Tinnitus management films

Danny is a 69-year-old veteran, who suffers from long-standing tinnitus caused by combat noise exposure during his time in Vietnam. At this appointment at the VA in Tampa, he is having his hearing aids reprogrammed and being issued with a sound generator to help mask the tinnitus at night.

Later, Danny reflects on tinnitus, hearing care, and his decades of experience of post-traumatic stress disorder. He talks about the importance of being proactive in finding ways to make tinnitus more manageable, of educating yourself, and finding a good doctor who listens to their patients. 

Nick is 55 years old and has had an extensive career as a music journalist and writer at leading national newspapers and magazines in UK. Nine years ago, Nick suffered from sudden neurosensory hearing loss which also resulted in severe tinnitus.

The video tells Nick’s very personal story from being, “quite an angry and intense man,” to recovery by internalizing the tinnitus. Mindfulness techniques have played an important role in his recovery. “Mindfulness didn’t fix my tinnitus, but it fixed my attitudes towards it,” Nick says.

Nick’s rehabilitation was also significantly aided when he started to attend a specialist hearing hospital in London (RNTNEH) who addressed him, “not as a piece of machinery but as a whole person with a mind.”

Robert is a 48-year-old Londoner with a 15-year history of bilateral tinnitus. He has been trying various techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, whale sounds for masking and background noise, but they are not really making a difference.

Robert knows he shouldn’t be fighting his tinnitus and should accept it instead. That is his big challenge, and many people with tinnitus share the same frustration.

Robert describes stressful situations at work as less bothersome, because the work shifts focus away from the tinnitus. His best piece of advice to others in the same situation is to get professional help and learn how to manage their tinnitus — not just cope and survive with it.

Mr. Logan is a 49-year-old veteran with a progressive type hearing loss caused by nine years of noise exposure in the military. He has long-standing bilateral tinnitus. This video follows Mr. Logan and his wife during an appointment at the Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, USA.

After the visit we join the Logans at a restaurant to talk about what defines good tinnitus treatment and what impact tinnitus has on family life. The video reveals a core insight of the Logans — that some medical staff shy away from “things they cannot fix." You cannot fix tinnitus, “and it’s a real thing that affects lives and there are ways to deal with it.” 

Throughout the video, Logans also stress the importance of support from family, friends, and support groups.