We’re Together for Tinnitus this Tinnitus Awareness Week 6-12 February 2017

All three businesses within Mary Hare Hearing Services (Arlington Laboratories, the Hearing Aid Repair Shop and Mary Hare Hearing Centre) are supporting Tinnitus Awareness Week 6-12 February 2017.

The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Together for Tinnitus’. And the aim is to generate discussion about tinnitus and to raise awareness of the work being carried out and the support that’s available for people with the condition.

During the week, the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) will be launching their official ‘Tinnitus Guidance for GPs’ document which will provide the most up-to-date information on how people suffering with tinnitus can best be helped from diagnosis through to self-help management of the condition. The BTA will also be promoting their new online resource for people newly diagnosed with tinnitus - Take on Tinnitus. Take on Tinnitus is designed to give people with tinnitus facts and ideas for things they can do to manage tinnitus and is an ideal resource for GPs to suggest to new tinnitus patients.

So what is tinnitus?

The word 'tinnitus' comes from the Latin word for 'ringing' and is the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound.

Everybody's experience of tinnitus is different. Some people hear ringing, or buzzing, while others hear whooshing or humming. The noise may be low, medium or high‑pitched. There may be a single noise or two or more components. And the noise may be continuous or it may come and go.

Tinnitus is very common and is reported in all age groups, even young children. About 30% of people will experience tinnitus at some point in their lives, but the number of people who live with persistent tinnitus is approximately 10%.

Tinnitus is more common in people who have hearing loss or other ear problems, but it can also be found in people with normal hearing.

Although we don't know the exact causes of tinnitus, we know that it is not a disease or an illness. It is generally agreed that tinnitus results from some type of change, either mental or physical, not necessarily related to hearing. It is often associated with:

• Hearing loss
• Exposure to loud noise
• Stress and anxiety
• Ear infections

Protection against hearing damage

One of the best ways to prevent tinnitus is to protect your ears from loud noise. So if you’re exposed to loud sound, as a result of occupational or recreational activity, protection against hearing damage is essential.

Arlington Laboratories offers a wide range of specialised hearing protection products for use in a variety of situations including; playing music (e.g. in a band or orchestra), listening to music or gaming, working in a noisy environment, shooting etc.

What to do if you already have tinnitus

Talk to your GP or our expert team at Mary Hare Hearing Centre. You may need to be referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon or an Audiovestibular Physician.