Tinnitus has ruined my life, says Hull man
Karl Holtby of Hull has had tinnitus for over a decade. For most of that time the noises in his ears were just a gentle, bearable buzzing, but he was still able to live his life normally.


    SHEFFIELD, UK, November 14, 2008 /United Kingdom News Articles/ -- Karl barely noticed the condition until around twelve months ago when it took a turn for the worse and the noises in his ears suddenly became much louder for no apparent reason. Now the 34-year-old has been left to wrestle with an incurable condition which is seemingly impossible to treat.
"It gives me so many sleepless nights," Karl says. "There's not only the lack of sleep to deal with, but the feeling of sheer despair that goes hand in hand with tinnitus. It can be unbearable."

Karl is a project engineer, but tinnitus has forced him to take time off work. "I have been utterly exhausted though lack of sleep. Thankfully my job isn't too physical, or the tinnitus might have been even more of a hindrance," Karl says. "My GP won't give me sleeping pills as they are considered to be addictive. I have seen several ENT specialists and they all advise the same old relaxation methods which do help to a certain extent, but I am pretty much left to my own devices."
Karl's exhaustion also led to a decline in his fitness, as he rarely has the energy to continue his exercise regime. "Until twelve months ago, I was racing mountain bikes to a very high standard and training in the gym every day at 7am. All that fitness has gone now. I still have occasional good days, but that's hard to live with - I'm used to feeling very strong and being 100% fit all of the time."

Like many other sufferers of tinnitus, Karl finds himself avoiding going out, especially if he has had a bad week. He maintains that nobody can understand tinnitus unless they have experienced it at first-hand. "It is difficult to explain to people that haven't suffered from the effects and symptoms of tinnitus," he says. "More awareness needs to be made of this most debilitating condition and more research undertaken."

Commenting on Karl's situation, Geraldine Oliver from the Deafness Research UK Information Service, said: "Karl seems typical of many people with tinnitus that, even having sought medical help, he still has not been offered treatments that should be available on the NHS. This bears out the findings of a Deafness Research UK survey in which we found that over three quarters (76%) of people who sought help from the NHS for their tinnitus had not received any of the generally accepted treatments."

Deafness Research UK is the country's only charity dedicated to finding new cures, treatments and technologies for the deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired people including tinnitus sufferers. Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: "Almost five million people in the UK are affected by tinnitus and it can have a devastating effect on their quality of life. Not enough is known about this very complex condition and we are determined to do something about it. We are committed to funding leading edge research and providing practical information to health professionals for the benefit of sufferers."

For more information on tinnitus and research into deafness and other hearing conditions, log on to the website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk where you can access a wide range of information. People can call the Deafness Research UK freephone helpline on 0808 808 2222, or e-mail info@deafnessresearch.org.uk

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