star Jamie Laing appeared on Thursday’s to discuss living with tinnitus. A few years ago, the reality star woke up with ringing in his ears before being officially diagnosed.
Host explained to viewers that there currently is no cure for tinnitus, which impacts millions of people in the UK. After playing out loud a white-pitched noise in the studio, commented: “It’s only when you hear that Jamie that you realise just how debilitating it must be.”
Jamie agreed, replying: “It is pretty debilitating. My story is that nine years ago, I woke up one morning and could hear this ringing. I searched the whole house to find this noise.
“Then I realised it was in my head, which is quite a scary thing. Really frightening, and the upsetting thing is that it affects one in seven people.”
Strictly’s Jamie Laing admits ‘it’s upsetting’ as opens up on ‘debilitating’ health condition (Image: ITV)
Jamie told the stars that he’s is a big advocate for talking about the condition and letting people know there are ways to help it.
He added: “The hard thing about it is no one can see it or feel it. So, it’s a very solo problem. You’re very stuck in your own body with it.”
Curious to know more, Cat asked what noise he hears and questioned whether or not it gets worse.
The 36-year-old explained it sounds like a high ringing whooshing noise, although highlighted it can be different for other people.
Jamie spoke to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on This Morning about his tinnitus (Image: ITV)
He confessed that when it first starts, it’s all you can think about and hear, which causes it to get louder.
Sharing his own coping mechanisms, Jamie explained he tries to see it as a friend.
Going into more detail, he added: “People with tinnitus are so scared of it, so scared it’s there the whole time. But now, I treat it as that really annoying friend.
“If its really loud, I go, ‘Ok, what are you trying to tell me?’ I’m either anxious. I’m either stressed, I’m either overworked or overtired. If you do that with it, it kind of helps it a little bit.”
The Strictly star detailed how he copes with the condition (Image: ITV)
Wanting to know if that reduces its volume, Jamie confirmed that’s the case. He told Ben and Cat that people who have tinnitus need to accept it.
He added: “If you think about the noise, you can hear it. If you’re not thinking about it, you block it out. So, you treat it like that.”
Speaking about being diagnosed after initially hearing it all those years ago, Jamie confessed it was really upsetting to be told it’s incurable.
Directing a message to people going through it at the moment, Jamie said: “I promise you, you become accustomed to it, and you get used to it.
This Morning continues weekdays on ITV from 10am.