12th September 2016
Like most people, Sam Parr had heard of tinnitus but never given much thought to the condition. Married with two children aged 4 and 6, Sam is an active and successful executive. However, what at first appeared to be a routine illness 3 years ago led to life-changing events. This is his story.
In May 2013, I developed a severe middle ear infection. The infection came completely out of the blue, and developed suddenly and before I knew it, I was in hospital with a blood clot on the brain. This is apparently very rare and I had already been admitted to hospital when the clot led to a seizure and an emergency operation. The clot was removed and another procedure called a mastoidectomy was carried out to resolve the ear infection. Unfortunately, that was not the end of my surgical experiences. Whilst in recovery, the infection spread to the front lobe of my brain and into my skull bone and I had to have another operation to remove part of my skull.
Given the dramatic and sudden nature of my illness, I’m not sure at what point I became aware of the ringing in my ears. I was told that it was due to some nerves being cut during the first operation and that there was a risk that I would lose my hearing. Luckily, my hearing did come back although I have lost certain high pitch frequencies. However, I do now have a constant loud high-pitched ringing in my right ear.
I had heard of tinnitus before but had not spent much time thinking about what it would be like or the effect it could have. After my operation, I was referred to a hearing specialist in the hospital who provided me with background information on tinnitus but not much more. Back at home, I found that the tinnitus made it very difficult to relax – as if I couldn’t switch off. The concept of “quiet time” became a thing of the past as the ringing was always present, sometimes in the background, but sometimes it could be quite over-powering. It can be very tiring when you can’t relax and this added to my stress levels.
I tried background music to overcome it and I tried and still use meditation, but after living with the ringing for over a year and realising that it was not getting any better, my wife insisted that I get help. That help came in the form of ReSound LiNX². ReSound LiNX² combines sound therapy with a small digital hearing aid. A significant proportion of people with tinnitus also have a hearing loss and often treating the hearing loss itself can have a positive impact on the tinnitus. I never liked the idea of wearing a hearing aid as I felt they were bulky and as someone in my thirties, I was self-conscious about wearing one. But ultimately, my need was greater than my reservations. Actually, the device is so small no one can notice and even if it wasn’t, the benefits it brings far outweigh any doubts I previously had. It enables me to play personalised sound therapy directly into my ears to divert my attention away from the tinnitus. I guess in essence, it helps to quieten the ringing for me.
The result is that I am able to relax better and forget about it so I can get on with my life. It is especially useful when I use it in conjunction with meditation. I know it is unlikely that the ringing will ever go away but it’s a great relief to have a tool that can sooth it when it is especially bad or when I am stressed. I would definitely recommend it to other people.