'I'm battling the same incurable condition as actor Martin Kemp - and it's terrifying'

For many, the prospect of losing their hearing is a terrifying thought, one that involves the elimination of countless joyful sounds that enrich our lives. But what about the opposite scenario?

What's it like to live with a condition that ensures you'll never experience silence again?

A condition where your life is perpetually underscored by a roaring, ringing, or whooshing sound?

This is the reality for seven million Brits – myself included – living with tinnitus, an incurable condition characterised by hearing noises that don't originate from an external source.

Actor and former Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp, along with his wife Shirlie, are both sufferers of this condition. In my case, I constantly hear a ringing in both ears, reports Surrey Live.

It's more noticeable in the right ear than the left, but it's always there. I first started noticing it when I was around nine or 10 years old.

While it doesn't overly impact my life, there are moments when I wish it would just stop. My journey with tinnitus began at a young age, and in some ways, I consider myself lucky that it started when I was just a child.

I grew up in a house full of siblings in London, a city that can hardly be described as silent.

As a result, there weren't many opportunities for the ringing to make itself known other than in quiet moments at which point I assumed – remember I was very young – it was coming from somewhere else. I thought it sat alongside other sounds and not something that was coming from my own head.

As time went on, things didn't change much. I learnt about tinnitus by chance at school, and in retrospect the condition didn't worsen, only appearing when there were few other external sounds.

That was until one night at a race track. I was working as a paddock marshal at one event and as the cars lined up to start the final race of the day, I joined a colleague to watch the start.

He offered me some earplugs which I stupidly declined. As the grid roared away, all I could hear for the next few minutes was an intense ringing in both ears, no other noises were able to penetrate past the onslaught of sound.

Though it later subsided, my hearing was never the same again. After that night in the mid-to-late 2010s I have taken measures to prevent my tinnitus from venturing down the one way street of increasing intensity.

This includes wearing ear plugs to loud venues, trying to mitigate the impact of stress that can cause temporary peaks, and staying busy to keep my mind off the sound.

While my tale isn't one that calls for the world's smallest violin, being diagnosed with tinnitus as an adult can be a terrifying experience as you grieve the loss of silence. With this in mind, I have several pieces of advice for managing your tinnitus.

My top tips for dealing with tinnitus are as follows: Firstly, remember that you're not alone. Seven million Brits share this condition, which means there's a vast support network available to help you on particularly bad days.

Secondly, embrace other sounds and let them distract your mind. Whether it's the sound of rain or traffic, let your mind tune into these noises so they become the default instead of the tinnitus.

Thirdly, don't panic. From personal experience, I can tell you that stress and anxiety only make tinnitus worse.

Try mindfulness techniques or find ways to relax, whether that's listening to music or exercising to release positive endorphins and hormones. Fourthly, protect your ears.

I'm not suggesting you need to wear ear defenders to the club, but affordable earplugs are readily available at places like Boots and Superdrug, allowing you to dance the night away under a wave of beautiful sound. Lastly, be patient.

Yes, tinnitus is incurable, frustrating, and a bit rubbish, but part of living with the condition is simply getting used to it. It takes time, but gradually you'll learn to live with it and eventually it'll just be that annoying noise you hear every now and then.

Here's what the NHS has to say.

Naturally, I'm not a healthcare expert, so it's always wise to consult NHS guidelines before making any significant lifestyle changes. They recommend avoiding loud noises, managing stress, using background noise like a fan, and practising relaxation techniques to help manage tinnitus.

They also advise seeing a GP in certain situations: if tinnitus is persistent or bothersome, if it is accompanied by sudden hearing loss or dizziness, and for a proper diagnosis and to rule out any underlying conditions. For more support about living with tinnitus, help is available at Tinnitus UK or the NHS.