“Di first time wey di tin first happun I bin dey tin say na ment, e just be like say you dey like dis, na only you dey but e be like sometin, some sound dey dey your ear and na only you dey hear am.”
Dis na di tori of Monalisa Stephen, Social influencer, actor, body positive advocate, fashion designer and stylist, wey dey suffer from one health challenge wey dem dey call tinnitus.
According to di National Health Service of United Kingdom, tinnitus na di name dem dey call wen pesin dey hear noises wey no dey caused by sounds wey dey come from di outside world. E dey common and e no no be usually sign of anything serious.
But Monalisa say, wen doctor tell her say dis tin wey dey do her no get cure she feel bad.
As I dey here right now for dis interview, di sound wey I dey hear for my ear na like cricket sound and train. Dat sounds and cricket sound na im I dey hear togeda and e loud.” Monalisa tok as she siddon wit BBC Pidgin to tok her experience.
How e take begin for her
All of dis one start eight months ago afta Monalisa wake up one afternoon according to her. She realise say she dey hear sound for her ear.
At first she no take am to be anytin. She bin feel say na becos she lie down on dat side of her ear.
“I first tink say I sleep for dis side of my ear na im cause am. I go inside bathroom, I put wata for my ear, I shake am, shake am, shake am, notin happun. Di sound still dey dia.”
“I come ask my brother, I ask my sister say shey una dey hear dis tin wey I dey hear? Dem tell me say dem no dey hear anytin. E come be like say, shey na spiritual problem?
Monalisa say she bin no tink am as sometin serious so for di next one month she no do anytin about di condition.
One month later, she waka go hospital. Afta some tests doctor tell her say she get tinnitus.
‘E dey affect my life’
Di actress and social media influencer say dis tinnitus dey affect her life in many way.
One way she say she believe say e dey affect her na her mental health.
“On normal day I get stress but e come be like say e dey increase am (di mental health). E get sometimes wey I go dey inside my room I go wan shout, just scream make di noise stop.”
Aside from her mental health, e dey also affect how she dey take relate wit pipo she add.
“Sometimes I fit dey in di midst of pipo wey be say dem dey try tok to me but I no dey hear wetin dem dey tok becos di sound wey dey come from my head na different tin.”.
‘I wish say di noise go just stop’
Monalisa wish say di noise go just stop make everywia quiet becos she no be pesin wey like noisy place.
She say she dey fear say for di rest of her life she go always dey hear dis noise.
Second, she dey worry say she go dey drink medicine for di ear for di rest of her life as e be say tinnitus neva get cure.
Three, na worry say she fit kuku loss her hearing and she no go fit hear anytin again.
She dey hope say as she sleep wake up see hersef dey hear di noise, she go also wake up one day see say di noise don go by imsef.
“Dat day go be di happiest day of my life,” she tok.
How to check if you get tinnitus
Tinnitus fit sound like:
- ringing
- buzzing
- whooshing
- humming
- hissing
- throbbing
- music or singing
You fit hear dis sounds in 1 or both ears, or inside your head. Dem fit come and go, or you fit dey hear dem all di time.
Wetin dey cause tinnitus?
E no always dey clear wetin dey cause tinnitus, but according to NHS, e dey often dey linked to:
- some sort of hearing loss
- Ménière’s disease
- conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders or multiple sclerosis
- anxiety or depression
- taking certain medicines – tinnitus fit be side effect of some chemotherapy medicines, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and aspirin
Tins you fit try to helep cope wit tinnitus
Tins to do
Try to relax – deep breathing or yoga fit helep
Try to find ways to improve your sleep, like to stick to a bedtime routine or cut down on caffeine
Try to avoid tins wey fit make di tinnitus worse, like stress or loud background noises
Tins not to do
No dey in total silence – listen to soft music or sounds (dem dey call am sound therapy) e fit distract you from di tinnitus
No focus on am, as e fit make am worse – hobbies and activities fit take your mind off am.
