Banbury man saved from hearing loss after rare condition

Father-of-two, Gareth Williams, 63, began noticing changes to his hearing over six weeks which ultimately led to complete hearing loss.

Banbury Specsavers audiologist Bilal Ali detected abnormalities during Mr Williams' hearing check and immediately advised him to seek hospital treatment.

Gareth Williams was advised to go to hospital by Bilal Ali (Image: Specsavers)

Doctors identified Mr Williams' condition as granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA), a rare form of vasculitis that affects the blood vessels can severely damage organs.

Mr Williams was given immediate treatment for the condition, including high dose steroids and chemotherapy.

Mr Williams, who had always had normal hearing, said: "When I lost my hearing entirely over a short period, coupled with blocked sinuses and breathing problems, I was somewhat concerned and that's when I went to Specsavers.

"I assumed it was some sort of sinus infection that would clear eventually, so it was Bilal saying it was important I got it checked out further that pushed us on to the road with the specialist."

Mr Williams added: "GPA can affect other organs the longer it's left, so it wasn't just my hearing that was saved."

Mr Ali said: "If the GPA hadn't been discovered in time, it could have led to more serious and permanent damage.

"Since finishing his treatment, Mr Williams has returned to me for a check-up, and it appears his hearing has stabilised, which is a great outcome for him and I am very happy that I was able to help him."