Susanna Reid — UK TV Presenter Talks About Her Tinnitus

[Samantha R]

Come on guys, take it for what it is, she said her tinnitus was loud and obviously bothering her enough to prompt her to share. The awareness this raised was amazing, people replied to her tweet about their own experience with tinnitus, and some of these sounded like they have severe tinnitus.

The volume of her tinnitus has absolutely no baring on whether she is entitled to share her experience or not.

How do we get from Susanna raising awareness to talking about tinnitus volume? This is what always happens and it achieves nothing. Everybody argues, the world learns nothing about tinnitus, and the next day rolls around. And the cycle repeats.

Absolutely spot on. We need to pull our heads in, as my dad would say.

 

[Samantha R]

I believe you when you say that you're not trying to antagonize me. Ms Reid's tinnitus may occasionally be noticeable particularly when focusing on it or in a quiet environment like so many people that have it mild or moderate. I do not believe it is "bad" as she claims for it would affect her work or to read a book during leisure time for instance. There is no mention of this.

If her tinnitus was severe or "bad" she wouldn't fail to mention she has attended ENT or been referred to a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist, to find a way to alleviate the symptoms. We all know there are various treatments available. One of the easiest is using "sound enrichment". All Ms Reid has said "I have mild tinnitus" On Twitter she writes: contact the BTA for information about tinnitus.

I do not believe this person experiences bad or severe tinnitus. She has tinnitus but it is very mild and I believe it could occasionally be intrusive but I doubt it's anything serious.

Michael

Michael, I have a lot of time for you, but I just don't understand why this matters.

Does this mean she is not entitled to speak about or publicise her condition? Why can't you be appreciative of the awareness this raised?

If you have time you should check out the responses to her tweets, it really got people talking and sharing their struggles. I would say some of those who responded do indeed have severe tinnitus, but again, that does not matter.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Michael, I have a lot of time for you, but I just don't understand why this matters.

Does this mean she is not entitled to speak about or publicise her condition? Why can't you be appreciative of the awareness this raised?

HI @Samantha R

Thank you for your kind words and I hope that you are keeping well. I thank you for your question which I shall answer. Of course Susanna Reid is entitled to speak about her tinnitus and to publicise it as she has done, and I see no problem with that. I am saying as in my previous posts, that I do not believe her tinnitus is "bad" as she claims.

To answer your question: does it matter? To some it may not and that is fine, to people such as myself that know what bad or severe tinnitus is and to endure it then it does.

Take care and I wish you well.
Michael

 

[Samantha R]

To answer your question: does it matter? To some it may not and that is fine, to people such as myself that know what bad or severe tinnitus is and to endure it then it does.

So am I right that it upsets you to think someone is "complaining" about mild tinnitus? Do you think she should just keep quiet because it's not severe?
My view - she has tinnitus, she said it was loud, and for once we got some publicity around this condition. This kind of awareness benefits ALL sufferers, severe included. We know that it's hard to deal with severe tinnitus, and believe me, I'm grateful that I don't. I know you've suffered greatly, and others continue to, but we have to come together no matter how loud our tinnitus is or how we cope with it.

I feel like you are working against your cause - if the majority of us are mild sufferers (which is what you said), then that's who we need on board if we are going to start generating a movement, fundraising and raising awareness.
Don't silence us, alienate us or dismiss our suffering just because we don't know what it's like to endure severe tinnitus.

She is nothing more than an attention seeker.

I presented in desperation with 6 week old twins to a mother/baby mental health unit because I couldn't cope with my "mild" tinnitus. I was suicidal. I left my 19 month old son home for a month, knowing he'd desperately miss his mother, crying hysterically every time he had to leave with his dad after a visit with me…. but I had to get help to cope..... I hope nobody thought I was seeking attention, because I nearly broke.
Susanna also got her tinnitus following childbirth, with a toddler to care for as well. I can only imagine her feelings would have been similar to mine.
I'll never forget this time in my life, ever. My suffering was great even though my tinnitus was only mild.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

If you have time you should check out the responses to her tweets, it really got people talking and sharing their struggles. I would say some of those who responded do indeed have severe tinnitus, but again, that does not matter.

Positive - true awareness of struggles must be seen by others who don't have this condition. One of many messages that needs to be conveyed with understanding to others is that it can happen to them.

