Grey's Anatomy star Camilla Luddington’s unexpected health diagnosis explained as condition affects millions across the world

Grey’s Anatomy star Camilla Luddington recently opened up about a ‘distressing’ health diagnosis she’s worried will never ‘go away’.

The actor shot to fame after being cast as Dr Josephine ‘Jo’ Wilson in the hit medical drama back in 2012, and has since become one of the show’s longest-standing cast members.

Luddington has also gone on to make a pretty big name for herself in the podcasting world alongside Grey’s colleague Jessica Capshaw, who played Arizona Robins, having launched the Call It What It Is earlier this year.

In the latest episode, Luddington bravely opened up about something she’d never ‘really talked about before’, revealing she had been suffering an ongoing health issue.

Luddington joined the cast in 2012 (ABC)

"It felt very lonely when I first realised I had it so we're going to talk about it,” she admitted.

Before being diagnosed, she found she was experiencing strange issues with her hearing.

"Two-ish – three - maybe two-ish years ago I was watching Ghost Busters and there are a lot of silent parts in it and I turned to [husband] Matt [Allen] and I said, 'Is, is the TV buzzing?' Luddington continued.

"I was very confused and he was like 'No,' and I'm like, 'Do you hear that ringing in your ear?' and he was like 'No I don't'."

This led to her realise something more serious was wrong.

“Long story short, I realised I had something called tinnitus, which is - and I still have it to this day - which is a constant noise,” she said, adding: "Actually I don't have it - you can have it in one ear or the other ear - I only have it in my right ear.

She found she was experiencing strange issues with her hearing (Yurii Yarema/Getty Images)

"Um, I have it right now, I can always hear it, and it was very distressing to me because I realised after a few days, 'Oh I still hear this constantly, I'm not sure if this is something that is going to go away.'"

What is tinnitus?

The NHS explains that tinnitus is the name for ‘hearing noises that do not come from an outside source’.

It can sound like:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Whooshing
• Humming
• Hissing
• Throbbing
• Music or singing

As Luddington said, you may hear these sounds in one or both ears.

A 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that tinnitus affects more than 740 million adults globally, while being 'perceived as a major problem' by more than 120 million people.

Is there a cure for tinnitus?

While the NHS says it’s not usually a sign of anything serious, it can be extremely frustrating.

It may even get better by itself, but there are a number of things you can do to help.

Do:

• Try to relax – deep breathing or yoga may help
• Try to find ways to improve your sleep, such as sticking to a bedtime routine or cutting down on caffeine
• Try to avoid things that can make tinnitus worse, such as stress or loud background noises
• Join a support group – talking to other people with tinnitus may help you cope

Don’t:

- Have total silence – listening to soft music or sounds (called sound therapy) may distract you from the tinnitus

- Focus on it, as this can make it worse – hobbies and activities may take your mind off it