Tinnitus Survey Seeks Answers To Hearing Loss
The British Tinnitus Association and the National Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing (NBRUH) are inviting people to take part in an online survey which will ask questions about tinnitus, a short term or permanent hearing loss condition affecting around 10 per cent of the UK adult population.
Overseen by James Lind Alliance, an independent non-profit making initiative, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), those who take part in the survey will be asked what they think are the ‘unanswered questions’ about ‘’tinnitus assessment, diagnosis and treatment’.
Although possible physical causes can be attributed to high blood pressure /cholesterol and diabetes to middle ear infections/blockages or inner ear tumours, many questions concerning tinnitus related to hearing damage remain unanswered.
Tinnitus is also recognised as often being symptom of an underlying and deteriorating hearing loss, and chronic bouts can result in severe headaches, migraines, insomnia, and anxiety. However, there is no known cure for tinnitus, despite continued research in the UK and other countries. Most treatments are simply aimed at improving quality of life and lending support to help victims recover health and sense of wellbeing.
It has been recognised that men and women who are regularly exposed to excessive noise levels, most often in the workplace, can experience episodes of tinnitus as being the early symptoms of a more serious noise induced hearing loss. When tinnitus is not diagnosed and treated properly, it can eventually lead to a more significant loss of hearing ability.
Trying to better understand the effectiveness of current care practice from assessment to treatment is vital to assist researchers to investigate the most important issues to patients, as well as medical teams. The survey is intended to increase awareness of why research into tinnitus is necessary and important to address the current questions that cannot be currently answered by existing research.
The Royal National Institute of the Deaf (RNID) estimate that seven million people in the UK have experienced tinnitus at “one time or another”. The majority of cases are known to be caused by disruption in the function of the delicate hair cells of the inner ear, which triggers ‘heard’ sounds, such as whistling or ringing, and can be aggravated by stress.
The BTA survey ends on 28th February 2012. For more information: http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/JLA or if you have any questions about the project please contact The British Tinnitus Association: info@tinnitus.org.uk. Telephone: 0114 250 9933.