Susanna Reid has revealed her terminal illness was triggered when she spoke to fellow tinnitus sufferer Jamie Laing during Good Morning Britain on Wednesday.
Jamie, 35, appeared on the ITV morning show to talk about his “distressing” battle with the disease and revealed he hasn't heard silence for eight years.
GMB played a ringtone at the start of the interview to help viewers mimic what tinnitus sufferers hear.
The main symptom of tinnitus is hearing a sound that resembles a ringing or buzzing sound that does not come from outside.
It's not clear what causes tinnitus, but it is often associated with hearing loss or other conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Susanna Reid, 53, revealed her terminal illness was triggered when she spoke to fellow tinnitus sufferer Jamie Laing during Good Morning Britain on Wednesday
Jamie, 35, appeared on the ITV morning show to talk about his “distressing” battle with the disease and revealed he hasn't heard silence for eight years
According to the NHS, it is usually not a serious sign and improvement may occur, but it is recommended that you consult a GP.
And after hearing the ringing loudly, Susanna, 53, who was diagnosed with tinnitus in 2004, said it triggered the noise in her ears, even though she could normally “tune it out”.
She said: “I went to the doctor very quickly.” [after discovering the illness], who said there is no cure, but you can talk yourself out of it. Now I know that doesn't apply to everyone.
“It's really interesting, the ring we just rang triggered it in my ears so now I can hear it again because you have to make a conscious effort to turn it off.”
“I remember it [has triggered it] But it's fine, I just won't worry about it, I'll just turn it off again in the end.'
She added: “It's really important to make it clear that while there is no cure, there are numerous therapies. So please don’t think that if it’s something you’re experiencing, there’s no point in seeing a doctor.”
Meanwhile, Jamie said: “One morning I woke up and thought, 'What's that ringing noise?' I looked around the apartment for the ringing until I suddenly realized it was coming from my head and I just thought ' Oh my God”.
“But you have to treat it like an air conditioner in your bedroom or a fan, or when you go on a summer vacation and you hear the crickets and suddenly when they stop at night you think, 'Ahh, there were the crickets.'”
GMB played a ringtone at the start of the interview to help viewers mimic what tinnitus sufferers hear
And after hearing the ringing loudly, Susanna, who was diagnosed with tinnitus in 2004, said it triggered the noise in her ears, even though she could normally “tune it out”.
She said: “It's really interesting, the ringing we just heard triggered it in my ears so now I can hear it again because you have to make a conscious effort to turn it off. “I just won't worry about it Worry, I'll just end up turning it off again.
Jamie, who was diagnosed with the disease eight years ago, said he tries to use the disease as a trigger to sign when he has overexerted himself
He said, “I use it now as a sign, as an alarm.” I say it's my annoying best friend. So when it's high and I can hear it all the time, I think I must be tired, stressed, anxious, worried, and I use that as a signal to rest and think I need rest'
He added: “You just have to turn away from it and realize that it's not harmful.” You have to try to forget about it somehow. But it’s incredibly draining and frightening.”
Jamie first discovered his tinnitus when he woke up one morning to an annoying high-pitched buzzing sound (Jamie pictured with wife Sophie Habboo)
“You just have to turn away from it and realize that it's not harmful.” You have to try to forget about it somehow. But it is incredibly draining and frightening.
“Anxiety then makes it worse, so it becomes a vicious cycle that makes it very difficult to sleep, and people all over the world have to deal with this and no one talks about it.”
The former Made In Chelsea star spoke about trying to use the illness as a trigger for signing when he has overexerted himself.
He added: “I use it now as a sign, as an alarm. “I say it's my annoying best friend. So when it's high and I can hear it all the time, I think, I must be tired, I must be stressed, I must be anxious, I must be worried about something, and so I use that as a signal, some calm and I think I need to relax.'
On Tuesday, Jamie admitted he had screamed and cried in frustration at times because his tinnitus felt like it was trying to rip his own ears off.
Jamie, host of the Private Parts podcast, blames his tinnitus on spending a lot of time in loud nightclubs and not protecting his ears, while he also believes his anxiety is a cause.
He is working with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People to raise £12,500 to fund a research project at Newcastle University aimed at understanding the brain.