Tag: Ronald Reagan

There Are Celebrities Who Have Deafness Problems

There are celebrities who have deafness problems and you just dont know it. Read this article to find out who some of these people are.

If you love the series and the movie Star Trek, both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy suffer from deafness problems. Sadly for these two individuals, this was caused a loud explosion from a stage prop which occurred during one of their shoots for this series during the mid-1960s but through the years, both have still appeared in television and movies showing to everyone they still have what it takes to be in the entertainment industry.

Former President Ronald Reagan also suffered from a deafness problem but this happened before he made it to the Oval Office or even into politics. Just like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, this happened when he someone fired a gun near his right ear. Although the effects were not felt back then, in 1983, he was fitted with hearing aids which many are grateful for because it encouraged people who had deafness problems to get help.

Another former president who also has deafness problems is former President Bill Clinton. The joke is that he wears hearing loss because Hillary screams at him all the time but the truth is that this was caused by playing his saxophone regularly. We know practice makes perfect but since you play this instrument often and it is close to you, the ear will eventually reach its temporary threshold shift and if repeated, does result in permanent hearing loss. Former President Reagan wore one hearing aid while Former President Clinton wears two.

Former Miss America Heather Whitestone suffered from a deafness problem. Unknown to many, she lost her hearing when was 18 months old after she suffered from a high fever and the only way to help her was for the doctor to use a life saving anti-biotic.

When she was crowned Miss America in 1995, she was the first female to accomplish this feat. Eight years later, she was able to undergo a cochlear implant making it possible for her to finally hear what people were actually saying.

American body builder and actor Lou Ferrigno also suffers from a deafness problem. He got this when he was three years old due to an ear infection which permanently lost 80% of his hearing. His father put him down because of that but body building helped him combat low esteem making him win various body building competitions and roles in movies like the Hulk.

Jeff Float, a great athletic also has a deafness problem. He got this as a result of meningitis when he was 13 months old. As a result, he lost 90% of hearing in his right ear and 65% in his left ear. Children at school teased him because of his disability which lowered his self-confidence. Swimming changed that which made him a gold medal winner in the 1984 Olympics.

An accident, a sickness or loud music in the case of people who are in the music industry is the causes of deafness problems. It can happen while you are still a baby or later on in life. The only consolation is that there are now ways to treat it so you can communicate with people when you hear what they have just said.

How Do You Become Deaf

How do you become deaf? That is a silly question to ask but there are some people who are born with it while others develop it later on in life. Here are some of the causes why some people have deafness problems.

In the case of people in the music industry, studies have shown that deafness problems are caused by loud music. Rock stars like Eric Clapton and Peter Townshend believe that playing in concerts with the speakers at high volumes causes this especially when these are close to you on stage. Permanent damage can only happen if repeated and this business, if you are on tour, this is bound to happen.

If you were an actor or actress, you could develop deafness problems as a result of an accident. William Shatner and former President Ronald Reagan developed this from a loud explosion and gun shot that was fired too close to where they were. The ringing sound did permanent damage to their ears which is why the former president had to wear hearing aid later on in his political career.

A sickness is another cause of deafness problems. Some athletes and celebrities developed a disease at a young age and never recovered fully from it. Two good examples are Miss America 1995 Heather Whitestone and athlete Jeff Float. Although this presented a handicap, this did not stop these two individuals reaching for the stars.

There are also those who are born deaf and in most cases, this is genetic. This is caused by illnesses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), toxoplasmosis and herpes. Medicines that are used to treat these problems may also cause damage to the hearing system especially ototoxic drugs.

If the infant is born prematurely, he or she is also at risk of being deaf or becoming deaf in the future. This is because they may be born with severe jaundice or experience a lack of oxygen.

It is also possible that the child may lose their sense of hearing as a result of an accident.

Another possibility why you may soon suffer from deafness problems is aging. Studies have shown that as we age, a combination of loud noise, stress, certain illnesses and medicine may make this happen.

You can also suffer from deafness problems if you work in a construction site or airport especially if you do not have any protection.

Can deafness be prevented? In some cases yes while in others no. Since we have no control as to what happens when the female is pregnant, it is hard to prevent that from happening but once the baby is out, there are steps we can take.

First, as parents we should not bring our kids to places that have loud sounds. Since they are young, their ears have not yet fully developed and are very sensitive.

As they grow older, you should teach them about proper safety techniques like wearing ear protectors especially if they have to some home improvement work or when they decide to pursue this later on as a profession.

We should also watch their health because they could suffer from a disease that could give them this problem. If the doctor is about to prescribe a medicine, make sure that one of its side effects is not deafness.