8 Famous Celebrities With Hearing Aids in 2024

Halle Berry, Huey Lewis, Whoopi Goldberg, Lou Ferrigno, Adam Savage, Bill Clinton, Jodie Foster, Eric Clapton

are all celebrities who have hearing impairments and regularly wear hearing aids in their daily lives.

Hearing loss is a big problem. Approximately 37.5 million adults, or 15% of American adults, have mild to moderate hearing loss. Although approximately three to four million hearing aids are sold in the United States every year, only about one in five people who could benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. That’s almost 30 million people that need help hearing, and celebrities are no exception!

Of course, the most significant factor influencing reluctance to wear hearing aids is probably their traditional, conspicuous appearance. However, nowadays, there are many hearing aids and sound amplifiers that look like regular Bluetooth earphones. They are not only affordable but also provide clear sound and come with Bluetooth functionality, allowing users to handle phone calls, listen to music, and more with a single device.

Among these, Olive Union's sound amplifiers, Olive SmartEar Plus is recommended for individuals with mild and moderate hearing loss, respectively. Many celebrities are already using hearing aids, so there's no need to fear wearing them any longer.

With such a large number of Americans suffering from hearing loss, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that there are well-known celebrities with hearing aids. Here are just a few examples of well-known celebrities with hearing aids!

1) Huey Lewis

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Due to years and years of playing loud rock and roll music with no hearing protection, Huey Lewis suffers from substantial hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, he wears hearing aids in both ears. His hearing loss got worse when he suffered from Meniere’s Disease, an inner ear imbalance that can cause hearing loss and vertigo. In 2018, he was forced to cancel a concert tour because he couldn’t hear the music well enough to find the proper pitch for his singing. Lewis is open about his hearing loss and works to raise awareness about the dangers of loud music and hearing loss.

2) Whoopi Goldberg

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Academy Award winning actress, comedian, and co-host of TV’s “The View”, Whoopi Goldberg has not let the hearing aids in both ears get in the way of her success. The famous celebrities hearing loss is most likely noise-induced, as she claims she spent her younger years listening to very loud music. She is very open about her experience with hearing loss and hopes that she can prevent young people from making the same mistake she did.

3) Lou Ferrigno

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Lou Ferrigno has severe hearing loss in both of his ears due to an ear infection he had when he was only 3 years old. The star of the 1978 “The Incredible Hulk” TV show has lost 75 percent of his hearing and wears hearing aids in both ears. He’s also learned to read lips to help him communicate better with others. Despite this, Ferrigno feels that his hearing loss helped push him to succeed in life.

4) Adam Savage

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Movie prop maker and host of TV’s Mythbusters, Adam Savage has worn a hearing aid in his left ear for years. Savage suffers from the congenital condition otosclerosis, which causes abnormal bone growth in the middle ear and interferes with proper sound transmission. He says that he carries an extra hearing aid with him wherever he goes. His openness about his condition caused many of his fans to seek hearing tests and have their hearing loss treated.

5) Bill Clinton

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Bill Clinton, our 42nd president of the United States, suffers from hearing loss; most likely due to a combination of presbycusis and noise-induced hearing loss from his teenage years in a rock band. Like many people experiencing hearing loss, he ignored it for years. At the age of 51, during his second term as president, he sought the help of an audiologist and was fitted with two in-canal hearing aids. He now advocates for hearing aid technology and travels around the world promoting the importance of hearing health in developing countries.

6) Jodie Foster

Renowned for her exceptional acting skills and having won the Oscar twice, Jodie Foster recently revealed that she suffers from a severe case of vertigo, attributing it to her hearing loss. She confessed that she discreetly wears nearly invisible ITE (In-The-Ear) hearing aids. Even if you've seen paparazzi photos of Jodie Foster, you probably wouldn't have known that she was wearing hearing aids.

These days, not only inconspicuous hearing aids but also unconventional designs like Bluetooth Sound Amplifier such as Olive Union's OSEP has emerged.

These innovative devices deviate from the stereotypical appearance of hearing aids, providing a great alternative for many who are hesitant or uncomfortable about wearing traditional ones.

7) Halle Berry

In 2004, Halle Berry candidly revealed that she experienced hearing loss due to sustained domestic violence from her former partner.

Although she lost a significant portion of hearing in her right ear, she has not allowed this setback to deter her from continuing her career, all the while actively opposing violence against women. It is known that Halle Berry wears a hearing aid, except when she is being photographed.

Furthermore, Halle Berry has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and is known to undergo insulin injections for managing her blood sugar levels.

8) Eric Clapton

The renowned musician Eric Clapton has openly revealed that he grapples with severe tinnitus and hearing loss.

Among musicians, especially rock musicians, experiencing symptoms of hearing loss is quite common. This is often attributed to prolonged exposure to very loud music, playing for extended periods in front of high-powered amps, and, in some cases, the transmission of such sounds directly to the ears through in-ear monitors. Consequently, the hearing loss they face is mostly sensorineural hearing loss, a type of hearing loss that occurs when the hair cells responsible for detecting sound become damaged.

Sensorineural hearing loss typically manifests as the hair cells degrade, which commonly happens as individuals age, leading to various degrees of hearing impairment. However, for musicians like rock artists who are exposed to extremely loud sounds repetitively, even in their 30s, sensorineural hearing loss can occur. If you want to precisely identify the type of hearing loss corresponding to the symptoms you are experiencing, refer to this article. It has everything you want to know about hearing loss type.

Furthermore, if you've been experiencing a persistent ringing sound in your ears lately just like Eric Clapton with his tinnitus symptoms, also we recommend read this article to check if your symptoms might be indicative of tinnitus.

How Hearing Aids Help People With Hearing Loss

When people experience hearing loss, certain hair cells within the cochlea of the inner are damaged; these hair cells never grow back. Different hair cells are responsible for different frequencies of a person’s range of hearing, so when hair cells are lost, the person’s ability to hear in that frequency is also lost. Hearing aids are programmed and adjusted by an audiologist to pick up and then amplify sounds in any weakened frequencies, allowing the wearer to hear as if those hair cells were healthier. For more information, check out our article on breaking down how hearing aids work!

Besides celebrities with hearing aids, you might also be interested in our article on celebrities with tinnitus! If you or someone you know is suffering from tinnitus, try some home remedies and see if you can find relief today.