Susanna Reid has spoken of her initial distress when she was first diagnosed with tinnitus a decade ago. The TV presenter, 44, suffers from a mild form of the debilitating hearing condition which means she endures a constant ringing or buzzing in her ears. Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Monday, Susanna admitted, "When I first started hearing it, which was probably about ten years ago, I became quite distressed that I would never hear silence again."
© Photo: RexTinnitus sufferer Susanna Reid feared she'd "never hear silence again"
She and co-host Ben Shepherd were joined on the show by guest Tracey Hudson, who suddenly developed tinnitus four years ago. She played recordings to viewers to show what those suffering with tinnitus – for which there is no current cure – must deal with. It's not the first time Susanna has spoken about her condition. Asked previously in a 2013 interview about 'The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again', she replied, "Silence. I've had tinnitus since Finn's birth, which probably resulted from a difficult labour." Finn, ten, is Susanna's second son with ex-partner Dominic Cotton; they are also parents to Sam, 12, and Jack, nine.
© Photo: RexSusanna Reid has linked his tinnitus to a difficult labour with her second son
Susanna isn't the only famous face diagnosed with tinnitus – Coldplay star Chris Martin has likewise suffered with the painful ear condition for the last ten years, which he blames on listening to loud music as a teenager. "Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don't think about until there's a problem," the singer has said. "I've had tinnitus for about ten years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn't got any worse (touch wood). But I wish I'd thought about it earlier." Other stars who have blamed their tinnitus on listening to loud music include Plan B and Gary Numan, who said he was no longer able to mix music together after damaging his hearing. "I didn't look after my ears and I'm in trouble," said the Cars hitmaker.
