Tinnitus: The Facts
In the news this week was the sad story of Robert McIndoe, 52, who committed suicide following just a few months of suffering from tinnitus. Tinnitus is a condition suffered by approximately ten percent of the population, with one percent being so badly affected by it that their quality of life is severely affected. It is usually experienced as a ringing sound in one or both ears but can also be heard as many different sorts of sounds. The sounds are auditory illusions in that they don’t come from any outside source, but to the sufferer they are very real indeed and interrupt sleep and make it hard to hear or concentrate during the day.
It’s usually caused when the nerves in the inner ear are damaged. The nerves send information to the brain that doesn’t relate to real sounds and the brain doesn’t understand what it’s being told, perceiving ringing or other sounds. It can also be caused by some medical conditions and can be a side effect of certain drugs, so if you are suffering it is worth getting the cause checked out. For poor Robert McIndoe, his problem started after he went to a rock concert this summer. According to his wife at the inquest, he was angry with himself for not having worn earplugs, which could have easily prevented the problem. His wife said, “When it first happened he wasn’t too bothered about it because he thought it would subside, and the friend he had been with also had ringing in his ears that day. But it was a constant irritation. He didn’t get a night of sleep after that. He was very distressed saying he couldn’t go on. It was awful, he looked terrible, and he just felt so bad all the time. He was desperate that it was never going to change – he didn’t know if he could live like this.”
There’s limited treatment available unless there’s a medical/medicine-related cause that can be addressed. Mostly, it is a question of managing the condition. There are devices available that mask the sound by creating other, real sounds (usually white noise); relaxation techniques might be effective in that stress tends to make the symptoms worse. Limiting caffeine and alcohol is also thought to help. Tinnitus can lead to depression, which is a condition that really must be addressed properly through therapy and medication. Robert McIndoe’s wife told his inquest that he had had inadequate support from professionals in managing his tinnitus.
