We put celebrities on a pedestal and often see them as perfect. In reality, though, that’s not the case and even the rich and famous suffer from sense impairments.
Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears that is caused by exposure to loud music – click here for more information and tips on how you can prevent it. It’s very common among musicians and racing drivers. Here are just a few celebs who suffer with it.
Will.I.Am
The producer and musician revealed in an interview with The Sun that he suffers from tinnitus and is plagued by a ringing in his ears. As a producer this can be particularly frustrating when he needs to listen to and mix music perfectly.
“I can’t be quiet, as that’s when I notice the ringing in my ears,” he said. “There’s always a beep there every day, all day. Like now. I don’t know exactly how long I’ve had this, but it’s gradually got worse.”
As annoying as that constant noise is, Will.I.Am has taken it upon himself to simply make more music to drown out the noise.
Chris Martin
The Coldplay singer almost had his career destroyed by his tinnitus. The coNstant ringing in his ears was accompanied by headaches and he puts it all down to listening to loud music in his teenage years. He’s now encouraging teenagers to protect their hearing and not to make the same mistakes he did.
Ever since he started wearing earplugs when performing or listening to music, the symptoms have lessened and he’s now able to manage it.
He said: “Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem.
“I’ve had tinnitus for about ten years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn’t got any worse – touch wood.
“But I wish I’d thought about it earlier.”
William Shatner
The actor – best know for his role as Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek – suffers from tinnitus which began on set after getting too close to a special effects explosion. He felt he wouldn’t be able to go on with the screeching in his ears but is now able to manage it thanks to help from the American Tinnitus Association.
Barbara Streisand
Despite also being a musician, her hearing troubles weren’t caused by her career. In fact, the singer has had tinnitus since childhood. She spoke about it during The Barbara Walters Special: “When I went to have my hearing tested, I had supersonic hearing. I hear more.
“It’s annoying because I long to hear silence. That’s one of the reasons that I always felt different as a kid. I was in the sixth grade when I started to hear these strange noises, and I would put scarves around my head to try to block them out. I lived with a secret. I was afraid to find out what it was.”
To prevent tinnitus you need to protect your ears when exposed to high levels of sound. This means wearing earplugs or protective headphones.
