Tinnitus and Relationships

Tinnitus is having a devastating effect on the relationships, sex lives and work lives of thousands of people in the UK, according to the results of a survey released today by leading charities RNID and the BTA (British Tinnitus Association).

A staggering 41% of those surveyed with tinnitus, said it had a negative effect on their personal relationships. 27% of those whose personal relationships have been affected by tinnitus believe it is because they have a reduced sex drive.

Results show that a lack of understanding from a partner is also a pertinent issue, as 39% of those whose personal relationships have been affected by tinnitus said that it is because their partner doesn't understand.

The online survey was carried out by RNID, the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, and the BTA (British Tinnitus Association), to mark the launch of the first ever National Tinnitus Week, 20 – 26 February 2006.

Tinnitus, which is experienced by 4.7 million people in the UK, is the term for any noise that people hear in one ear, both ears or in their head.* Many people who experience tinnitus feel there is a lack of understanding from others, and can feel isolated, as the findings of the survey illustrate.

The survey reveals that personal relationships aren't the only aspect of life that is affected for those with tinnitus. An astounding 42% of respondents said their tinnitus has a negative effect on their work life. Interestingly, 44% of those in work who haven't told their colleagues about their tinnitus said the reason was that they didn't think they would understand.

In addition, 23% of those who hadn't told their work colleagues about their tinnitus stated that the reason for this was that they are concerned it might affect their job prospects – a fact which should be acknowledged by employers, particularly when 22% of respondents thought that workplace noise caused their tinnitus.

Karen Brunger, RNID's Tinnitus & Audiology Information Officer, says: "The results of the survey confirm the devastating effect that tinnitus has on the relationships and work lives of thousands of people in the UK.

However, the good news is that there are things you can do to help manage the condition and we hope that National Tinnitus Week will help raise awareness of this. RNID and the BTA collectively receive 800 calls a month from people who experience tinnitus asking for information on how to manage the condition, details of local tinnitus clinics, and support groups in their area. For people who may be experiencing tinnitus for the first time, it can be very distressing and isolating."

When asked how tinnitus affects their personal relationships, 78% said they believe it is because they are more stressed. Ewart Davies Chairman of the BTA, says: "Although tinnitus is not life threatening, it can be very stressful and have an overwhelming affect on people’s lives, as the survey results show.

There are many ways to manage tinnitus, so the effect on people's lives can be greatly reduced. It is important for people who experience tinnitus to know that the BTA and RNID can offer the support and advice that is needed to take control of the condition."

It is essential that people whose tinnitus has such a huge affect on important aspects of their lives understand that support is available and they are not alone.

National Tinnitus Week aims to combat the feelings of isolation and anxiety people with tinnitus often experience, through raising awareness of the condition, and to help others around them understand how tinnitus can have an impact on their life.

It is important that people with tinnitus realise that their doctor can offer support by referring onto an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) department. The survey shows that 26% of people said they had not been to see their doctor about their tinnitus.

RNID and the BTA urge people to make an appointment to see their doctor if their tinnitus is having a negative impact on their everyday lives – they could be missing out on effective assessment and treatments which could give them the help they need to change the way it influences their lives.

There currently is no cure, but there are many ways to manage tinnitus through sound therapy, habituation therapy (this changes your sound response systems so that you gradually become less aware of the tinnitus), relaxation and hearing aids if a hearing loss is present.

HOW TO MANAGE TINNITUS:

Sound therapy:

Products are available through the RNID shop or the BTA office, which can help distract from tinnitus – for example the Tinnitus Relaxer, which has 7 different sounds such as Ocean and Rainforest, effectively fills the silence and distracts from tinnitus.

Relaxation:

A regular relaxation routine is helpful to manage the stress that is often associated with tinnitus – many people notice their tinnitus more if they are worried or tired. Relaxation CDs are available from RNID’s shop or the BTA office. Or why not try out meditation or yoga classes?

Hearing Aids:

Hearing aids can help if a person has some hearing loss. They stop the ears straining to hear, and pick up other sounds around which may distract from the tinnitus.

For advice on services and products available to cope with tinnitus please call the RNID Tinnitus Helpline on Telephone 0808 808 6666 Textphone 0808 808 0007 or e-mail tinnitushelpline@rnid.org.uk. Or call the BTA helpline on freephone 0800 018 0527. For further information visit www.rnid.org.uk (external link) and www.tinnitus.org.uk (external link). Products are available through the online shop at www.rnid.org.uk/shop (external link).

Lives 'devastated' by tinnitus - Geoff Adams-Spink - BBC News website age & disability correspondent

Almost 5m people are estimated to have tinnitus

Research into the effects of tinnitus - a buzzing or ringing in the ears - shows that it has a profound impact on all aspects of people's lives. The findings come from work carried out by two leading charities in the field of hearing loss.

More than 40% of the 900 surveyed said their condition had a negative effect on their personal relationships. And more than a quarter of those people blamed tinnitus for having a reduced sex drive. The research was carried out by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the British Tinnitus Association (BTA) and marks the beginning of the first National Tinnitus Week. Almost 900 people responded to an online survey.

It is estimated that 4.7m people in the UK experience tinnitus in one or both ears. The survey results show that - of those who said their personal relationships were affected by tinnitus - almost 40% felt that a lack of understanding from a partner contributed to the problem.

People with tinnitus also felt the condition had an adverse effect on their professional lives. More than 40% said this was the case, and almost half of them had not told their colleagues because they did not think that they would understand. Nearly a quarter of those who had not told colleagues thought that declaring tinnitus could affect their job prospects. And workplace noise was blamed for the onset of tinnitus by more than 20% of respondents.

"The results of the survey confirm the devastating effect that tinnitus has on the relationships and work lives of thousands of people in the UK," said Karen Brunger, RNID's tinnitus and audiology information officer. "However, the good news is that they are things that you can do to help manage the condition."

The RNID and BTA hope that National Tinnitus Week will help to raise awareness among those who have the condition as well as their friends, families and colleagues. The organisations currently receive around 800 calls a month from people asking for information on how to deal with tinnitus. "Although tinnitus is not life-threatening, it can be very stressful," said BTA chairman, Ewart Davies.

"It is important for people to know that the BTA and RNID can offer the support and advice that is needed to take control of the condition." As well as contacting the BTA and RNID, people with the condition are being urged to seek help from their family doctor who can refer them to a ear, nose and throat specialist. Although tinnitus cannot be cured, it can be managed by using sound therapy to distract people from the buzzing or ringing, or habituation therapy to alter sound response systems.

People are also advised to practise relaxation and to consider using a hearing aid if they also suffer hearing loss.

Paul Tobey's powerful tinnitus healing methods.

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One thing that really stuck out in my conversation with Paul was his philosophy of focusing on what you want spiritually, mentally and emotionally and how the physical changes will follow. This is a guy who's just walked over 800 kilometres on a trek through Spain over 60 days. Paul filmed about 60 hours of footage along the Camino de Santiago for one of his documentary projects. This was a journey of personal development for Paul and when you read his eBook you will see the sheer simplicity and beauty of Paul's methods of dealing with Tinnitus.

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This seminar was recorded on March 14th 2008, when Paul Tobey appeared as guest speaker at the Canadian Hearing Society's London Tinnitus Treatment Support Group. Click here to find out more.