Niagara Falls

Zelda Nicholls, 70, from Lowestoft, has experienced tinnitus for as long as she can remember.

She has always suffered from ENT (ear, nose and throat) problems and, despite the worsening of her tinnitus in later life, has learnt to cope with it in the best way that she can.

"I had a major operation when I was 12 years old, and this is my first recollection of having tinnitus – it may have been earlier than this, but, because I was being treated for other ENT-related problems, the focus wasn't on tinnitus at the time.

"Since then it has always been a part of my life – I have a continuous loud sound in my right ear (I also have a hearing loss in that ear) which I would describe as sounding like Niagara Falls. More recently, this has sometimes been accompanied by two new sounds, which are like marching soldiers and the sound of a tumbledryer.

"I have tried various aids such as a pillow speaker, which, although it didn't work for me, I would definitely recommend to other people, and hearing aids, which I found too uncomfortable to wear. However, I do find that any background noise, such as a radio or the washing machine helps to distract me from my tinnitus."