"My left ear is kind of worse than my right ear because of my snare drum and monitors when I play the drums," says Valley native and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dave Grohl.

As they have for so many other musicians, the years have taken their toll on Grohl's hearing.
Billboard Magazine reported just how bad his hearing loss and tinnitus has gotten after he appeared on Howard Stern's radio show recently.

"I've been reading lips for like 20 years," Grohl said.

It's just one example of how people who suffer from tinnitus have to alter so many aspects of their lives.

"It has even been linked to depression," says Dr. Tonia Farmer, an ear, nose and throat specialist with The Lippy Group in Warren, says these sometimes devastating effects of hearing loss and tinnitus can be prevented.
In Grohl's case, the damage is already done. He told Stern that he hasn't bothered to get his hearing checked because he feels it won't tell him anything he doesn't already know.

Dr. Farmer disagrees.

"There are newer, more advanced hearing aids that can help," she said. "There's something called a cochlear implant...where you implant an electrode into the inner ear to help stimulate the hearing."

Other avenues include BAHAs or bone-anchored hearing aids.
There are also ways to minimize the maddening sounds tinnitus can produce.

But Dr. Farmer points out that it doesn't have to reach that point for you or someone you know.

"Start by wearing those protective ear plugs or ear muffs from the very beginning."