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Tinnitus in Mainstream Hollywood!

Tinnitus is a debilitating condition which many people in the world live with. Even more people, however, have no idea what it is. Thus, it really is a sight for sore eyes whenever Tinnitus is depicted in the media, especially so, in the film industry.

This isn’t the first time tinnitus has played a large part in a Hollywood film. We also wrote an article on the film Baby Driver- a film about a man who developed tinnitus after he was involved in a car crash and drowns it out by listening to music as much as he possibly can.

You can find that article here! <– baby-driver article?

Raising Awareness

We’ve written articles in the past on Tinnitus in an attempt to raise awareness, as well as creating a YouTube video aimed at showing people which type of Tinnitus they have.

Raising awareness of tinnitus is of the utmost importance. If younger people are more aware of the life-changing condition, they’re more likely to protect themselves adequately from the harmful effects of prolonged exposure to loud noise.

I say younger people, not only because prevention is better than cure, but also because of the tendency for younger people to spend more time in nightclubs, concerts and festivals. In the noisy world we live in, it’s never been more important to protect your ears.

A Star Is Born

The film’s plot revolves around a young female singer called Ally (Lady GaGa) who’s struggling with her music and is on the brink of giving up on her dream of making it big as a singer. That is until seasoned musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) discovers and falls in love with her.

Ally’s career begins to take off but troubles begin as the personal side of their relationship begins to decline as its revealed Jackson is fighting an ongoing battle with his own demons.

Whilst the main plot revolves around Ally and her musical ambitions, a few independent reviewers have picked up on one of the side plots.

Jackson performs loud rock and roll concerts on a regular basis to practically sold out venues; the immense noise he’s frequently surrounded by along with a hearing loss he’s had since birth means Jackson has a quite severe case of Tinnitus.

Jackson’s Tinnitus means he hears a constant internal ringing and struggles to follow conversations. These inner demons manifest themselves as a dangerous addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.

The prescription drugs are to help with his Tinnitus, which gives him anxiety attacks and temper tantrums. Jackson’s manager, friend and otolaryngologist all plead with him to wear in-ear monitors, -custom-moulded ear protection which blocks sound and allows musicians to hear their own voices and instruments over both the loudspeakers behind them and loud audience in front.

 

 

Jackson refuses to wear the in-ear monitors as he believes it inhibits his ability to perform. Unfortunately, this worsens his tinnitus leading to more problems with his mental health.

The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) have been raising awareness of the life-changing condition following the film’s release in the states. They claim that Cooper accurately portrays every detail of somebody living with the realities of tinnitus.

Interested in our Tinnitus Video? Click here!