A WORLD famous DJ has revealed he is struggling with a secret health condition that has forced him to cancel gigs.
Swedish dance star Alesso, 33, shocked fans when he called off a series of performances for the first time in 14 years.
He has now told how he is living with a severe case of tinnitus – a chronic condition, which is effectively a constant noise caused from inside the body.
It is often described as a “ringing in the ears” and there's no quick fix when it comes tinnitus - but the severity of the condition will often improve gradually over time.
Describing what happened, Alesso explained: "Two months ago, I woke up with the loudest ringing in my ears. Talking about 10 out of 10.
“I was in complete shock. It was not after a show. I just woke up, and it was so intense."
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He went on to say how he had suffered with it before but not on this level.
"I know it's super common in the music industry, but yeah, I had a really, really difficult time dealing with this."
He continued: "I've been doing this for 14 years now, and I've never taken a break.
"So I just took this as a sign to slow down, to prioritize my health and be more careful."
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Alesso went on to say that he would still be performing, but had made the decision to take a step back.
His famous pals rushed to sent their support – fellow DJ Martin Garrix posted a series of love hearts, while Brody Jenner commented: “Sorry to hear about this my man. Take care of yourself.”
Alesso – real name Alessandro Renato Rodolfo Lindblad – has collaborated with Calvin Harris, Katy Perry, and Liam Payne over the years.
Just last year he performed in Belgium, Greece, France, Iceland, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
What is tinnitus and what are the symptoms?
Tinnitus is a medical term to describe the perception of noise either in one ear, both ears or in the head, when there is no corresponding external sound.
It is often described as a “ringing in the ears” but the exact sound heard can vary from person to person.
The sounds most commonly experienced include a ringing, buzzing, whistling, humming or hissing sound.
What are the symptoms of tinnitus and what causes it?
These perceived sounds may come and go or be continuous and the condition can develop suddenly or over time.
In the majority of cases, some may only notice the condition at quiet times, including at night when they are trying to sleep.
But, others may find that the condition intrudes upon their daily life and really bothers them.
There are two types of tinnitus.
Subjective tinnitus is the most common type.
This is where the sounds are only heard by the person who has tinnitus and is usually linked to problems affecting the hearing pathway.
Objective tinnitus is the second type and is much rarer.
This kind of tinnitus sound can be heard by other people too, for example, a doctor listening through a stethoscope placed by your ear.
Objective tinnitus is caused by a physical problem that produces sound - such as the narrowing of blood vessels in your ear.