«Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the absence of any corresponding external sound» – British Tinnitus Association
1 in 10 people in the UK suffer from Tinnitus, a condition in one or both ears or in the head when pressure changes from the interior ear are caused by intense exposure to loud sounds for example in clubs or gigs. This phantom sound is not there nor generated by any source sound system around your body. It happens unexpectedly as you might be sitting around people, when you suddenly hear nothing but a pure steady tone or ringing/high-pitched whining, electric buzzing, humming or whistling sounds in the background. Some auditory examples can be found on the Nottingham Hearing Biomedical Research Unit.
It severely affects the life of at least half a million people in the UK and the hearing damage ranges among individuals from mild to catastrophic – the person can never listen to silence again and it becomes unbearable, especially when trying to sleep. The person may feel afraid or gutted, and it can also result to hearing loss. Desperate patients in the UK ask for surgery to remove their auditory nerve, in other words to become deaf, instead of having to deal with the daily suffering of ringing ears. Of course, no surgeon have accepted to do that.
Many people are still unaware of the existence of Tinnitus and thus, are unable to prevent it by, for example, simply using specific earplugs for concerts. The University College London (UCL) has initiated a Tinnitus research program to understand how Tinnitus is generated and to look for a cure. There are theories suggesting therapeutic effects.
Musicians Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Bono, Will.i.am have all revealed their Tinnitus condition; Chris Martin from Coldplay along musician Plan B are also suffering from Tinnitus and have initiated a campaign to increase awareness.
Also, what about Ludwig Van Beethoven, and great painters Franscisco Goya and Vincent Van Gogh?
Polymnia Tsinti – Mediazone TV & Audio Lab Assistant
