Hi! 

I have just turned 23 and currently study Politics at the University of Bradford in West Yorkshire. I would really appreciate if you could spare a moment of your time to find out why I have fundraised for the British Tinnitus Association (BTA).

If you are reading that, you probably wonder what tinnitus is. It is a scientific expression for the phenomenon commonly described as "ringing in the ears" such as humming, buzzing or whistling. Sounds like something trivial? Well, it is not for millions of people around the world. Have a look at my story to find out why.

I developed tinnitus about a year ago, which was a result of the stress caused by a hard time in my life back then. It started in my left ear and gradually affected my right ear as well. Initially, it was a quiet high-pitch sound that was barely noticeable in silence. However, it was getting louder and louder with each passing day and reached the point when I could not study, work or sleep any longer without some white noise put on from my phone. I went to see my ENT specialist who said that the condition I was suffering from was tinnitus. My hearing turned out to be perfect, so there seemed to be nothing identifiable that could underlie this issue. He then informed me that there was not any cure for it and I would probably need to listen to this horrible sound 24/7 until the end of my days. I felt totally broken and helpless when I heard that. 

However, after months of unmerciful suffering, I managed to get an appointment at a specialist tinnitus clinic in Poland. As part of that, I accessed an innovative neuromodulation therapy that helped me manage the intensity of the sound perceived a bit. In addition, I attended BTA's workshops and support groups aiming at helping people like me to not to feel alienated in their suffering. I also started massaging the back of my head and wearing a dental guard, which minimised the muscle tensions around my ears. The implications of my tinnitus declined by about 70%! My entire life was totally transformed. I feel quite confident in managing my tinnitus right now! 

I want to send the message of hope to those who feel just like I felt after my diagnosis, especially if they are very young. Your life is not crossed out because you have got tinnitus! There are a number of different ways you can use to make it more bearable. I believe that improvement is possible in every case. 

That is why I ran/walked 100km within frosty February to raise funds for BTA that has helped me a lot with the management of my own fears about my tinnitus as well as provided me with reliable evidence-based knowledge on the treatments available.  

If you do not wish to donate a penny or two to this case, please consider signing the petition asking the British Government to increase the tinnitus research funding: 

https://www.change.org/p/matthew-hancock-mp-commit-more-funding-to-tinnitus-research. 

Finding a cure would totally change the lives of millions of people around the world. 

Let's make a world where nobody suffers from tinnitus any longer!

Zbigniew (Paul)

Check the links below to find out more about my story from the local media in Bradford as well as my home university.

BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p094jr9n (From 1:38:45 on)

University of Bradford:  https://www.bradford.ac.uk/news/archive/2021/politics-students-100k-target-to-raise-awareness-of-tinnitus.php?fbclid=IwAR2HrPjf8pNGuflVYdnGePBc9ExAZ6ZV74JFB1zL-9e66i0EDD05VItAMps

Yorkshire Post:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/health/coronavirus/tinnitus-thought-be-symptom-long-covid-bradford-student-talks-about-challenge-living-condition-3137352?r=4658&fbclid=IwAR1ycbjM7yqUDXmxhL5ECmsXZyZhkIaCK50iwpZuu_JOK9Hd0cenw7_yFb0