People suffering from tinnitus can wait up to three years for treatment on the NHS, according to a new report.
Defined as “the perception of sound such as ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears without an external source”, tinnitus now affects one-in-seven British adults and one-in-30 children. According to a new report from Tinnitus UK, Ringing The Alarm: The Tinnitus Care Crisis, eight million UK residents will suffer from this form of hearing damage by this time next year, increasing pressure on healthcare providers and costing £850 million annually.
Worryingly, as cases rise access to specialist treatments is effectively falling. NHS clinicians now report patients waiting up to 12 months for psychology, talking therapy, CBT referrals and hearing aid assistance. Meanwhile, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) appointments can take up to three years. Gaps in education were also identified, with no UK university audiology departments offering clinical training in the field, sounding the alarm for a future lacking professionals qualified to offer support and treatments.
Tinnitus is common and its impact on people’s lives is varied. Currently, around 1.5m million UK cases are considered ‘severe’ — defined as debilitating and likely to impact on someone’s quality of life. This can manifest in loss of sleep, problems concentrating, anxiety, and depression. Causes are similarly broad, but those working in live music are considered at risk due to the threat of long-term hearing damage caused by high volumes.
Britain’s Health & Safety Executive restricts noise limits to 107 dB across all audience areas of venues, but experts believe regular and prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 dBA can lead to hearing loss.
Tinnitus UK has issued several calls to action in response to their report’s findings, underscoring the “urgent need for systemic changes in tinnitus care and education to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and ensure no one faces tinnitus without the support they need.” You can find more information on tinnitus here and read the full report here.
Tinnitus UK has also relaunched its Take On Tinnitus free online e-learning course, which you can access here.
Last week, EDM star Alesso took to social media to explain that a recent bout of worsening tinnitus was the cause of a series of cancelled shows. “Two months ago I woke up with the loudest ringing in my ears – talking 10 out of 10. And was in complete shock,” said Alesso, who went on to explain how difficult he found dealing with the sudden onset of the issue. “And it was not after a show, I just woke up and it was so intense.”
“I know it’s super common in the music industry, but yeah. I had a really, really difficult time dealing with this,” Alesso continued. “But the good news is I’m getting better… I took this as a sign to slow down, to prioritise my health, be more careful. I’ve been doing this for 14 years now, and I’ve never taken a break. So I’ve just been kinda focussing on that.”
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