Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears and is a common condition affecting about 15 to 20 per cent of people. Tinnitus isn't a condition itself — it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder. Molly Porteous works at Morrisons in Swanston and it raising awareness of the condition that has heavily impacted her own life. The 23-year-old from Clovenstone explained that living with tinnitus causes a range of difficulties. Miss Porteous said that the condition heavily impacted her personal life and nearly caused her to lose someone she loves. She said: “Tinnitus affects everyone differently. For me, it almost took away someone I love. For that reason, I am hoping to raise awareness of the effects it can have. The challenge will run next month and Miss Porteous thinks it will be challenge to complete while working. She said: “I will be completing a sponsored silence from February 4 to February 7. During this time, I will be working my part time job at Morrisons Hunters Tryst and moving into a new flat so it will be a bit of a challenge.” As well as raising awareness of tinnitus the supermarket worker is attempting to raise £1000 to fund research into the condition with the hopes of finding a cure. Morrisons will be generously match-funding any donations made to Miss Porteous’s fundraising page, meaning each donation will be doubled. The BTA’s Fundraising Officer Jess Pollard commented “We really appreciate Molly’s support in taking on such a challenge to help the tinnitus community and the work we do. We’re so grateful that she has chosen to use her experience with tinnitus to raise awareness.” A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.