Elliot Eastwick Becomes The Latest DJ To Develop Tinnitus
Author: Jonty Adderley
Friday, January 4, 2002
28 year old Mancunian DJ Elliot Eastwick revealed this week that his hearing has been so badly damaged by spending time in clubs that he now struggles to watch television."It (tinnitus) was never a consideration when I was in my teens and now it's too late," he told the Standard this week, adding that he feels "resentful of a future dependent on hearing aids."
Tinnitus is the term used to describe a permanent ringing in the ears, a condition increasingly common among DJs and veteran clubbers.
"It's not just DJs who suffer from tinnitus but people who go clubbing in general," said Dr Ravi Barod from Guys Hospital (London). "Years spent in noisy venues without the use of earplugs can result in permanent loss of hearing."
Disturbingly, hearing damage is both cumulative and usually invisible, with symptoms often remaining absent for years.
"Noise damage does not appear immediately," Dave Sizer from Britain's Tinnitus Helpline told Muzik magazine when they first examined the issue in 1996.
"You could do a certain amount of damage, for example, in the first 30 years of your life and there might be no apparent hearing loss or tinnitus. But it could still lie dormant, waiting for something to trigger it off. A virus may be that trigger, or drugs, or simply more exposure to loud noise," he warned.
Even more disturbingly, the condition can cause dramatic psychological problems, according to Jonathan Hazell, a world-renowned expert on the condition.
"If tinnitus is distressing, it is invariably identified as a threat, either to life or life quality," he said.
"The sudden onset of noise in the head can provoke a real anxiety about the chances of brain tumours, strokes, impending madness and possible suicide."
The key way to avoid damage is to wear earplugs in clubs but if you haven't got them you should at least make sure you always move away from speakers at the first sign of discomfort (such as ringing in the ears or any pain).
http://www.tinnitus.org.uk/information%20for%20musicians%20leaflet.htm (ER15 information- professional fitted earplugs which filter out the top 15 decibels- from £150 per pair- As warn by Tall Paul, Rocky from X Press 2 and loads more star DJs)
http://www.tinnitus.org/home/THC1.htm (Jonathan Hazell's site)
http://www.ata.org (American Tinnitus Association)
http://www.thisislondon.com (London Evening Standard)
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