London man’s fifty-year fight with tinnitus
10 July 2008
John Hanaway, of Finchley, London, is nearly 70 years old. In the early 1950s, having just become a teenager, he was diagnosed with tinnitus. Living in Ireland and suffering from tuberculosis, in those days there was only one medicine guaranteed to cure it – streptomycin. Unfortunately, its side effect was deafness.
When John started showing signs of hearing impairment, the doctors cut short the duration of the medication to four instead of the full six months. It left him with partial hearing, and tinnitus.
“I’ve lived with it for so many years, I’ve learnt to block it out most of the time,” says John. “But it never goes away. It’s like the constant ringing of a small, sharp bell. When I get tired or depressed, the tinnitus gets worse. I experimented with alcohol a few years ago to try to dull the sound, but I quickly discovered that drinking too much actually makes it worse.”
It’s music that the retired accountant misses the most. He can’t hear certain sounds, like the strains of a violin, so has given up listening to classical music entirely. But jazz he can follow and even enjoy to some extent.
John is unhappy about the lack of help and support he has received from the health service and medical professionals, fueled he believes by a lack of awareness. “Doctors have no idea what it is. ENT specialists don’t understand tinnitus and so they don’t want to talk about it. At every hearing test they are surprised that I can still hear. It’s only because I’ve got a little bit of hearing left in my right ear that I can use the telephone and have a conversation. Otherwise, I would not have been able to have a career in accountancy. I’ve succeeded very well in ignoring the tinnitus sounds, but only through my own determination,” says the Londoner.
John bemoans the lack of funding for research into a cure for this complex condition, which could ultimately alleviate the suffering of millions of people. “There’s got be a cure, although I’ve given up hope for myself. There needs to be more awareness and understanding of tinnitus, so that people who live with it don’t feel like they’re forgotten,” he adds.
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: “Nearly 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,” she added.
Deafness Research UK has produced a useful guide called ‘Managing Tinnitus’. To receive a copy telephone 0808 808 2222 or email info@deafnessresearch.org.uk. For information on research into deafness and other hearing conditions, log on to the website, www.deafnessresearch.org.uk.
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Ref: DRUK0055 - John Hanaway
