It affects up to 30 per cent of the population – but nobody hears about it, Craig Minter says.
Mr Minter of Sutherland is on a mission to change this, and hopes to raise more awareness about a debilitating condition during Hearing Awareness Week (August 21-28).
Tinnitus is an ear condition, and sufferers live with constant ringing in their ear.
“Five years ago, tinnitus was not something I had ever heard of,” Mr Minter said.
“That was until my father-in-law’s onset of tinnitus, after taking an anti-inflammatory drug that triggered the condition.”
Common side effects of tinnitus include feeling isolated as sufferers struggle to cope with the noise in their heads, and heightened stress and anxiety – especially at night.
Mr Minter says there is a lack of quality information available.
“Medical professionals often tell a sufferer, ‘there’s no cure, you’ll just have to live with it’, leaving the individual to do their research,” he said.
Mr Minter’s father-in-law, John Chesher, suffers from tinnitus.
“While my tinnitus couldn’t be seen coming, there are so many societal factors that have us heading for a tinnitus epidemic in the very near future,” he said.
“And lives are at risk. How are the younger generation going to cope when the full impact of excessive noise consumption starts to take its toll?”
Mr Minter established the online resource My Tinnitus Sounds to encourage sufferers to share their story. It also offers information to help people who live with the condition.