Yesterday within this thread I didn't see a united project of emanation taking place. This is why I posted in response to someone else that I was watching the World Series. This is an emotional and pain offset method that used in healthcare. Methods to divert can also help some cope a little better with tinnitus.

I have not Susanna in a recent video, but it she had an eyeblink response to noise - those in tinnitus healthcare treatment would notice. Facial expression is often judged for somatic reaction.

 

[coffee_girl]

I presented in desperation with 6 week old twins to a mother/baby mental health unit because I couldn't cope with my "mild" tinnitus. I was suicidal. I left my 19 month old son home for a month, knowing he'd desperately miss his mother, crying hysterically every time he had to leave with his dad after a visit with me…. but I had to get help to cope..... I hope nobody thought I was seeking attention, because I nearly broke.
Susanna also got her tinnitus following childbirth, with a toddler to care for as well. I can only imagine her feelings would have been similar to mine.
I'll never forget this time in my life, ever. My suffering was great even though my tinnitus was only mild.

I don't get emotional over tinnitus stories, but this hit home to me.

One of my girlfriends with tinnitus have decided not to have children, because she did not think that she can handle the tinnitus getting worse in the future and having it impact her responsibilities as a parent. This was NOT an easy decision for her to make. People's tinnitus may be mild but the impact it has on their life and the choices they must make are permanent, difficult, and forever changing.

I'm sure many people may not lose sleep over the volume of their tinnitus, but they DO lose sleep over the baggage that tinnitus leaves behind.

I respect everyone's opinion regardless of how much it bothers me. People surviving their daily lives with severe tinnitus are heroes to me regardless of their soap box mentality, those with mild tinnitus and are suffering with demons none of us will ever know are heroes to me. This is not a race I want to be in.

 

[Michael Leigh]

So am I right that it upsets you to think someone is "complaining" about mild tinnitus? Do you think she should just keep quiet because it's not severe?

I replied to your questions @Samantha R because you were polite and respectful and wish it to remain so. I want to clarify a few things to you, so that my opinions and interpretation of what I believe to be "bad" or "severe" tinnitus are not misconstrued.

Firstly, and with respect, you are wrong to think that I am upset about Ms Reid's comments. I disagree with her interpretation of what she claims is bad tinnitus but I am in no way upset. I have had tinnitus a long time and corresponded and counselled many people with this condition, and know when a person is experiencing bad or severe tinnitus. This experience has enabled me to write my posts and articles on this forum and others.

Whether the level or intensity of the tinnitus is: mild, moderate or severe it all means the same thing. Please look back on my previous posts in this thread and you will see a common theme that I have mentioned: Mental and Emotional Wellbeing. Tinnitus is about how it affects a person's "mental and emotional wellbeing". Thus, it's not so much to do with the level of intensity although this does have some bearing.

I know people that say they have very mild tinnitus that is only noticeable in a very quiet room and yet, they are distressed over it. This is due to their emotions and the way they are affected by the tinnitus. It is for this reason counselling with a Hearing Therapist or Audiologist trained in the management of tinnitus and hyperacusis can be so helpful to people coping with bad or severe tinnitus. I am fairly sure Susanna Ried's tinnitus doesn't affect her in this way. She may occasionally find it annoying but this will soon pass.

Regarding your tinnitus and situation which I know fairly well, due to our previous correspondence via PM. You say that your tinnitus was mild. As I have already said, the level or intensity of the tinnitus has little bearing on things. What is really important is how it affects our mental and emotional wellbeing. I believe you were affected quite severely by tinnitus at the time and pleased that you have improved.

I believe Susanna Ried's tinnitus to be mild. What I mean by this is that it doesn't affect her mental and emotional wellbeing or impede on her ability to carry out normal everyday tasks to any great significance.

I hope I have conveyed to you my interpretation of bad or severe tinnitus.

Michael

 

[Michael Leigh]

Do you think she should just keep quiet because it's not severe?

As I have previously said. I have nothing against Ms Reid commenting on her tinnitus being bad on Twitter and has every right to do so. However, my interpretation of bad or severe tinnitus and the way it affects a person's mental and emotional wellbeing, appears to be completely different from hers.

 

[Samantha R]

I am always respectful Michael, and very seldom (almost never) engage in debate with members.

However reading your comments on this thread really upset me, and I feel compelled to respond.

