I woke up one morning and my hearing had gone – my life changed overnight
He also suffered another condition which saw him lose his job
MY ORDEAL I woke up one morning and my hearing had gone – my life changed overnight
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A FORMER RAF man has told how he woke up one morning to discover he had gone deaf overnight.
Philip McDonald, 62, got out of bed in 2015 to find his hearing had gone and had he didn't have any balance.
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Philip McDonald lost his hearing overnight
Credit: North East Sensory Services (NESS)
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He spent more than 20 years in the RAF and served at Lossiemouth
Credit: Alamy
The ex-Air Force technician, from Elgin, initially shrugged it off to just being tired but he was later diagnosed with sudden onset hearing loss and tinnitus.
He also developed Vertigo and lost his job at a care home because he could no longer safely work.
Philip said: 'I woke up at 5am to a loud crashing noise, and got up to check what had caused it.
'I was staggering all over the house, and put it down to being half asleep.
'I went back to bed, but when I woke at 8am, I was still staggering and bouncing around. I thought I would turn the volume on the TV up, but still couldn't hear anything.
'I realised I couldn't hear my feet on the floor, I couldn't hear the kettle, I couldn't hear anything, and I started to panic.
'I managed to get a taxi to the GP, where the doctor and other staff had to communicate with me by writing things down. All I could hear was a loud whistling in my ears from the tinnitus.
'Over time, some of my hearing did come back, but all I can hear now is really low bass notes in one of my ears. Sometimes the tinnitus is so bad I can't hear anything else.'
He added: 'It causes nausea and sometimes vomiting. I tell people that it makes me unpredictable as I may have to cancel appointments at the last minute.
'I lost my previous job as a carer in a nursing home because the vertigo was beginning to make me unsafe.
My son, 12, was minutes from death from terrifying trend that burns holes in kids' bowels, leaving them with stoma bags
'I can't predict when it flares up, but I have learned that there are some common triggers, like sudden head movements, or walking down steps.
'There have been times when I've reacted to a loud noise, which made me turn my head suddenly, triggering my vertigo and causing me to fall and land in the middle of the street, on two occasions with cars coming towards me. If I get an inkling of vertigo, I don't go out until it's passed.'
The veteran, who served for 22 years at RAF bases Lossiemouth and Kinross, sought help from North East Sensory Services (NESS) to help him get his life back.
Philip has been given a flashing doorbell that he can see anywhere in his house and joined one of their lip-reading classes. His home has also had a flashing and vibrating smoke alarm installed.
He added: 'I know I can phone NESS any time during the day if I'm feeling lonely. The social isolation is the worst, and they helped me so much with that.
'I've found that telling people about my hearing loss really helps, and explaining that hearing aids don't magically fix your hearing, they are only there to support you.'
'It's really important for people to look at you when they are talking, so you can lipread. I find it difficult when people join in a conversation I am having. I can follow one person, but I can't follow two or three people at the same time.
'If you are having difficulties with your hearing, and are diagnosed with hearing loss, I would always recommend going to NESS.'
Carla Marchbank, statutory services manager at NESS, said: 'Philip's story shows just how devastating sensory loss can be.
"At NESS, our staff understand people need different things along their journey, and we try to support them in whatever way they need at the best time for them.
'This can be on a practical level, through providing equipment or applying for benefits, or responding with the emotional support that people need as they adapt to their new normal.
'Gaining new skills, such as lipreading, can help people regain control of their situation.
'Members of groups like the lipreading class also provide each other with peer support, sharing their experiences and expertise with others who are at the start of their journey.'
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