Help is out there call goes out for tinnitus volunteers

PA 309/09 A throbbing hum, a low hiss, a high-pitched whine — for the tinnitus sufferer, these are just some of the sounds that can plague everyday life. Hearing researchers at the National Institute for Health Research's National Biomedical Research Unit in Nottingham (NBRUH) are now looking for volunteers with tinnitus who can help them greater understand — and treat — this debilitating condition. Affecting about 10 per cent of people in the UK, tinnitus is most commonly described as a ringing or buzzing in the ears — something many of us will have experienced at some point. The experience is short-lived for most people, but those who have chronic tinnitus hear these sounds continuously for months and years. There is little consensus about the cause of the condition. Sometimes tinnitus can be traced back to a specific event (such as a rock concert or a stressful life event), but there are also many cases that cannot be directly associated with any particular trigger. NBRUH is based at Ropewalk House in Nottingham city centre, and was established by the UK Department of Health through its National Institute for Health Research.