Jo Whiley: My battle with tinnitus and how it gave me anxiety
The DJ and mother reveals to Gabrielle Fagan how being diagnosed with tinnitus made her “fear for her sanity”.
Jo Whiley is one of the nation’s best-loved DJ and broadcasters, with a career that’s spanned more than two decades.
As well as being a regular presenter on Top Of The Pops, she hosted a morning show on BBC Radio One for eight years until 2011, when she moved over to Radio Two.
The mother-of-four regularly fronts the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage, but years of visiting festivals and live gigs have taken their toll. She has tinnitus – a condition caused by damage to the cochlear hair cells in the inner ear which causes sufferers to hear a ringing, whistling or buzzing noise.
Here, Jo, 52, reveals her struggle with the affliction, how she’s learned to cope with it and why she’s stronger than most.
What’s it like living with tinnitus?
Jo Whiley having her ears examined by an audiologist at Specsavers
“Waking up to a whistling sound that won’t go away makes you fear for your sanity. When I’m stressed it’s worse and can sound as loud as a shrieking kettle on a hob. There were times I thought it was going to drive me mad.
“About three years ago I became very anxious and stressed about it and dreaded going to bed at night because that was when it was worst. You’re so aware of it at times when everything is quiet.
“I used to lie there feeling panic-stricken, claustrophobic and overwhelmed thinking, ‘I’m never going to hear silence again and there’s nothing I can do about it.’ It can become all-consuming.”
What caused your tinnitus?
Jo says that years of loud music have damaged her ears
“Years of bombarding my ears with lots of really loud music has taken its toll on my hearing. Ever since I was a student I’ve gone to some incredibly loud gigs. At 18 I went to see a band called Swans, who were famed for being one of the noisiest band around. I stood right by the speaker.
“Afterwards the ringing lasted for days. When you’re young you think you’re immortal. The risks weren’t known then, and I thought hearing ringing noises was the mark of a really good gig. Three decades later, you wake up and realise you’ve got a problem.”
How do you cope?
Proud to be working with @Specsavers to raise awareness of the importance of regular hearing checks #ad’ pic.twitter.com/Xwyk5LtXpa
— Jo Whiley (@jowhiley) December 15, 2017
“I’ve learnt to distract myself from it by focusing on other noises. At night I’ll have a radio or TV on low volume, and in the day I’ll key into other noises like birds singing or dogs barking. When I feel that rising panic, I tell myself, ‘It’s OK, calm down, you can deal with this.’
“When I realised I had tinnitus I was terrified I’d damaged my hearing as well [around one in every three people with tinnitus don’t have any obvious problem with their hearing] but the expert at Specsavers, with whom I consulted, told me my hearing is fine.
“Now I really want to warn young people – and my own kids – to take their hearing seriously and protect their ears with earplugs at loud concerts.”
Did you worry your work made it worse?
Jo Whiley at Glastonbury in 2011
“It made me more cautious. You get used to the volume in your ears being a certain level, but I’ve had to wean myself gradually into having the volume lower. I ensure I turn speakers down. It can be worse when I’ve listened to a lot of loud music. ”
How do you look after your health generally?
Jo arriving at the Brit Awards earlier this year
“I run, swim and go to the gym. I’ve got a light scoliosis [curvature of the spine], so I’ve always had a dodgy back. I’m also prone to sore, stiff joints.”
What’s got you through the tough times?
Jo at The Elle Style Awards back in the 90s
“No matter what you’re facing, having perspective and humour are key. The older you get, the more you realise everyone’s had things to deal with.
“My sister’s got learning disabilities, so all my life our family have been in contact with people who’ve had challenges and difficulties. I’ve seen what people can cope with and overcome.”
What’s been your most embarrassing moment?
Jo says her most embarrasing moment was getting on stage with a tambourine at Radio 1’s Big Weekend
“The most hideous, mortifying moment of my career was when the band The Fray asked me to play tambourine with them on stage at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in 2007.
“It was impossible to refuse but, as I have no rhythm whatsoever and am the least musical person in the world, I just stood there, completely and utterly frozen. I don’t like performing at the best of times – I do a radio show so I can hide behind the microphone in a dark studio.”
How would you like to be remembered?
Jo at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in the summer
“As a really nice, kind person. That’s all you could ever want to be. I try to be that on my radio show – a voice for people who are listening at different times in their life. I want them to know there’s a person there who’s a friend through the radio.”
Jo Whiley is supporting Specsavers Audiologists Listen Up! campaign to encourage regular hearing checks. For details or to book a free hearing test, visit specsavers.co.uk/hearing
The Press Association
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