Released on = July 2, 2007, 6:58 am

Press Release Author = BeyondPR

Industry = Healthcare

Press Release Summary = Geoffrey Bunstone of Chester, Cheshire, has been living with
tinnitus for 10 years. He can't escape the constant ringing in his ears; there is no
cure to help the 64-year-old.

Press Release Body = Geoffrey Bunstone of Chester, Cheshire, has been living with
tinnitus for 10 years. He can't escape the constant ringing in his ears; there is no
cure to help the 64-year-old. Even his senses of smell and taste have diminished
with the onset of tinnitus. As he tries to cope with the symptom, he is frustrated
with the lack of awareness, support and treatment for sufferers and believes there
is a shortage of funding for research.

Geoffrey was a member of a band in his younger days. He then moved on to career in
construction. Added to the daily noises his ears were subjected to was the humming
of air conditioners, a result of often working abroad in hot countries. Sometime in
1997, he realised in a quiet moment that the ringing in his ears refused to stop. "I
knew it was tinnitus. I had a terrible sense of foreboding. I met a man many years
ago who told me of his similar problem. I had felt truly sorry for him. Imagine
always having sounds in your head that you can't do anything about," recalls
Geoffrey.

Visits to the doctor led to several tests, which confirmed his worst suspicions. He
was prescribed hearing aids a couple of years ago, but that only made matters worse.
"It just made other sounds louder. Even my voice echoed in my head. So I took them
off," says Geoffrey.

An appalling lack of interest and concern for hearing impairments had meant little
or no research into this field, which has left sufferers largely coping with it
themselves, he laments. "It's not like losing an arm or having your eye out.
Blindness is an important condition, but deafness just seems to be far down the
priority list. Tinnitus is even lower. No one seems to care. It's not commercial or
important enough to merit funding."

Over the years, Geoffrey has come up with his own methods through trial and error to
help him deal with this life-long symptom. Driving and tiredness worsen the
tinnitus, while a good night's sleep and a stress-free lifestyle improve it. "I
don't actively avoid going out, but I don't enjoy going to pubs or restaurants
anymore. I just can't take loud noises any longer," he explains.

Keeping busy is the key. "It's difficult at first, when you realise you have to live
with this symptom. How do I deal with it? I try not to think about it all the time
and I keep active with other things. That is my only solace," adds Geoffrey.

The UK-based charity Action for Tinnitus Research focuses on funding medical and
scientific research in pursuit of a cure and raising awareness is a key part of its
work. Operations director Nick Doughty said: "It is estimated that over five million
people in the UK are affected by tinnitus and it can have a devastating effect on
their quality of life. Not enough information is available about the very complex
symptom and we are one of the few organisations 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," he added.

For more information on Action for Tinnitus Research, logon to the website at
www.tinnitus-research.org, e-mail help@tinnitus-research.org or telephone 0115 925 4065


Web Site = http://www.tinnitus-research.org

Contact Details = Barbara Bassa
BeyondPR, Unit 26, President Way, Sheffield, S4 7UR
barbara.bassa@beyondpr.co.uk