Let’s Make Noise about Hearing Noise - Tinnitus Awareness

Let’s Make Noise about Hearing Noise  - Tinnitus Awareness

The 5-11 February is Tinnitus Awareness Week, a cause we are keen to promote at Norrie Waite & Slater as we know it is a condition that affects the daily lives of our clients as well as millions of people worldwide.

The purpose of the awareness week is to help to educate people about the symptoms of Tinnitus, the effects it has on people and to promote any help and support available to Tinnitus sufferers.

Ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or other noises in the ears are symptoms described by people living with Tinnitus. The noises being heard are only heard by the person suffering with the symptoms and are not made by any external noise source.  The noises may come and go or may be permanent and they are often noticed more in a quiet environment, such as when people go to bed at night.  Symptoms can affect one ear or both ears and are categorised as mild, moderate or severe.  The symptoms can be annoying and distracting and in severe cases can affect a person’s mental health.

Causes

There are a variety of causes of Tinnitus, such as age, medical problems such as an ear infection or can be caused due to prolonged excessive exposure to noise at work. You may also experience Tinnitus following an acoustic shock (a sudden, brief, unexpected, usually high-pitched loud noise). You should speak to your Doctor if you are suffering from the symptoms of Tinnitus or any hearing related issues.

Employers have a duty to assess the noise levels in workplaces and to provide adequate hearing protection and training but many employers do not follow the regulations, often damaging the hearing of their employees and in some cases leaving them with Tinnitus.   Examples of very noisy workplaces are foundries, factories with loud machinery, construction or highway maintenance or anywhere where lots of loud machinery or power tools such as jigger picks are being used.

Help Available

Relaxation/meditation can be found to help Tinnitus as well as background noise from a radio.  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy may help in more severe cases and there are certain aids available such as maskers which provide white noise to help with the symptoms of Tinnitus.

Tinnitus UK offer online support groups which may help you if you are affected by the condition, offering help, advice and general support.  Their web address is:

https://tinnitus.org.uk/

At Norrie Waite & Slater we may be able to assist you with your Tinnitus or with Noise Induced Hearing Loss. We can claim compensation for your injuries and in addition seek to recover the costs of any hearing aids or other treatment you may have had.

Call Sarah Tagg our specialist on 0114 276 6166 to see if she can assist you.

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