* For more information regarding media usage, ownership and rights please contact
Tinnitus UK.
Embargoed until 11/11/2019
Expert interviews, case studies and photo opportunities available
November 2019
Research carried out by the British Tinnitus Association has identified that older military veterans in the UK experience more severe symptoms of tinnitus than other groups of people. Veterans find that their tinnitus is more intrusive, has more of an emotional impact and that its effect on hearing is greater but that the ‘military mind’ and other beliefs mean that they endure it rather than seek help.
Tinnitus is defined as the experience of sounds with no external source, most commonly ringing or buzzing, but sometimes experienced as whooshing, clicking or even music. Around one in eight people experience persistent tinnitus. For some, the condition has a significant impact on their quality of life, often linked to stress, anxiety or sometimes depression. There are over 1.4 million older veterans in the UK, and around one quarter of them have hearing related problems.
Dr Georgina Burns-O’Connell, who led the research, said: “Little is known about the impact of tinnitus on UK veterans. Service in the military can involve exposure to high levels of noise, resulting in many veterans experiencing hearing loss and tinnitus, which can continue beyond their service. In the USA, tinnitus is the number one service-related disability.”
“Our research found that over half of older veterans had lived with tinnitus for over 20 years, with many experiencing more severe symptoms than found in other groups of people. Our veterans also showed a lack of knowledge about tinnitus and the available management options. A number of beliefs prevented veterans from seeking help for their tinnitus – they believed there were no effective treatments as there is currently no cure, and that tinnitus was not a priority to take care of compared to other conditions they might be experiencing.”
Dr Burns-O’Connell added: “The veterans thought of themselves as different to civilians, and the ‘military mind’ was an integral part of that. This ‘military mind’ meant that many were more accepting of difficult situations, and had accepted their tinnitus and would rather endure it than seek help.”
Arthur Currie, a Chelsea Pensioner with 34 years of military service agreed with the report’s findings: “During my years of service in the British Army, I was exposed to noise from all types of weapons. Over time I became aware of an almost constant ringing in my ears. However, like all the other soldiers, I never discussed it. The most important message that I would like to give to GPs and hearing specialists is how to approach and advise old soldiers like me. We fear being labelled as disabled. Most of us are not willing to admit to having tinnitus or we just accept it as ‘par for the course’. It will take gentle persuasion to convince us that correcting our hearing loss and other measures can make tinnitus much less of a problem.”
The report concludes with four recommendations for Government, health care professionals and service providers:
The report can be obtained from the British Tinnitus Association website at www.tinnitus.org.uk/aged-veterans-project-final-report
The research was undertaken in collaboration with Dr Derek Hoare at the University of Nottingham, and funded by The Royal British Legion from the Aged Veterans Fund, funded by the Chancellor using LIBOR funds.
Ends
Editors Notes
For more information
Nic Wray, Communications Manager
0114 250 9933
British Tinnitus Association
Ground Floor Unit 5 Acorn Business Park
Woodseats Close
Sheffield, S8 0TB
www.tinnitus.org.uk
Twitter: @BritishTinnitus
Facebook: BritishTinnitusAssociation
Instagram: britishtinnitusassociation
LinkedIn: British Tinnitus Association
The British Tinnitus Association is a registered charity. Registered charity number 1011145.
Distributed by Pressat