As I have previously said. I have nothing against Ms Reid commenting on her tinnitus being bad on Twitter and has every right to do so. However, my interpretation of bad or severe tinnitus and the way it affects a person's mental and emotional wellbeing, appears to be completely different from hers.

You did have something against her tweet about her tinnitus, because you said this (among other things) -

She is nothing more than an attention seeker.

I am not debating severe tinnitus, mild tinnitus, moderate tinnitus or whatever tinnitus.
I'm simply saying that she should not be criticised in this way for sharing her experience.

I have been trying myself in my own ways, whether that be donations, spreading the word online, engaging in groups outside of this forum to try to make a difference in the tinnitus world. It's so hard to gain traction, and when we do, people just shoot it down.

I saw Susanna's original post and thought it was amazing that she had bought some awareness to our struggle.

Then I see the negative posts and I honestly feel broken. If we can't celebrate these kind of wins together and build on this then we are just never going to get anywhere.
I just don't even think the severity of her tinnitus was relevant to the thread, to be honest, and I'm not sure why you bought it up in the first place.

 

[Samantha R]

One of my girlfriends with tinnitus have decided not to have children, because she did not think that she can handle the tinnitus getting worse in the future and having it impact her responsibilities as a parent. This was NOT an easy decision for her to make. People's tinnitus may be mild but the impact it has on their life and the choices they must make are permanent, difficult, and forever changing.

This saddens me a lot. Fortunately (I guess), my tinnitus came on after my twins were born.

Had it been pre-children, I'm pretty sure I would have made the same decision as your friend.

 

[Michael Leigh]

HI @Samantha R

My opinion on Ms Reid being an attention seeker remains unchanged. Whether she is or isn't is also left for others to decide. I wasn't the only one with this opinion. I have nothing against her personally and wasn't the least bit upset by her comments.

As long as you continue to be cordial and respectful towards me I will always correspond with you and I will do the same. I hope this matter can now be drawn to a close for I have said my piece in my previous post to you.

Good day and I wish you well.
Michael

 

[Ed209]

I am always respectful Michael, and very seldom (almost never) engage in debate with members.

However reading your comments on this thread really upset me, and I feel compelled to respond.


You did have something against her tweet about her tinnitus, because you said this (among other things) -


I am not debating severe tinnitus, mild tinnitus, moderate tinnitus or whatever tinnitus.
I'm simply saying that she should not be criticised in this way for sharing her experience.

I have been trying myself in my own ways, whether that be donations, spreading the word online, engaging in groups outside of this forum to try to make a difference in the tinnitus world. It's so hard to gain traction, and when we do, people just shoot it down.

I saw Susanna's original post and thought it was amazing that she had bought some awareness to our struggle.

Then I see the negative posts and I honestly feel broken. If we can't celebrate these kind of wins together and build on this then we are just never going to get anywhere.
I just don't even think the severity of her tinnitus was relevant to the thread, to be honest, and I'm not sure why you bought it up in the first place.

Samantha, I've seen first hand all the money and effort you have put in which has been incredible and is a testament to your character.

I agree with everything you are saying, this has nothing to do with judging other people's tinnitus, it's totally, 100%, about awareness. There always seems to be arguments whenever someone does something positive; people can't help but shoot others down.

And finally, respect is a two way street, and I lost a lot of respect for Michael for various reasons. I always thought he was a decent guy, but facades can be deceptive.

 

[Kelvin]

What an odd thread...

I just don't get this sort of suffer-fest mentality.

It's certainly not a useful debate.

Surely we are all suffering in our own way? Including Susanna Reid...

One person's "mild" might be another person's "severe'... BUT we are all suffering regardless.

There will NEVER be any scientific, subjective or meaningful way to compare one person's tinnitus to another as it's impossible as soon a you factor in the individual.

Personally, I think you all help in little ways I cannot explain, but threads like this don't really add much.

Play nice, be happy and if you can't be nice, be quiet... because you'll spike my tinnitus

 

[Samantha R]

@Kelvin,
It was a good thread until it turned into a conversation about the severity of her tinnitus.
It's just not relevant.

 

[Starthrower]

It was a good thread until it turned into a conversation about the severity of her tinnitus.
It's just not relevant.

Exactly @Samantha R. And she was called out as being only a "attention seeker". A very sexist remark about a woman speaking out. Does @Michael Leigh think taking a gun and blowing her head off would be the right awareness remark?

