A tinnitus sufferer is encouraging others to continue to seek help after finding a treatment that has helped him manage the severity of his condition to the point where he barely notices it.
Daniel Walsh, who lives in Southport, was becoming increasingly frustrated with his tinnitus and was ready to give up on finding any relief, after being told by various healthcare professionals there was nothing that could be done to help.
But the retired 70-year-old is now keen to ensure others are not discouraged from seeking treatment, after Tinnitus Desensitisation Therapy™ (TDT) from The Tinnitus Clinic in Manchester led to a significant reduction in the severity of his condition.
Daniel said: “The tinnitus was making me short-tempered and I was getting really fed-up with it – it sounded like I had a buzzing mosquito near my ears.
“I first noticed the noise in my ears after driving down a steep mountain road in Spain in 2014 – it was a whistling sound in my ears. However, I was also in the Merchant Navy when I was younger and exposed to noise without much, if any, ear protection while working in the engineering room so my hearing may have been affected by that, too.
“I had gone to a NHS GP and was also treated privately but was told by all the healthcare professionals I saw there was nothing that could be done about it. I was just about ready to give up on finding help when I had one last search of the internet – and found The Tinnitus Clinic.
“They have been very, very good. I am really positive about the treatment – I’d say it’s a 90% improvement for me.”
“Now when I become aware of the tinnitus again I put the TDT products in and it very quickly helps. I am not having to attend appointments as frequently either, as I am responding to the treatment so well.”
Mike Wells, an audiologist at The Tinnitus Clinic in Altrincham, near Manchester, said: “Daniel is one of many patients who have come to us over the years believing nothing can be done to help with their tinnitus. But he has been undertaking TDT with us since just April 2016 and has experienced a significant reduction in his tinnitus perception.”
“We measure the severity of each patient’s condition using a range of diagnostic measures, including the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) method, an international standard. Daniel’s original score at his first assessment was 46, but at his most recent it was recorded as just two.”
“TDT is one of a number of sound-based pioneering therapies we offer, which are exclusive to The Tinnitus Clinic and our partners in the UK.”
“It is a therapeutic pathway specially designed by The Tinnitus Clinic for patients who suffer from invasive tinnitus and uses a combination of therapies to control the patient’s tinnitus awareness, with the long-term goal of encouraging the brain to filter it out.”
“By redirecting the brain’s attention, TDT helps the patient over time become less and less aware of the symptoms.”
