikes in my tinnitus. 

Kate, 54, has tinnitus and hearing loss. 

"There’s definitely a sense that I have less 

freedom than I once had: the freedom to go 

where I wish and the freedom to not have to 

anticipate the possible negative outcomes 

of an outing. 

"We live in a noisier world than we used to, 

that much is certain. While I appreciate that 

many believe there is much to be said for 

the electrifying atmosphere loud sound can 

create, the cost is too high. Needlessly loud 

sound is dangerous. 

"The average person doesn’t think about 

the damage they are doing to themselves 

until they are suffering the repercussions: 

it shouldn’t have to be like this.” 

“At the cinema I sometimes get distracted 

from enjoying the film as I’m worrying 

about my hearing and I find myself 

monitoring the sound levels. There's really 

no need to have the soundtrack so loud that 

your body vibrates, surely?! This makes me 

really angry – people aren't warned about 

the damage it can do to your hearing, and 

it's totally unnecessary. 

"Restaurants are also particularly difficult 

for me as the trend is for them to be 

designed with hard surfaces everywhere – 

marble tables, hard floors, open kitchens, 

and no curtains or soft furnishings. This 

amplifies the noise and I really struggle 

to hear the people I’m with. If I sit with my 

back to the wall it can sometimes be OK, 

but still a struggle. 

"I think there should be warnings about loud 

noise, as we already have for strobe lighting 

and flash photography. If something is 

potentially harmful to your health, then you 

should be warned so you can take action.” 


Do you have a 

story to tell? 

So what’s next? Well, if you’d like to 

complete our survey you still can. It’s 

available at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ 

safearoundsound and only takes a couple 

of minutes to complete. 

Now we're planning to look at the worst 

offending areas of social noise, and make 

contact with companies and venues to ask 

if they will support us in sharing the safe 

listening messages. This might be through 

website messaging, venue signage and 

most importantly, where possible, actually 

turning the sound levels down. We hope 

to report back about progress in the next 

issue of Quiet. 

Until then, with Christmas round the corner, 

please ensure if you are heading out, that 

you take and use earplugs when you need 

to. Having them will give you confidence 

in knowing that you are protected, and 

using them will allow you to have a really 

good time. 

If you’re 

interested in 

receiving more 

information 

about safe 

listening, 

sound levels 

and exposure 

time, please 

visit our website 

www.plugem.co.uk. We also sell earplugs 

and hearing protection on our website at 

www.tinnitus.org.uk/shop 

Would you like to help raise the 

profile of the British Tinnitus 

Association and the vital work 

we do? 

If you are living with tinnitus and would 

like to support our awareness-raising 

activity by sharing your story, we'd love 

to hear from you! 

Whether you're new to tinnitus or 

have had it for many years, you are 

managing it well and have tips to pass 

on or you are still struggling with it, 

your story could help us reach more 

people, and potentially make a 

difference to their lives. 

Your story could be shared in Quiet, 

local or national newspapers, 

magazines, local or national radio 

as well as across BTA social media 

networks. 

Don't worry — we'd never ask you to do 

anything you feel uncomfortable with, 

and no details or photos are ever used 

without your consent. 

If you would like to tell us your tinnitus 

story, please get in touch with Nic Wray 

on nic@tinnitus.org.uk or 0114 250 

9933. 

You can also send your story to us at 

Nic Wray, FREEPOST BTA (no stamp 

needed) 

We look forward to hearing from you! 



REAL 

LIVES 

Readers share their experiences of living with tinnitus 

Avani's story 

Marlow Tinnitus support group member 

Avani first told her story at a group 

meeting, and she was persuaded to share 

it with Quiet readers. 

I was diagnosed with unilateral (one-sided 

tinnitus) three years ago. Having lived most 

of my life sound-free, to suddenly go to a 

constant piercing sound was life-changing. 