So what if she can still work!!!! Many do without going on government disability relief while sitting in a high castle home with a fancy car. There are less fortunate people who could use that type of government assistance to at the least have food in their stomachs or feed their children.

Shame.

 

[Samantha R]

@Starthrower,
Thanks for your support.

I still don't understand why she was called an "attention seeker" - I can only deem it was because she is believed to have relatively mild tinnitus or her definition of "loud" tinnitus isn't the same as other's definitions. Why this matters, I have no idea, and why this makes her an "attention seeker" I also have no idea.

I think we should have been celebrating the awareness and building on that, not disrespectfully shooting her down in flames.

There are a few on this forum that have severe tinnitus (by their definition and I have no doubt they have) - DebInAustralia (who I know personally), Tweaker, Alue, kelpiemsp, brownbear - to name a handful that come to mind. These people have no choice but to find a way because they have families that they have to support, bills to pay or no access to a disability pension. Plus I know some people enjoy their jobs and it's distraction from the noise. Brownbear performs surgeries as an ENT despite the noise he endures. Susanna is actually an inspiration to me - able to hold down a demanding job, that requires early starts, requires you to always be in a happy mood (even if you don't feel like it), and she's raising a family and dealing with a relentless condition.

You do not have to be completely disabled and homebound to have severe, unrelenting tinnitus.

I remember MikeP505 from this forum (RIP Mike) - he had gone deaf as a result of receiving an ototoxic medication during an emergency kidney surgery. As a result, he could hear nothing but his tinnitus screaming at him all day, no way to mask, no relief whatsoever.

I corresponded with him a lot when I first got tinnitus, he was so supportive and encouraging, never criticised my distress despite his suffering being undoubtedly worse than mine. Above all, what struck me about him was his positivity. He couldn't hear a damn thing, his head was full of noise, the only noise he heard, but he still loved life and what it had to offer, and while he was limited in what he could do because of his deafness, he still worked where he could doing home repairs, window framing and renovations.

Here was a guy with unmaskable tinnitus, deaf as a post, still finding the joy and had the ability to work.

So no, I don't believe you have to be unable to function, never work again and confined to your home to have severe tinnitus. Sure, this might happen for some, and I understand how it would be disabling. But that isn't the defining criteria of severe tinnitus.

I ramble.... but hope I make sense.

 

[attheedgeofscience]

This thread, man..............................

Anyway, my two cents:

Whether to go "all-in" in terms of the PR-angle to a narrative is of course a matter of how to sell the story. Both David Stockdale and Susanna Reid seem to have done a fairly good job in getting tinnitus on the agenda (in the media). Should they have been more forceful in their descriptions of what the condition can lead to? I am not sure that would necessarily sell the story any better. If anything, having a suicidal tinnitus victim incoherently blabbing away on a TV show might put the general public off.

As for Susanna Reid and her recent tweet – at least, she actually lends her account (with +500 000 followers) to the cause. In the case of the average tinnitus sufferer, not only do they not donate, but they also do not share content. Which essentially means that tinnitus sufferers are both stingy and apathetic...

The image below captures the initial thought I had when I started reading this thread...

 

[Bam]

I can be a very negative person after years of ill health but this forum can take the biscuit. The point is his tinnitus resolved after a decade. Bloody hell!!

Or did it?!? Did he just post that thinking... 'I'm going to stir shit up on Tinnitus Talk and create another massive bun fight.'

 

[JohnAdams]

So am I right that it upsets you to think someone is "complaining" about mild tinnitus? Do you think she should just keep quiet because it's not severe?
My view - she has tinnitus, she said it was loud, and for once we got some publicity around this condition. This kind of awareness benefits ALL sufferers, severe included. We know that it's hard to deal with severe tinnitus, and believe me, I'm grateful that I don't. I know you've suffered greatly, and others continue to, but we have to come together no matter how loud our tinnitus is or how we cope with it.

I feel like you are working against your cause - if the majority of us are mild sufferers (which is what you said), then that's who we need on board if we are going to start generating a movement, fundraising and raising awareness.
Don't silence us, alienate us or dismiss our suffering just because we don't know what it's like to endure severe tinnitus.

I presented in desperation with 6 week old twins to a mother/baby mental health unit because I couldn't cope with my "mild" tinnitus. I was suicidal. I left my 19 month old son home for a month, knowing he'd desperately miss his mother, crying hysterically every time he had to leave with his dad after a visit with me…. but I had to get help to cope..... I hope nobody thought I was seeking attention, because I nearly broke.
Susanna also got her tinnitus following childbirth, with a toddler to care for as well. I can only imagine her feelings would have been similar to mine.
I'll never forget this time in my life, ever. My suffering was great even though my tinnitus was only mild.

