'Grey's Anatomy' Star Camilla Luddington Opens Up About 'Distressing' Health Diagnosis

Grey's Anatomy actress Camilla Luddington is detailing the "distressing" diagnosis she's recently found herself facing on the latest episode of her podcast with former co-star Jessica Capshaw.

On Monday, Aug. 12's episode of Call It What It Is, Luddington opened up "in detail" for the first time about living with tinnitus, a condition that she's since learned affects millions but at first "felt very lonely" to deal with.

Luddington shared that she was watching Ghostbusters with her husband, Matthew Alan, when she realized she heard a "buzzing" sound during the quieter parts of the film.

"I turned to Matt and I said, 'Is, is the TV buzzing?'" she recalled. "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.'"

"To this day," she experiences "a constant noise" in her right ear. "I have it right now; I can always hear it," she explained. "And it was very distressing to me because I realized after a few days, 'Oh, I still hear this constantly, I'm not sure if this is something that is going to go away.'"

That prospect left her "really devastated."

"I heard it very loudly, a lot. I found it very hard to parent, I was so self-conscious, I felt like I was going a little crazy, and I ended up doing a hearing test and finding out I also had some hearing loss," she continued, describing her hearing as that of "someone who is more, like, 60 years old."

According to the Mayo Clinic, 15 to 20 percent of people experience tinnitus—especially older adults. It can affect one or both ears, and is typically the result of an underlying condition, like an ear injury or circulatory problem. According to the medical center, treatment of the underlying cause can reduce or mask the noise.

According to Luddington, it can also be the result of a tumor, but an MRI cleared her of that cause.

The news was "very distressing" to take in, though, after taking "some time" to process the ordeal, she plans to "rock" it when she ultimately requires a hearing aid. At 40, she's not quite there yet but expects that she may need one within the next decade.

Next: 'Grey's Anatomy' Alum Jessica Capshaw Makes Bold Confession to Former Costar Camilla Luddington