Released on: July 10, 2008, 3:10 am

Press Release Author: BeyondPR

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: Ngaire Lowndes of London has suffered from a constant high
frequency ringing sound in her ears for four years.

Press Release Body: Ngaire Lowndes of London has suffered from a constant high
frequency ringing sound in her ears for four years. It gets worse in the evening
when she is trying to relax and also when she is stressed, tired or angry, and
particularly when she is exposed to any loud noise. Ngaire thinks that the tinnitus
may be a result of her former occupation; she was a freelance legal secretary and
paralegal, but had to give it up when she became unable to undertake even short-term
assignments due to the hearing fatigue caused by the heavy load of audio-typing that
is the legal secretary's lot.

"It's not just hearing a voice in your ears for eight hours a day that does the
damage, but actively listening, deciphering and then typing dictation, which is not
always clearly or consistently delivered. I've worked for solicitors who were so
horrendously bad at maintaining a consistent volume of dictation, who mumbled or
shouted, or simply spoke very badly, that I would have to listen to phrases three or
four times over just to understand what they were trying to say. Multiply that to
fill a working day, and are you surprised that tinnitus is extremely common in older
legal secretaries?

"I used to work in central London and was very accustomed to the rhythm of the city,
but now I have no confidence in coping with it. I'm lucky that I can now work from
home, but have had to accept a huge drop in income," explains 53-year-old
linguistics consultant, Ngaire. "I've had to give up other things too: I used to
sing in a large choir, which I loved, but the sound levels generated in performance
overwhelmed my hearing. I couldn't pitch my voice accurately or hear what I was
supposed to be singing. As a classically trained singer and musician, this was a big
loss." It is a long time since Ngaire has been to a concert or to the theatre in
London, not only because of the noise during shows, but also because of the strain
of getting there and back.

She also misses playing the piano - even such a pleasant sound causes problems for
her ears.
"I actively avoid gatherings now, where the noise will be above a certain level. I
have a friend's wedding coming up, but after the ceremony and the meal - when the
disco starts - I'll have to leave, because even if it's music that I love, my ears
will ring tenfold for days afterwards. It's like the aural equivalent of headlight
dazzle; loud music becomes a blur of sound." said Ngaire.

Ngaire has had a hearing test at her local audiology department where it was
confirmed that she had no hearing loss but that she definitely had tinnitus. The
advice was to avoid loud noise wherever possible and so she has invested in some
earplugs. No support or treatment was offered and Ngaire was told by a sympathetic
audiologist that nothing could be done to cure the tinnitus. The ringing does stop
completely when she is swimming underwater, but this is not exactly a practical
solution to the problem. Ngaire welcomes the idea of more research being carried out
to develop new methods of treatment. "Keep scouting round and testing anything,
however loopy it seems - something, someday, must work," she urges. "It would also
be valuable for non-afflicted people to realise that tinnitus is exhausting. It
takes away your concentration and makes going out anywhere a tiring ordeal," she
adds.

"I've become quite a hermit compared to my previous life and there's really nothing
I can do about it. I greatly miss listening to music and taking part in it, and I
tend to communicate with the world via email. I'm not at all deaf - quite the
opposite, but I often have to ask people to repeat themselves. If conversations
aren't short and purposeful, I have difficulty focusing on them."

Deafness Research UK is the country\'s only charity dedicated to finding new cures,
treatments and technologies for the deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired
people including tinnitus sufferers.

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: "Nearly five
million people in the UK are affected by tinnitus and it can have a devastating
effect on their quality of life. Not enough is known about this very complex
condition and we are 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," she added.

'Deafness Research UK has produced a useful guide called 'Managing Tinnitus'. To
receive a copy telephone 0808 808 2222 or email info@deafnessresearch.org.uk. For
information on research into deafness and other hearing conditions, log on to the
website, www.deafnessresearch.org.uk'
ENDS




Web Site: http://www.beyondpr.co.uk

Contact Details: Press enquiries
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jon.gardner@beyondpr.co.uk
Ref: DRUK0057 - Ngaire Lowndes