Daisy Inclusive UK Project Development Manager Phil Leeson has revealed his battle with tinnitus, a condition which affects 7.6 million Brits.
Speaking about his condition during Tinnitus Awareness Week, Phil says his overexposure to cheap, low-quality headphones during his time working in a call centre, triggered his symptoms.
“One call could be extremely quiet, so you had to turn the volume up to the max, and then the next call would come blasting down your ears,” said Phil, who joined the Liverpool-based disability charity over ten years ago.
Tinnitus affects one in seven people, with symptoms including buzzing, roaring, clicking, hissing and humming. It is a relatively mild condition, but it can significantly impact a sufferer’s daily life.
The condition is described as a ringing in the ears, the sensation of hearing a sound with no external source and its impact on daily life can be huge.
Charity Tinnitus UK has warned an aging population means that the number is likely to increase.
“After a year or so, I started to develop a feeling of pressure, pain and high-pitched humming in my ears,” added Phil.
“My ears continued to deteriorate as I continued in the job, and it reached the point where I had to leave.
“The pressure and pain subsided after leaving my job at the call centre, but the high-pitched humming is always there.”
Swapping the call centre for Daisy just under a decade ago, Phil can now be seen in the charity’s office, working closely with funders, partners and national bodies.
Phil admits he has learned how to deal with tinnitus during the day, but the condition can be debilitating at night.
He said: “Nighttime is the main issue for me, particularly if I wake up in the middle of the night. My ears will be screaming at me, making it extremely hard to get back to sleep – sleep deprivation is the biggest impact that it has on me.”
Taking measures to avoid loud noises, Phil added: “My days of concerts are sadly over. I actually tried to attend a concert using ear defenders in March last year, which impacted my ears.”
