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'You can’t escape it': Tinnitus sufferer Claire calls for action




Claire was diagnosed with the condition in July 2019
Claire was diagnosed with the condition in July 2019

AN Ashley mum has spoken of her daily struggles with tinnitus to raise awareness of the debilitating condition.

Mum-of-two Claire Eveleigh (34) recently recorded a film for the British Tinnitus Association as part of a high-profile national campaign calling on the government to invest more money in finding a cure for the condition.

Speaking as part of National Tinnitus Week which is running until Sunday 9th February, Claire recalled that when she was first diagnosed in July last year, her mental health was badly affected.

She said: “We had been for a very rare night out, and when we got home we put the music on very loud – but it was only for a couple of minutes.

“The tinnitus came on very suddenly – it is a low droning rumble which is intermittent and then there is a high-pitched hiss which is pretty much all the time.”

Claire initially went to see her GP and was told not to worry and that it would pass in a couple of weeks.

She said: “It carried on. I went back to my GP several times and was eventually diagnosed with tinnitus, and referred to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist and a tinnitus clinic. None of it was much help, really, and people were quite dismissive.

“It was very hard at first. I could not come to terms with it and felt suicidal by September. I had been on a lot of forums and read too much, I think.

“I felt like I couldn’t be the mum I needed to be for my two children – they needed me and I couldn’t be there for them and it really frightened me. I started to feel like they would be better off without me and I was prescribed anti-depressants to cope with it.”

However, for Claire, who is mum to nine-month-old Piper and Lloyd (3), it was joining from the New Forest Tinnitus Support Group at Lyndhurst which really helped her come to terms with the condition.

She said: “At the moment there is no cure, so it is just a matter of acceptance. I have had the condition for eight months now so it is very unlikely that it will just stop – that glimmer of hope is fading.

“But through the group I have meet up with other tinnitus suffers which is a huge support. I have started yoga and mindful meditation which really helps to keep my anxiety down.”

In the UK there are estimated to be more than seven million people who suffer from tinnitus – for some with the condition the constant noise they hear can be as loud as a jet engine, dentist drill or fire alarm.

Research from the British Tinnitus Association has shown that the condition can lead to mental health issues with one in seven reporting suicidal thoughts. For others it has a major impact on their social life and career.

Claire said: “I am probably the youngest person who goes to the support group but I think there are probably many others out there who are suffering alone.

“I really wanted to make the film to show people that there is support out there – and although it can feel incredibly lonely, they are not alone.

“Being part of the support group really helped pick me up and get me going in the right direction. There are other people out there who have it even worse than me and they are learning to live with it, so it is possible.

“For me, my children have also become my distraction – I am completely devoted to them and we are always out keeping busy at the Forest or the beach. I have to keep myself busy.”

Claire, who has recently returned from maternity leave as a hairdresser, says work is also a good way to keep herself occupied. She said: “I enjoy being busy and keeping myself active – having something to focus on helps me.

“You have to train yourself not to hear the noise all the time, and there is a lot of support you can have from therapists and counsellors. But it is still difficult to accept that I’ll have these noises in my head for the rest of my life. You can’t escape it, it’s with you everywhere you go, all day long.

“This is why more funding into tinnitus research is vital, as currently there just aren’t enough options for people like me.”

The British Tinnitus Association is now calling on the government to increase investment into the condition in the hope of finding a cure.

British Tinnitus Association chief executive David Stockdale said: “It is a travesty that tinnitus – with its huge mental health impact – receives 40 times less funding than comparable conditions.

“Yet our committed research community has made great strides in recent years to bring us to the edge of major progress. We need to seize this opportunity by making the investment needed to grow the field and make the huge leaps forward that are so important to people with tinnitus.

“These calls, made at the start of Tinnitus Week, are informed by discussions with researchers, funders, clinicians and people with tinnitus and they are supported by politicians from across the political spectrum.

"It’s time for the government to listen up and invest in tinnitus to help improve mental health and quality of life for millions of people.”

For more information and support visit the British Tinnitus Association website at www.tinnitus.org.uk or call their helpline on 0800 018 0527.



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