Environmental health experts offer advice on hearing disorder (From York Press)

Environmental health experts offer advice on hearing disorder

10:19am Saturday 14th February 2009 in News

SUFFERERS of the hearing disorder Tinnitus are being given advice by environmental health officials.

City of York Council’s environmental health team is advising residents how to avoid tinnitus and similar hearing problems as part of National Tinnitus Week, which ends tomorrow. Tinnitus is caused by a malfunction between the inner ear and the brain and affects up to five million Britons, while 170,000 people suffer deafness, tinnitus or other ear conditions because of exposure to excessive noise at work. People working in noisy environments are most likely to suffer from tinnitus. Young people are also at risk if they go to noisy pubs, clubs and gigs and listen to loud music through earphones.

Mike Southcombe, manager of the council’s environmental health unit, said: “Between five and ten per cent of the complaints we receive about noise are due to hearing problems such as tinnitus.

Anyone who is concerned about noise at work should contact Steve Adamthwaite, principal environmental health officer at the council, on 01904 551525.