Mungo, who has been married to Doreen for 44 years, was terrified – but braced himself for the possibility of cancer.

However, four years later, the Paisley man discovered the truth behind his agonising suffering – degenerative tinnitus.

This week Mungo told of his nightmare battle to receive a diagnosis for the condition, which can be an early warning sign of a brain tumour.

Retired services technician Mungo, 66, said: “I was watching television and thought that something was wrong with the speakers but I tried a different room and realised it was me.

“It’s been very erratic so I’ve had good and bad days and I never know when I wake up how bad it will be.” The noise is a background sound which drowns out other sounds making everyday tasks like talking on the phone impossible.

“When it’s at its worst it affects me every day, stops me talking on the phone, I can’t hear my messages and I can get high pitched noises that wake me up when I’m sleeping,” he said.

“Obviously, over time, this can really affect your life. Socially, it’s very isolating and when you’re not sleeping you can feel like a zombie. I’m just grateful to my wife Doreen but of course I worry about her worrying about me.” The 66-year-old first started experiencing unpleasant background noise and echoing in his ears shortly after his retirement.

Mungo initially visited his local Accident and Emergency department but was told after a brief examination that his hearing would clear up after a few weeks.

And after visiting a succession of doctors and consultants, culminating in a diagnosis of tinnitus, there was also the possibility his condition was a symptom of acoustic neuroma, a form of benign brain tumour or even worse a malignant tumour.

“I visited a number of GPs and consultants who eventually diagnosed tinnitus,” he recalled.

“This is a degenerative condition with no cure but worse than this I was told it could be a symptom of acoustic neuroma – a form of benign brain tumour or worse.” Unfortunately Mungo also suffers from acute claustrophobia, so a trip to an enclosed MRI scanner was not an easy option.

It was only after he collapsed last year and went to see a neurosurgeon that Mungo put himself through a scan under sedation – two diazepam tablets.

“I was unable to get to a satisfactory point where I could use diagnostic equipment I felt comfortable with as my claustrophobia prevented me from being in such a confined space for the required 45 minutes,” he said.

“I had a bad experience on a plane in Glasgow airport several years ago that was delayed due to fog and we were grounded in confined space for over three hours – it was so bad that even some of the cabin staff obviously found it unpleasant.

“After that experience I’ve been unable to bear confined or crowded spaces. I’ve even stopped going to Rangers matches because I can’t contemplate standing in a crowd.

“After I fainted, the neurosurgeon I was sent to insisted I had a scan as fainting is a classic sign of a brain tumour.

“I naturally wanted a second opinion to ensure I didn’t have a tumour and put my mind fully at rest but I didn’t want to subject myself to another confined machine.” Mungo, who retired in 2003, wanted another scan urgently and, after some internet research, he found the Newcastle Clinic’s open-sided MRI scanner, which is the only scanner of its kind serving Scotland. The open-sided MRI scanner is free to NHS patients who cannot undergo a traditional ‘closed’ scan because they are claustrophobic or too large.

Mungo was able to use the open sided scanner without sedation, a test which finally confirmed he did not have a brain tumour.

“It was a relief to find an open-sided scanner I was able to use without feeling confined and an even bigger relief for there to be no brain tumour,” the pensioner continued.

He added: “Thanks to the results at Newcastle Clinic I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I’m free to enjoy my retirement. What I’ve been most concerned with is that the open sided scanner available in England on the NHS at Newcastle Clinic for those with claustrophobia or size and obesity issues is not being promoted by healthcare professionals as an option in Scotland.”