Action on Hearing Loss Scotland is urging East Renfrewshire residents who have tinnitus to join the conversation about the condition on the charity’s social media channels during Tinnitus Week (4-10 February).

Often described as a ringing, whooshing or hissing in the ears, tinnitus can be triggered by being over-exposed to loud noises such as music. One in 10 people in the UK have experienced tinnitus at least once.

Despite the earliest reference of the condition stemming as far back as Ancient Egypt, scientists are still baffled as to why the brain creates this repetitive sound.

To help spread awareness of tinnitus and encourage people to protect their hearing, Action on Hearing Loss Scotland is asking people on social media to describe what their tinnitus sounds like and explain how it affects them using the hashtag #ThisIsTinnitus.

Teri Devine, Director of Action on Hearing Loss Scotland, said: “Tinnitus can be an isolating and leave people feeling helpless. By encouraging people with the condition from East Renfrewshire to take part in our social media campaign, we hope they will see they are not alone with their experiences and can find out ways which may minimise the impact of tinnitus in their everyday lives.

“Celebrities Phillip Schofield, Susanna Reid and Will.i.am have spoken about their ongoing struggles with tinnitus, and, this year, musician KT Tunstall is helping the charity’s #ThisIsTinnitus social media campaign by sharing her own video.”

If you want to share your experiences of living with tinnitus, make a short video clip and post it on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #ThisIsTinnitus.

Action on Hearing Loss Scotland can be found at twitter.com/hearinglossSCO and www.instagram.com/actiononhearinglossscotland
If you think you have tinnitus, the first step is to see your GP. They will check your ears and, if needed, refer you to a specialist for tests and support. For information about how to manage tinnitus, visit www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/tinnitusweek