I was devastated to know I’ll be living with 

this condition for a long time to come. I felt 

dark puffy clouds hanging over my head, 

filled with anger, frustration and loss. I 

spent days and months asking myself, 

"Why is this happening to me?". I was 

faced with yet another life challenge 

that I couldn’t quite comprehend. 

I can no longer fight it, 

I'm tired of the battling. 

As time passed by, I realised that I don’t 

have control over everything that happens 

to me: no matter how hard I try, there are 

some things that simply happen. Tinnitus 

is one of those things in life I thought would 

never happen to me, but it has happened. 

Three years later I can no longer fight it, I’m 

tired of the battling, the crying, and asking, 

"Why me?" This is me now, this is my 

second life, where tinnitus is a part of me. 

Avani Modha 

I tell myself I have to find a way to live with 

this condition. But where do I even begin? 

I immerse myself into long articles of 

research, finding out what I can to help me, 

but all the information I find only defines 

what tinnitus is, it doesn't tell me how to 

cope with it. I begin to discover that this is 

something I have to figure out for myself 

through experimentation. I have to find my 

way, my own path, so here I am, travelling 

on this long stretch of road, not knowing 

where it’s going to take me, there are no 

directions, but it’s a journey I must take. 


Along this journey so far, I've realised that 

to move forward, I have to accept ’tinnitus’ 

as a manageable condition first – not as 

a debilitating disorder. I have to change 

the way I perceive tinnitus. To make these 

changes, I have to confront my emotions 

and recognise why I’m feeling this way. 

I collect my emotional thoughts into a 

daily journal where I capture positive 

and negative experiences to make sense 

of my own emotions. As I record daily 

experiences into my journal, I notice 

that I’m experiencing waves of when my 

tinnitus is high or low and, when that 

happens, I’m reacting with an emotional 

negative response and labelling tinnitus 

with whatever expletive I can find. I slowly 

realise this is where I had some control over 

my emotional pulse, response and reaction. 

To help manage my emotions, I practice 

meditation sessions regularly to bring calm 

to my mind and soul. Through meditation, 

I feel relaxed, refreshed or focused. I note 

mentally how I feel after each session and 

carry that feeling through the day. This has 

made a difference to my emotional state 

of mind, because now I’m able to deal with 

those hard days by breaking my emotions 

down. If my tinnitus flares, I simply let it 

happen, I don’t get upset, because I know 

this too will pass. I allow the sound 

of tinnitus to entertain me rather than 

consume me. 

I spend time doing the things I enjoy: art 

therapy, graphic design and embroidery. 

I go out for walks in nature to simply be. I 

listen to gentle music and topical podcasts. 

There are some things I cannot do, but 

that’s okay, because I've found other 

interests and new things to do. I come to 

the Marlow support group to be amongst 

people who understand what it means to 

live with tinnitus, share our experiences 

and listen to each other's stories. 

All of these wonderful things radiate hope 

into my life; a bright burning candle flame, 

showing me the light. In my culture, we 

believe light overshadows darkness, light 

is equal to hope, so I live in hope every day. 

Each day is a learning experience where 

I discover something new that makes life 

exciting and carries me through. It is not 

easy to live with tinnitus, there isn’t a right 

or wrong way, but when you do find your 

path, it becomes less bothersome, less 

intrusive and less painful. 

Where there is hope; 

there is light. Through 

that light, you too will 

find your wayay. 



Arthur's story 

Chelsea Pensioner and Quiet cover star 

Arthur Currie was interviewed for our Aged 

Veterans research project. Here he shares 

his story. 

During 34 years' active service in the 

British Army I was constantly exposed 

to noise from all types of weapons. 

Initially, our standard ear protection was 

'Mark 1 Fingers' inserted in our ears, later 

progressing to cotton wool balls, then foam 

ear plugs that often got stuck and had to be 

removed by the doctor. 

Over time I became aware of an almost 

constant ringing in my ears. However, 

like all the other 'tough' soldiers I never 

discussed it for fear of being found out, 

which would rapidly lead to a medical 

discharge. Moreover, we all feared that 

this would have an effect on our future 

employability outside the Army. 

