2. Patient Stories
3. Leo McAuliffe

Leo McAuliffe

Leo McAuliffe, an 80-year old retired gentleman from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, suffered from tinnitus for over ten years, until a new treatment – TDT - changed his life dramatically. Leo didn’t have any history of audiological issues but was exposed to a great deal of noise whilst motorcycle racing.

“The tinnitus noise was similar to crashing waves. It didn’t trouble me so much when I was busy working but it became very uncomfortable during leisure time. I also found it very distracting when I tried to listen to music or watch television,” explained Leo.

Leo read about The Tinnitus Clinic in a daily newspaper. He hadn’t been to his Doctors or tried any other treatments beforehand. His initial assessment took place in May 2013. It revealed that he was experiencing right sided, atonal tinnitus; a sound that wasn’t perceived to be constant in key or tone.

Leo was fitted with a Siemens combination hearing aid and noise generator device for Tinnitus Desensitisation Therapy™ (TDT), which corrects hearing loss whilst suppressing tinnitus.

TDT is a treatment that’s been refined by the Clinic’s Principle Scientific Audiologist, Mark Williams. It creates a ‘habitual state’ like breathing, so that the tinnitus sound doesn’t break through to conscious awareness. It combines sophisticated Siemens hearing instruments and complementary therapies, and individual prescriptions are adapted as treatment progresses.

Leo was advised to wear his devices for 4-6 hours each day initially, building up to eight hours as his treatment progressed, until a habitual state is achieved.

“Since I started the treatment, my life has changed dramatically. My hearing has improved, I can concentrate and I get a better night’s sleep and, overall, I feel so much more positive.”

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