Why would child birth cause tinnitus do you think? Maybe as a side effect to some drug?

 

[TheDanishGirl]

Why would child birth cause tinnitus do you think? Maybe as a side effect to some drug?

Pregnancy and child birth can both bring an onset of tinnitus. Either temporarily or permanently. I have read quite a few stories of pregnant woman getting tinnitus. Obviously if it can bring it on, it can also worsen an existing tinnitus.

I think it has to do with hormonal change and/or just the strain that pregnancy has on the body.

 

[Tinker Bell]

Why would child birth cause tinnitus do you think? Maybe as a side effect to some drug?

Hormonal changes and blood flow alterations are two of the many possible causes. Plus, the amount of physical and emotional stress on the body is significant. I have a heart condition and my doctors did not want me to give birth naturally for concern that I would suffer further heart problems.

On an actual news items, where Ms. Reid, plays different tinnitus sounds, she comments that the pulsatile noise is like what she hears. Based on that, she may have pulsatile tinnitus.

 

[brownbear]

My tinnitus varies from silent to mild to moderate to severe to very severe to extremely severe to very extremely severe requiring a general anaesthetic when it reaches those levels.

Sorry I forgot the new rules that you are not allowed to post the same things over and over.

 

[TuxedoCat]

Everyone, you can bicker all day and all night about intensity, that's not the issue. The real question is - would you prefer tinnitus to be gone? Based on her tweets, I would be willing to bet Susanna Reid would say YES.

So, apparently she tweeted "My tinnitus is so loud right now. The noise you used to hear when TV programming finished at the end of the day? That. In my head."

Now that doesn't make tinnitus real appealing, does it?

She also said "Bad tinnitus day. I deal with it mostly." She didn't say, 'Oh I just tune it out' as was the takeaway from the Times article. Dealing with something implies solving a problem. Just tuning it out makes it sound like no big deal. Seems to me the Susanna Reid message hit the target much better than the Times Article.

Now we've seen that BTA intend to begin fundraising for cure research in the spring. When that happens, would you rather that the public had already heard about tinnitus? Do you think that will make fundraising easier? My answer would be yes to both.

Avoid Analysis Paralysis - instead I'm going to challenge myself to think of 1 thing, big or small, that I can do this week to raise awareness to tinnitus, even if it's to just one other person. If not this week then next. Will you do the same?

TC

 

[Ed209]

instead I'm going to challenge myself to think of 1 thing, big or small, that I can do this week to raise awareness to tinnitus, even if it's to just one other person. If not this week then next. Will you do the same?

I might have to tone it down a bit, TC. I think I have the opposite problem: people are probably sick of hearing me talk about it

 

[TuxedoCat]

Oh, and by the way everybody, Danny's Memorial Fund broke the 5,000 GBP mark today!

Time to Celebrate!

 

[Ed209]

Oh, and by the way everybody, Danny's Memorial Fund broke the 5,000 GBP mark today!

Time to Celebrate!

Made my day that did. Time to celebrate indeed.

 

[Samantha R]

So, apparently she tweeted "My tinnitus is so loud right now. The noise you used to hear when TV programming finished at the end of the day? That. In my head."

Now that doesn't make tinnitus real appealing, does it?

She also said "Bad tinnitus day. I deal with it mostly." She didn't say, 'Oh I just tune it out' as was the takeaway from the Times article. Dealing with something implies solving a problem. Just tuning it out makes it sound like no big deal. Seems to me the Susanna Reid message hit the target much better than the Times Article.

Absolutely spot on. Well said TC.

 

[david c]

Sad to see another discussion descend into bickering. I've been the subject of malicious personal attacks by Ed209 - happy to show the evidence - so I am not surprised he is continuing to attack other people on here just for venturing their opinions.

 

[JohnAdams]

Oh, and by the way everybody, Danny's Memorial Fund broke the 5,000 GBP mark today!

Time to Celebrate!

That's more than Dr. Rauschecker raised and he did a TED Talk.

 

[Ed209]

That's more than Dr. Rauschecker raised and he did a TED Talk.

It's great to see the community come together and achieve something that is tangible.