Texas Roadhouse supports tinnitus awareness with special fundraiser
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY) — Next week starts Tinnitus Awareness Week — a condition characterized by the perception of noise like a ringing or buzzing in both ears.
WWAY explains how a local restaurant raised thousands of dollars in support of the treatment and a cure for this condition.
“It’s a very debilitating issue that people deal with. It’s described as ringing, buzzing, chirping, head sounds,” said Chris Smith.
Chris Smith is talking about tinnitus.
He is one of 26 million people in the US who suffer from “ringing in the ears.”
He’s also a sales manager with Beltone Hearing Centers, which treats the debilitating condition, which has several causes, and patients with symptoms like hearing loss.
“They aren’t hearing the sounds around them properly. There can be other causes, medications, there are a lot of medications that have side effects of Tinnitus; stress, blood pressure, there’s just so many causes that can exacerbate it,” said Smith.
It’s usually caused by damage to the ear’s cochlear hair cells, which send erratic signals to the brain.
One way to help it is with white noise.
“A lot of people notice it more when they’re in a quiet room or when they’re trying to go to sleep at night because there aren’t any other sounds around. I can recommend people at night, you know, turn on a sound machine, turn on an oscillating fan, to kind of trick their brain,” said Smith.
Smith notes this is more than just a hearing-related health issue.
“It can take a mental toll on someone,” said Smith.
Late founder of Texas Roadhouse, Kent Taylor, suffered from tinnitus as a post-COVID symptom, and friends and family say his struggle played a role in his suicide in 2021.
In honor of Taylor and Tinnitus Awareness Week, the restaurant held a fundraiser night where 100% of the proceeds were donated to the American Tinnitus Association.
Whitney Barnes is with Wilmington’s Texas Roadhouse and says the restaurant is committed to continuing this valuable partnership.
“From now until forever, Texas Roadhouse will always partner with the American Tinnitus Association. I mean, I think it’s a great cause, it literally affects millions and millions of Americans, and I think we are lucky to have them and vice versa,” said Barnes.
Texas Roadhouse raised over $16,000 for the American Tinnitus Association, and the franchise as a whole raised over $1.1 million.
