It’s Tinnitus Awareness Week from February 6-10 and worryingly, the prevalence of tinnitus in the UK is rising and now stands at 1 in 7 of the population.
This event is organised every year by the British Tinnitus Association, which earlier this month relaunched as Tinnitus UK.
We are a corporate member of Tinnitus UK and Fiona Idriss, our senior audiologist with a special interest in tinnitus, explains where risks exist and how we can support you to protect the thousands of delicate microscopic receptor cells and nerve fibres in your hearing pathway, avoiding unnecessary damage.
Work-related noise exposure:
Exposure to high levels of noise, above 85dBA, either continuously or as a sudden impact, can have physiological and psychological effects, including stress, tinnitus and permanent hearing loss.
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 came into force for many industries in Great Britain on April 6, 2006 and April 6, 2008 for the music and entertainment industries. The Health and Safety Executive website has several useful tools to help you calculate if you are at risk. HSE – Noise: Regulations
Day-to-day noise exposure
Daily damaging levels of sound can originate from live music, shooting, using DIY power tools and lawn mowers, riding motorbikes, attending motor-racing events and listening to loud music through headphones and in enclosed spaces such as cars where subwoofers have been fitted.
How can we help?
Hearing protection
Our audiologists can advise on hearing risks and provide an extensive range of hearing protection, including custom-made filtered ear plugs for musicians, ear defenders for shooting, DIY and work, and extremely comfortable sleep buds for nights when your partner is snoring. Record peak levels for snoring have been recorded above 85dBA!
Tinnitus management and hearing aids
Anyone suffering with tinnitus, needing general advice or targeted tinnitus therapy, can ask to see me in our tinnitus and sound sensitivity clinic at The Chaucer Hospital in Canterbury.
I am happy to offer an initial short telephone advice session, which is free, followed, where necessary, by full assessment and hearing and tinnitus management plans.
Most patients with hearing loss and tinnitus benefit from using hearing aids, which are available with integrated sound therapy programs. We look forward to helping you look after your wellbeing.
During Tinnitus Awareness Week Tinnitus UK will run a campaign to raise awareness of tinnitus prevention and support those working and living in noisy environments where hearing is at risk. Excessive noise exposure often culminates in noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
Tinnitus UK will run webinars and promote awareness via its website here, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and national media.
Ring us on 0800 028 6179 or email admin@hearbase.com to arrange an appointment with Fiona if you need help with your tinnitus
