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Foxy Comes Clean About Hearing
After keeping her hearing defect private, Foxy Brown recently told People Magazine she has been nearly deaf for four months.
As heads continue to await Foxy's fourth album, Black Roses, the Ill Nana recently shared that she was diagnosed with severe sudden sensor neural hearing loss back in May 2005. Apparently little is known about the condition, but it reportedly affects one in 10,000 people without warning and is usually traced to a viral infection.
"I pressed the volume [of the TV] to maybe 60. Nothing," Brown (né Inga Marchand) told People of the morning she uncovered her hearing defect. "I ran outside to my truck and honked the horn. Nothing. I ran back inside and dialed a number on the phone. Nothing. Then I started breaking down in tears and screaming and I couldn't even hear myself scream. That's when I knew there was a problem."
Most affected by the condition usually suffer hearing loss in one ear and the condition can be reversed if treated early. Foxy lost hearing in both ears and has not responded well to treatment thus far.
"Her case is severe," says Dr. Anil Lalwani, an otologist whom Brown has consulted. "In only one or two percent of the cases are both ears affected."
Now nearly deaf for four months, Foxy initially tried to hide her condition, hoping that treatment and surgery could cure her. She also said she failed to read the signs that he hearing was fading away.
"There were signs for a few days before. My phone would be ringing and my Blackberry would be going off and people would be 'Yo Foxy, your Blackberry.' And I'd hear it. It would be a delayed reaction but I'd still hear it," Fox revealed. "One day I was in the studio, putting the finishing touches on my fourth album, Black Roses, and my friend Jay-Z walked in to approve the mix. As soon as he heard it he was like, 'Yo, what's that? Does this sound normal to you, Inga?' I was like 'Of course it does. What do you mean?' Then he told me, 'Baby Girl, we have a problem because this is ridiculously loud. I could never put this on the radio."
Foxy also remembered having difficulties hearing callers during a radio station interview and struggling to hear the funeral director during her aunt's funeral. It was at the funeral that she told Hova that she thought she was going deaf.
After visiting the doctor, Fox found out that her condition could have been cured instantly if she treated it immediately. Instead, she worsened the hearing by continuing to work and exposing her frail ears to more loud music. The Brooklyn emcee was then put on a steroid called Prednisone and an antiviral medicine. The medication didn't work.
She then pretended everything was normal for several weeks, reading people's lips to figure out what they were saying. With help from her close friend/model Naomi Campbell, Fox visited another specialist and went into surgery. She consequently improved her hearing up to 20%, but hasn't improved since. However, there is a possibility that Fox may rap again with a cochlear implant.
An implant would give "much more auditory information," says Dr. Lalwani. "It would let her use a telephone, and it may be sufficient for her to get tonality back and be a musician."
In the meantime, Foxy has taken an indefinite break from recording. There's no word on when her next album, Black Roses will be released, however the album has been completed.
Source: sohh.com
As heads continue to await Foxy's fourth album, Black Roses, the Ill Nana recently shared that she was diagnosed with severe sudden sensor neural hearing loss back in May 2005. Apparently little is known about the condition, but it reportedly affects one in 10,000 people without warning and is usually traced to a viral infection.
"I pressed the volume [of the TV] to maybe 60. Nothing," Brown (né Inga Marchand) told People of the morning she uncovered her hearing defect. "I ran outside to my truck and honked the horn. Nothing. I ran back inside and dialed a number on the phone. Nothing. Then I started breaking down in tears and screaming and I couldn't even hear myself scream. That's when I knew there was a problem."
Most affected by the condition usually suffer hearing loss in one ear and the condition can be reversed if treated early. Foxy lost hearing in both ears and has not responded well to treatment thus far.
"Her case is severe," says Dr. Anil Lalwani, an otologist whom Brown has consulted. "In only one or two percent of the cases are both ears affected."
Now nearly deaf for four months, Foxy initially tried to hide her condition, hoping that treatment and surgery could cure her. She also said she failed to read the signs that he hearing was fading away.
"There were signs for a few days before. My phone would be ringing and my Blackberry would be going off and people would be 'Yo Foxy, your Blackberry.' And I'd hear it. It would be a delayed reaction but I'd still hear it," Fox revealed. "One day I was in the studio, putting the finishing touches on my fourth album, Black Roses, and my friend Jay-Z walked in to approve the mix. As soon as he heard it he was like, 'Yo, what's that? Does this sound normal to you, Inga?' I was like 'Of course it does. What do you mean?' Then he told me, 'Baby Girl, we have a problem because this is ridiculously loud. I could never put this on the radio."
Foxy also remembered having difficulties hearing callers during a radio station interview and struggling to hear the funeral director during her aunt's funeral. It was at the funeral that she told Hova that she thought she was going deaf.
After visiting the doctor, Fox found out that her condition could have been cured instantly if she treated it immediately. Instead, she worsened the hearing by continuing to work and exposing her frail ears to more loud music. The Brooklyn emcee was then put on a steroid called Prednisone and an antiviral medicine. The medication didn't work.
She then pretended everything was normal for several weeks, reading people's lips to figure out what they were saying. With help from her close friend/model Naomi Campbell, Fox visited another specialist and went into surgery. She consequently improved her hearing up to 20%, but hasn't improved since. However, there is a possibility that Fox may rap again with a cochlear implant.
An implant would give "much more auditory information," says Dr. Lalwani. "It would let her use a telephone, and it may be sufficient for her to get tonality back and be a musician."
In the meantime, Foxy has taken an indefinite break from recording. There's no word on when her next album, Black Roses will be released, however the album has been completed.
Source: sohh.com