Whoopi Goldberg Tinnitus
Whoopi is one of the many Hollywood stars to be plagued by tinnitus.
Tinnitus doesn’t mind if you are famous, rich, acting on the big screen or someone who watches the big screen! Unlike other conditions, there has been little hope of actually treating your tinnitus, until now.
For years many people have had to live with their tinnitus and manage the psychological impact it has on them and their loved ones.
Dr Hodge has designed and developed tinnitus treatment that trains your brain to ignore your tinnitus. The results for users are remarkable.
The famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh cut off his left ear in an attempt to relieve his symptoms. Now you just need to listen to your customised treatment sound, and your ear can stay attached!
Tinnitus occurs in the absence of an external sound source. No-one else can hear the tinnitus. It is not a condition, but rather a symptom (such as a headache) of your auditory system.
The tinnitus is typically high frequency and described as a ringing or buzzing sound.
It is a prevalent symptom, with 20% of the adult population experiencing tinnitus. At some point in our lives, we will all experience tinnitus.
Although no-one knows whether the tinnitus is generated peripherally (in the cochlea or inner ear) or centrally (in the brain), the current consensus is that it is generated in the central acoustic centres.
It’s great to see Hollywood is starting to reflect tinnitus as part of the storylines, considering so many of the actors suffer from tinnitus.
Stars and Tinnitus!
Whoopi Goldberg is very open about her hearing loss and tinnitus. She wears hearing aids in both ears and believes the very loud music she listened to for years is the cause.
Barbra Streisand in 1985 admitted to Barbara Walters that she has suffered from tinnitus from the age of 9. As a child to try and block the noise out, she would wrap scarfs around her head. As a lifelong sufferer of tinnitus.
Joseph Mawle, or should we say Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones has been a long-sufferer of tinnitus. He developed his tinnitus after contracting labyrinthitis when he was 16 years old.
Chris Martin, the lead singer for Coldplay, has also developed tinnitus, probably as a result of the exposure to loud music as a band.
William Shatner developed tinnitus from his time on the set of Star Trek; he thinks its from standing too close to the speakers.
Steve Martin developed his tinnitus while filming on the set for the Three Amigos; there was a gunfire scene that started his tinnitus.
Ronald Regan, the former US President, developed his tinnitus during a film shoot, a blank pistol was fired too close to his ear.
Movies and tinnitus
A Star is Born (2018) is one of the most famous movies that has the lead character played by Bradley Cooper suffering from tinnitus.
This romantic musical drama starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga tells the story of a hard-drinking musician falling in love with Lady Gaga.
Throughout the story, Cooper battles drink and drugs and tries to cope with his debilitating tinnitus while also falling in love with Lady Gaga and providing her with the break her career needed.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)This Steven Spielberg movie was one of the first to use POA (Point of audition). When the bomb went off, the audio would go almost silent, as if the viewer were temporarily deafened (along with the characters). The audio would slowly come back, and there would be a slight ringing sound which grew louder. Then the audio of the movie would come back in very quickly. Spielberg wanted to mimic tinnitus to the audience after the bomb went off to demonstrate what our Veterans can experience during active duty.
Baby Driver (2017) Director Edgar Wright was determined to put the spotlight on tinnitus and hearing loss. Wright experienced tinnitus as a child, and in this action crime drama, the action hero ‘Baby’ suffers tinnitus and copes by continuously listening to music. The movie also features CJ Jones, a deaf actor.
So why are famous people getting tinnitus?
There are many different causes of tinnitus, and it can occur at any time, each case of tinnitus is unique. It has been suggested that some groups are more likely to get tinnitus than others. In particular, there is no definitive list of the cause, below is a list of some of the common causes;
- Prolonged exposure to loud sounds
- Age-related hearing loss
- Extreme stress
- Ear infections
- Earwax blockage
- Ear bone changes
- Some medications
A recent study by Classic FM reveals that musicians are twice as likely to get tinnitus. This is generally due to the prolonged exposure of loud noise with no protection.
Another recent study by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health reveals that unfortunately, often, musicians are unaware of the risks that exposure to prolonged loud noise can have on your hearing and increased risk of tinnitus.
So can the stars prevent it?
In many cases, Tinnitus cannot be prevented but you can reduce your risk by:
- Using over the ear hearing protection if exposed to loud noises
- Reduce the volume if using headphones to listen to music
- Stay fit and healthy to maintain cardiovascular health
Related Tags: Tinnitus Specialist, Tinnitus Sound