My tinnitus was almost 

constantly present. 

My tinnitus was almost constantly present. 

During the day it was possible to ignore 

it but in the evenings it was so loud that 

it prevented me from falling asleep. As a 

result I always slept with the radio or TV 

on to drown out the noise. 

Recently, I picked up a leaflet about 

research into tinnitus in the reception of 

the medical centre at the Royal Hospital 

Chelsea, where I now live alongside 290 

other Chelsea Pensioners. Having read it, 

I felt motivated to get in touch because I 

didn’t need to go through my doctor. During 

the subsequent interview with Georgina I 

realised that I was talking to someone who 

was very knowledgeable about tinnitus but 

also willing to listen to my experience. She 

Arthur Currie 

explained everything to me in layman’s 

terms and advised me about the various 

things that could be done to relieve my 

tinnitus. 

This gave me the courage to speak to my 

GP, who arranged an appointment with an 

audiologist. They detected only a moderate 

hearing loss but encouraged me to try 

hearing aids. Again, the explanations were 

given in terms that I could understand. 

During the subsequent appointment to 

fit the hearing aids I was very impressed 

by the time taken to adjust the settings 

to match my particular requirements. I 

couldn’t believe the improvement in my 

hearing. For the next few days I kept 


thinking that I was being followed because 

for the first time in years I could hear my 

own footsteps! I also noticed that I didn’t 

have to ask people to repeat what they said 

and others noticed that my voice was not 

so loud. 

Toby's story 

Now, I can honestly say that most of the 

time I do not have tinnitus. I sleep so well 

that I forget all about it. Sometimes I forget 

to put my hearing aids in. However, after 

a day without them, the tinnitus returns. 

It feels as though when my hearing is 

reduced my brain is searching for every 

sound, including the tinnitus, but when my 

hearing is normal it doesn’t. 

Most [old soldiers] are 

not willing to admit to 

having tinnitus or we 

just accept it as 'par 

for the course' 

The most important message that I would 

like to give to GPs and hearing specialists 

is how to approach and advise old soldiers 

like me. We fear being labelled as disabled. 

Most of us are not willing to admit to having 

tinnitus or we just accept it as “par for the 

course”. It will take gentle persuasion to 

convince them that correcting their hearing 

loss and other measures can make tinnitus 

much less of a problem. And I would like to 

thank everyone involved in this research 

project for giving me the opportunity to 

participate, which has resulted in such a big 

improvement in my quality of life. 

You can see and hear 

Arthur telling his 

story, recorded at our 

annual Conference on 

our website at www. 

tinnitus.org.uk/arthurs-story-we-fearbeing-labelled-as-disabled 

Toby 

Toby's mum Sarah got in touch with us to 

share Toby's poem about his tinnitus, and 

we were keen to find out more. Quiet editor 

Nic Wray spoke to Toby via video call, and 

here's his story in his own words. 

"I've always had tinnitus. It's not as loud as 

a fire alarm but it's so annoying as it sticks 

around. I hear it most when it's quiet as 

there's nobody speaking. 

"The quieter it is, the louder the tinnitus is. 

I have four sounds that happen all the time 

and then I have sounds that maybe happen 

just once or twice and then they go away. 

These particular four sounds just do not go 

away. I reckon when I get rid of those then 

I'll be good. 

"I hear these sounds at school, but normally 

I can concentrate, especially if it's some 

sort of really important work like prep. So 

if it's hard work it's like a 10 out of 100 



chance I'll hear it but if it's a quiet room and 

I'm like reading, it's a 90 out of 100 chance 

it'll come up and start screaming. 

"In my pencil case in case tinnitus happens 

I have a sand timer and I like staring at it. 

I can focus on the sand going down. When 

I'm focusing on something, it's harder for 

the tinnitus to get through. 

When I'm focusing on 

something, it's harder 

for the tinnitus to get 

through. 

