MICHELLE Meek, 41, can vividly remember the day that her life suddenly changed. “It came on suddenly. I can remember it exactly,” she says.
“I was just going about my everyday business, doing housework, when I heard a noise that sounded like Morse code.
“I looked everywhere to find where the noise was coming from – until I realised it was coming from my right ear.”
Meek was suffering from tinnitus, a condition which affects more than five million people in the UK, according to the British Tinnitus Association.
Meek’s GP advised the medical laboratory assistant to wait three weeks to see if the noises passed. They didn’t.
The Morse code-like sound continued to tap away, day and night, offering no respite. As the weeks wore on, so did her fatigue.
“I started to have panic attacks and dreaded going to bed because the noise would just get louder,” she says.
“I felt like my world was falling apart. I couldn’t work and didn’t want to leave the house. I just wanted to go to sleep and wake up and have the whole thing be over with.”
Meek still believed that the constant tap-tapping in her ear might be linked to a viral infection she had picked up in the pathology lab where she worked.
But a visit to an ear, noise and throat (ENT) specialist a few weeks later confirmed that, sadly, her condition could become permanent.
Tinnitus is a condition with no exact cause and no cure, according to Dr Ewart Davies, of the British Tinnitus Association.
“The most common cause of tinnitus is deafness, which can be brought about by old age or any kind of damage – caused by sound, industry or even antibiotics,” he explains before the beginning of Tinnitus Awareness Week, on February 8-14.
“But in about a third of cases, the patients have ‘perfect’ hearing.”
Meek attributes her tinnitus to stress, which the BTA agrees can cause or exacerbate 75% of cases.
Other emotional and physical factors, such as bad news, head injuries, illnesses such as colds and flu, and injuries to the head and neck have also been linked to the onset of tinnitus.
The BTA is particularly concerned about the effect listening to loud music can have on our ear health.
Noise levels at gigs, concerts and clubs regularly exceed the recommended decibel limit of 85dB, and hearing damage has been linked to tinnitus.
The charity advises music lovers to wear earplugs at gigs and lower the volume on their music players.
Neither an illness nor a disease, tinnitus sufferers have the sensation of hearing a noise that seems external but actually originates in the brain. It can affect anyone, from children to the elderly.
“Some patients report ringing, buzzing, whistling or a sort of electric motor sound,” says Dr Davies.
“But all different sorts of noises can be detected, and it’s almost impossible to find two people who report the same sound.”
The exact cause of tinnitus is unknown, but a number of health conditions can worsen it. In many cases, it can be attributed to inner-ear cell damage.
Tiny hairs in the inner ear detect sound waves and connect to nerves in the brain. There, they are interpreted, via electrical impulses, as sound. If those hairs are damaged in any way, they can send random electrical impulses to the brain which cause tinnitus.
While there is no magic pill to prevent those impulses, certain therapies – such as cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation techniques and noise therapy – have been known to help.
“Your first step in recovery is learning more about the condition, because you realise that it’s quite common and that a lot of people go through what you’re going through,” says Meek, who, eight months on, has discovered that her tinnitus is much more manageable than before.
Noise therapy, which consists of listening to white noise for a few hours every day, helped Meek retrain her brain to block out the constant Morse code, while a pillow speaker and relaxation CD allow her to fall asleep at night.
As her coping methods have changed, so too have the sounds she hears.
“Sometimes, I hear a little squeaking noise instead of the Morse code now.
“But, interestingly, I have noise in my other ear now, too, a constant electrical hum – and both get worse if I’m poorly or stressed, which is a typical complaint of the condition.”
Meek, who has since returned to work, now supports patients recently diagnosed with tinnitus and actively advises her 14-year-old son to be wary of the effects of listening to music too loudly on his iPod.
“I’m ever hopeful for a cure, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that my tinnitus might never go away,” she says.
“That said, I’d really like to have my silence back.”
Wear hearing protection, such as earplugs, if you are exposed to high noise levels on a regular basis.
If you work in a noisy environment, take a 10-minute break every hour to give your ears some rest.
Drink plenty of fluids – dehydration has a detrimental effect on inner-ear function.
Limit your listening time and volume on personal music players.
Use a hearing aid.
“If you have a hearing deficit, a hearing aid will almost universally improve your hearing and decrease the intensity of the tinnitus,” says Dr Davies.
Avoid silence.
“At no time should you be in a silent room reading a book. Put on some gentle music to help the brain focus on something other than the tinnitus,” says Dr Davies.
Engage in relaxation therapies.
“Cognitive behavioural therapy, relaxation therapy and sound therapy can all help the patient, and in some cases, the patient may find that the tinnitus goes away,” says Dr Davies.
For more information about Tinnitus Awareness Week, February 8-14, visit www.tinnitus.org.uk, or call 0800 018 0527.