Born Durrell Artaze Babbs, Tank got his start in the music industry by singing backup vocals for Ginuwine. After being introduced to and singing backup for Aaliyah, the singer went on to sign with Aaliyah's record label Blackground Records. In 2001, Tank released his debut album, ‘Force of Nature’ to moderate interest. Though he released new albums consistently, it wasn’t until the tenth album that he was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist. On the other hand, he’s been nominated for a Grammy award three times.
While Tank was excited to announce his tenth album, he also had another important revelation - he was going deaf. In a post on Instagram, he stated that he was rapidly losing hearing in his right ear and the left one wasn’t far behind. Despite getting confirmation from doctors, he wasn’t sure what was causing the issue. He pledged, however, to do whatever it took to stop or reverse it. When he appeared at the Soul Train Awards in 2022, he gave an update on his condition. Though he’d lost hearing completely in his right ear, he was still able to hear with his left.
RELATED: Singer Tank Reveals To Fans He’s Going Completely Deaf
What Is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is defined as not being able to hear at the specific threshold of 20 decibels. From there, hearing loss is further categorized as being mild, moderate, severe, or profound.
People with mild hearing loss may have trouble hearing someone speak in a noisy room while those who have moderate levels of hearing loss are likely to need a hearing aid.
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Those with severe hearing loss will hear very little and profound hearing loss means you won’t be able to hear anything at all. That last level is usually where someone is described as being hearing impaired or deaf.
Some of the causes of hearing loss include damage to the inner ear, a ruptured ear drum, the buildup of earwax, and abnormalities in the ear’s structure.
Additionally, certain medications like chemotherapy drugs can damage the inner ear. Some of the sure signs that your hearing is in jeopardy are constantly asking people to repeat what they’ve said, asking those around you to speak more slowly, and turning the television volume up to levels that others find intolerable.
How The Condition Is Diagnosed
To be diagnosed with hearing loss, your doctor will need to thoroughly examine you. Since there are illnesses that can affect your hearing, you might be checked for these as well. That list includes Lyme disease, meningitis, diabetes, syphilis, sickle cell disease, and hypothyroidism.
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During the physical examination, the doctor typically looks for abnormalities in the ear and the buildup of wax. A few of the tests you may undergo are the whisper test, tuning fork test, and audiometer test.
These tests will be used to determine the type of hearing loss you’re dealing with. The three options are conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, or a combination of the two.
In the first category, something is preventing sound vibrations from moving from the outer ear to the inner ear. The second category means that there is some kind of dysfunction or abnormality in the inner ear.
How Hearing Loss Is Treated
The route for treating hearing loss is dependent on the cause. If there is an underlying condition, then your doctor will focus on treating that while managing the hearing loss.
In cases where there’s a build-up of wax, removing it and ensuring that it doesn’t happen again is usually the recommended course of action. For those who have an abnormality in the ear, there are surgical options that can repair the problem and restore some of your hearing.
However, there are some cases of severe hearing loss where the condition can’t be reversed. That’s when your doctor is likely to suggest getting a hearing aid or cochlear implant to help you hear what’s going on around you.
Since cochlear implants bypass the damaged portions of your ear, they can also be useful for those with profound hearing loss depending on where the damage is.
Hearing loss can affect anyone but it can be treated. The important thing is getting the issue addressed quickly. If you’re having any signs of hearing loss, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible. In the meantime, make sure to protect your ears from loud noises.