"I've just moved into Year 5 so we've 

started doing prep and exams and stuff 

like that. I think as I move up the years, the 

tinnitus will have less effect because I'll be 

concentrating on other things. 

"I'd recommend to other people if you're 

having tinnitus most of the time to go to 

a sporting school as it will have less effect. 

In a grammar school you'll be spending a lot 

of time doing English and comprehension 

and things like that but at a school that 

favours sport, you'll have more sports 

like rugby and hockey and that will help 

because tinnitus activates when it's quiet. 

"The good things that I know have worked 

for more are things you have to concentrate 

on. If you're an old person with tinnitus (not 

to be offensive there) and you're late for 

work take your one-minute break and look 

at the sand timer for one minute as there's 

always something happening." 

If you are aged under 18 and have 

tinnitus, please help us by taking part 

in our survey about how having tinnitus 

makes a difference to you: 

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ 

btayoungpeople 

Toby's poem 

"I think my favourite subject is English, 

although I might regret saying that. Writing 

poems and pushing them out in the world 

is quite scary for me but it might not be 

for other people. I'm scared of it being a 

big hit." 

Tinnitus 

Tinnitus the wailing alarm, the 

booming speaker. 

Tinnitus the meowing cat, the 

burning microwave. 

The everlasting shout, it never 

goes, repetitive sounds all the 

while. 

Gushing, exploding, ticking, drilling. 

My head is going wild. 

My cochlea is too loud when 

somebody shouts, I hear it as a 

whisper. 

A shape-shifting menace that's 

what tinnitus is. 

I've had it since birth, I hope it goes 

before the end of the earth! 

Toby R. 


Exclusive offer 

for supporters 

of the BTA 

As a thank you to our supporters we’ve teamed 

up with Farewill to offer a number of free online 

Wills. 

You can write your Will online in 30 minutes with 

professional support from Farewill, the largest Will 

writer in the UK. Available to supporters in England 

and Wales. 

Gifts in Wills pay for around 

half of our work to help 

people with tinnitus 

The majority of the research projects we have 

commissioned this year would not be possible 

without kind donations made in Wills. 

When you are writing your Will, it is of course 

important to consider your family and friends 

first, but if you feel able to leave something to 

the British Tinnitus Association once you have 

made provision for them, you can be assured that 

you will be leaving a long-term legacy to offer hope 

and support to people with tinnitus now and in 

the future. 

Did you know? 

Currently, 40% of people will die 

without a Will. Many put it off until 

a later date, which could lead to 

significant legal costs, and a lot of 

stress for the family left behind. 

How to get started 

Please go to http://bit.ly/BTAFare and enter 

voucher code BTA-mail19 

36

Diolch Cymru!* 

Our project, funded by National Lottery 

Awards for All Wales, aimed to increase 

opportunities for peer-support in Wales 

and train people up to understand more 

about tinnitus and what can be done to help 

people manage it well. 

The project has led to: 

Six new tinnitus support groups launching 

across Wales. 

55 people trained in tinnitus group 

facilitation and tinnitus management. 

Attendees’ confidence in speaking with 

people about their tinnitus grew from 

4 out of 10 to 8 out of 10. 

Stronger relationships established 

between the BTA and local hearing 

organisations, hospitals and audiologists. 

Although the funding has now ended, the 

work certainly hasn’t! There are still plenty 

more opportunities for new support groups 

to form and we continue to work with key 

stakeholders across the country to ensure 

more people have access to peer support. 

A facilitator training day 

If you live in Wales and are interested in 

starting a tinnitus support group, please get 

in touch with colette@tinnitus.org.uk. 

We would love to see more groups emerge 

across Wales, if you are interested in 

helping to set up a group, get in touch at 

colette@tinnitus.org.uk or 0114 250 9933. 

* Diolch Cymru! = thank you, Wales! 

37

Achieving the 

GOLD STANDARD 

Gold Standard group facilitators with their award certificates. 

From left: Sheffield; Aintree (Liverpool); Chesterfield; Warwick; Keighley; Greenwich. 

