News

Five Advancements We’ve Made in Hearing Loss Research

At present, more than 1.4 billion people live with hearing loss globally. Hearing disorders are often caused by aging, frequent exposure to loud noises and even hereditary factors. In this article, we will look at some of the latest advancements in hearing disorders research which could broaden the scope for treatments and other measures to […]

Scientists Study Theory Linking COVID Vaccine and Tinnitus

Some people have said they’ve developed tinnitus after being vaccinated against the coronavirus; however, there is no proof linking the vaccine to the cause of the condition. While people have reported a link between COVID-19 and odd tingling or buzzing in different parts of their bodies, theories for the possible link to tinnitus have only […]

Scientists Use Drug Cocktail to Regenerate Hair Cells for Hearing

Effective hearing loss treatments have eluded medicine because once sensory cells in the inner ear called hair cells are damaged or destroyed, they cannot be regenerated. This loss of hair cells, which can be caused by aging, noise exposure and other factors, renders an individual’s hearing loss permanent.­ Scientists at Mass Eye and Ear, a […]

Research Shows Hearing Aids May Reduce Dementia Risk

Can treating hearing loss lower your chances of developing dementia down the road? Maybe, claims new research that found that folks who are experiencing hearing loss and don’t use a hearing aid may have a higher risk of developing dementia than people who use hearing aids and those without hearing loss. The study wasn’t designed to say how untreated hearing loss may up the risk for memory problems in later […]

Study Finds COPD is Associated with Gradual Hearing Loss

In a study on the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and long-term hearing loss, researchers found that people with COPD had higher incidences of hearing decline at low and mid frequencies over 20 years. “Our large cohort study showed an association between COPD and increased long-term hearing decline,” wrote the researchers of this study. “Our […]

Study Shows Seeing One Movie in a Year Could Damage Hearing

If you’ve ever left a movie theater and felt like your ears had taken a beating, you’re not imagining things. The level of noise exposure that one experiences in a movie theater is relatively high and could actually cause hearing damage, says Dr. Nicole Laffan, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders […]

Latest Insights Could Help Refine Hearing Loss Treatments

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) have uncovered for the first time and in near-atomic detail, the structure of the key part of the inner ear responsible for hearing. Their findings are published in the journal Nature in an article titled, “Structures of the TMC-1 complex illuminate mechanosensory transduction.” “The initial step in the sensory transduction […]

Researchers Delve Deeper into Beethoven’s Hearing Loss

In 1802, Ludwig van Beethoven asked his brothers to request that his doctor, J.A. Schmidt, describe his malady — his progressive hearing loss — to the world upon his death so that “as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death.” Now, more than two centuries later, a […]

Why is Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss a Serious Problem?

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) estimates that over 22 million workers are exposed to sustained noises louder than 85 dB, which can cause potential hearing damage. The rule-of-thumb in evaluating how loud 85 dB noise is is best demonstrated by someone trying to talk to you when they are only three feet away, and you understand what […]

Recognizing Hearing Loss in Older Adults

Aging may have its benefits, but apparently crystal-clear hearing is not one of them. Nearly two-thirds of adults over the age of 70 in the United States experience hearing loss. Erika Walsh, M.D., director of the Division of Otology and Neurotology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, says hearing loss in […]