You might have seen lots of news articles about Tinnitus this week, because it’s Tinnitus Awareness Week. Tinnitus is when we hear sounds and noises that are produced within our body rather than outside (e.g. from someone talking to us).

There is no specific cause for Tinnitus, but it can affect hundreds of people each year. Many people will experience different noises/sounds but many tell us that Tinnitus sounds like this:

• A humming or whistling sound
• A whooshing noise like being under water
• A hissing sound
• A buzzing noise
• Ringing in the ears

It’s important to seek medical advice if you think you might have Tinnitus to rule out other things such as a head injury or an ear infection. You should always speak to your GP or call NHS 111.

Tinnitus is a physical health condition, meaning that it is long term and can affect not only our hearing but our emotional health too. Tinnitus can affect us in different ways such as:

• Feeling anxious, worried about our health or upset
• Feeling low in mood or depressed, not wanting to go out and do as much
• We might feel a loss of confidence
• We may lose relationships/friendships because we might not be able to hear others as much or we might find it hard to cope and talk about Tinnitus
• Frustrated and angry, a sense of “why me?”
• Difficulties sleeping due to the sounds we can hear
• Suicidal ideation or thoughts of not wanting to be alive anymore

You don’t have to face Tinnitus alone – we are here for you… But how!?

Well… Tinnitus does not have a specific treatment, but research has shown that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be extremely helpful. CBT can help you to come to terms with Tinnitus, learn about it and find new ways of coping. It can help you to feel less anxious, worried and upset and find a way of managing tinnitus so you can live a happy, healthy life in the way that you want.

You can book a free 20-minute telephone call with us, to talk through what you’re experiencing and identify what support would be most helpful. You can book an appointment online by using our online booking form at a day and time that works best for you. If you feel that talking on the telephone is difficult, please don’t worry you can contact us by clicking here and we can arrange a video appointment for you.