Aston University has undertaken a review 

of tinnitus support groups which has given 

us an objective insight into what makes a 

group successful in helping people live well 

with tinnitus. 

As a result of this study, we have put 

together some criteria for groups to 

become what we are calling a ‘BTA Gold 

Standard’ tinnitus support group. These 

criteria are designed to ensure that groups 

are providing the best support possible to 

people with tinnitus in their area. 

We launched the Gold Standard at our 

conference in September and so far nine 

groups across the country have been 

successful in their applications for the 

Standard. 

Congratulations to the following groups: 

Aintree (Liverpool) 

Chesterfield 

Greenwich 

Keighley 

King's Lynn 

Sheffield 

Shropshire 

Telford 

Warwick 

Gold Standard 

Tinnitus Support 

Group 

If you run a group and are interested in 

finding out more about the Gold Standard 

and how you can apply, please contact 

Colette on colette@tinnitus.org.uk

SUPPORT GROUPS 

Scotland 

Edinburgh and SE Scotland 

Glasgow 

Northern Ireland 

Armagh and Dungannon 

Belfast 

Craigavon 

Derry/Londonderry 

Enniskillen 

Newry and Mourne 

Omagh 

North-West England & 

Isle of Man 

Aintree GOLD 

Blackpool 

Bolton 

Burnley NEW 

Bury 

Garstang 

Isle of Man 

Kendal 

Manchester 

Prestwich 

Runcorn 

Sandbach 

St Helens 

Stockport NEW 

Whitehaven NEW 

Widnes 

Wales 

Barry 

Brecon 

Cardigan 

Newport NEW 

North Wales (on hold) 

Pontyclun 

Pontypridd 

Rhondda 

Swansea 

Ystradgynlais NEW 

Meeting dates & venues 

South-East England 

Aldershot and District 

Ashford, Kent 

Brighton 

Canterbury 

Crowborough 

Dover 

Faversham 

Harpenden, Luton, St Albans 

Haywards Heath 

Hitchin and Stevenage 

Lyndhurst/New Forest 

Maidstone 

Marlow/Farnham Cmn 

Oxford 

Pembury (West Kent) 

Rochester 

Rye 

Salisbury 

Southampton 

Thanet 

Watford 

Worthing 

West Midlands 

Birmingham and District 

Newcastle under Lyme 

Shropshire GOLD 

Stoke on Trent 

Sutton Coldfield 

Telford GOLD 

Warwick GOLD 

Whitchurch 

South-West England 

Bournemouth and District 

Bristol 

Gloucester 

Kingsbridge and District 

Mid-Somerset 

Taunton 

Torbay 

Truro 

Find out when and where these groups meet by checking the Support 

Groups Directory online at www.tinnitus.org.uk/find-a-support-group 

or contact us on 0800 018 0527 or helpline@tinnitus.org.uk. 

North-East England 

Chester-le-Street 

Darlington 

Durham 

Newcastle 

Peterlee 

Yorkshire & Humber 

Bradford 

Keighley GOLD 

Leeds NEW 

Rotherham 

Rotherham Central 

Sheffield GOLD 

Wakefield 

York 

East Midlands 

Chesterfield GOLD 

Derby 

Leicester 

Lincoln 

Northampton 

Nottingham 

East of England 

Bury St Edmunds 

Cambridgeshire 

Chelmsford 

Colchester 

Ipswich 

King's Lynn GOLD 

Lowestoft 

Norwich/Norfolk 

Southend-on-Sea 

London (within M25) 

Bexley 

Boreham Wood 

Bromley 

Chiswick 

Greenwich GOLD 

Hornchurch 

Isleworth (West Middlesex) 

Kingston 

North London 

Orpington 

Redbridge 


aaudiology.org 

Save 

thedate 

17 th Annual Conference 

26-27 November 2020 

Manchester Central 

Convention Complex 

British Academy 

of Audiology 

baaudiology 

@BAAudiology

Quiet Issue 4 2019

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