Streamer & DJ Andrea Botez reveals she lost her hearing and warns against blasting music

Andrea Botez has revealed she suddenly lost much of the hearing in her left ear, using an emotional new video to warn fans about the dangers of loud music and the importance of ear protection. The streamer and techno DJ says the incident happened out of nowhere, roughly an hour after a gym session.

“Felt like I was underwater and a very high-pitch ringing sound… started ringing in my ear,” she described the sensation.

At first, doctors told her it was likely fluid from a recent cold, but days passed with no improvement. A hearing test later confirmed she had lost a significant portion of her high-frequency hearing in her left ear, which the Twitch streamer describes as devastating given how much her work depends on sound.

“The one thing that I love the most is music and listening to music and making music. I rely on my ear heavily to be able to hear frequencies.”

She now experiences constant tinnitus as well.

“I can’t hear the silence right now because there’s a super high pitch ringing in my ear.”

After digging deeper and consulting specialists and doctor friends, Botez realized her symptoms matched sudden sensorineural hearing loss, a condition that ideally needs to be treated within 72 hours. By the time she got the correct diagnosis, she says she was already about a week late.

Andrea Botez warns fans against blasting loud music

Andrea Botez, who rose to fame alongside her sister Alexandra, revealed that while she’s optimistic about treatment, she only has a one in three chance that it goes back to normal.

While she’s undergoing steroid injections and daily therapy to try to recover what she can, Botez says the experience has been a brutal wake-up call about years of treating loud music as harmless. She pointed to raves, DJ rehearsals, blasting songs in the car, and standing directly beside massive speakers as habits she now regrets.

“When I went to raves, I loved to stand right by the speakers. I wanted to feel the bass in my bones,” she recalled.

Even subtle noise levels can cause damage over time, she says, noting that she eventually started wearing earplugs to yoga classes because the music made her ears feel sore. And while she tried to be more cautious these past two years, the long-term strain still caught up with her.

“Sometimes the sounds are really not that loud and really subtle and can still be causing hearing damage.”

Andrea Botez

Her message to fans is blunt: hearing damage is permanent, and tinnitus often never goes away.

The chess star advised viewers, “If you’re going to a music show, bring your godamn earplugs. Once you lose your hearing, you never get it back. And once you get tinnitus, it never goes away.”

She further urged anyone who regularly listens to loud music to start taking protection seriously by keeping phone volume below dangerous levels, or just paying attention when their ears feel fatigued.

Despite everything, Botez says she’s continuing to make music and DJ on stream, even if she “doesn’t really [hear] through my left ear” right now. Her hope is that sharing her story helps others avoid what she’s going through.

“If you’re a young person who enjoys music, please wear your earplugs and listen to your body.”