Hearing Loss News and Research

Latest Hearing Loss News and Research

Hearing impairment risk high with diabetes

People with diabetes are at high risk for developing a hearing impairment, report researchers.

15 Nov 2012

Oscillation in brain activity influences listening process

Naturally, our brain activity waxes and wanes. When listening, this oscillation synchronizes to the sounds we are hearing. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences have found that this influences the way we listen. Hearing abilities also oscillate and depend on the exact timing of one's brain rhythms. This discovery that sound, brain, and behaviour are so intimately coupled will help us to learn more about listening abilities in hearing loss.

15 Nov 2012

New CAM2 method could improve sound perception for users of hearing aids

A new software product developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge could greatly improve sound perception for users of hearing aids.

9 Nov 2012

New understanding of how noise can break critical tip link protein structure in inner ear cells

Researchers have mapped the precise 3-D atomic structure of a thin protein filament critical for cells in the inner ear and calculated the force necessary to pull it apart.

8 Nov 2012

Genetic testing valuable in determining etiology for childhood hearing loss

Genetic testing for a certain mutation in pediatric patients is valuable in determining a cause for unexplained hearing loss, according to a study in the November 2012 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

6 Nov 2012

Sunrise Senior Living offers short-term stays for older adults in storm-stricken areas

While millions of families struggle with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Sunrise Senior Living is offering emergency, short-term stays for older adults and their pets in storm-stricken areas.

3 Nov 2012

Poor fitting and inadequate support leading to ineffective use of hearing aids

Twenty per cent of hearing aid users in Norway use the equipment for only an hour each day. The reason is often poor fitting and inadequate support. Now all this could change.

30 Oct 2012

Columbia Asia Hospitals conducts successful cochlear implants and BAHA surgery

Loss of hearing may not be a life threatening condition but it can certainly affect the quality of life and hamper a child’s normal growth. Deafness identified early helps address the challenges involved in the normal development of the child, including speech, which usually gets affected. Columbia Asia Hospitals across India has been conducting Cochlear implants and BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) very successfully.

30 Oct 2012

Researchers discover genetic biomarker for age-related hearing loss

University of South Florida researchers have identified a genetic biomarker for age-related hearing loss, a major breakthrough in understanding and preventing a condition of aging that affects 30 million Americans and greatly diminishes their quality of life.

26 Oct 2012

Towards the most effective approach for spotting hearing problems in young children

Should every primary school pupil in the UK be given a hearing test and what's the most effective way of doing it? These are questions that a team of academics from Nottingham and Exeter will be tackling as part of a new study.

8 Oct 2012

Stereocilia not only move sideways but also change in length: Study

The sensory cells of the inner ear have tiny hairs called stereocilia that play a critical part in hearing. It has long been known that these stereocilia move sideways back and forth in a wave-like motion when stimulated by a sound wave. After having designed a microscope to observe these movements, a research team at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has discovered that the hairs not only move sideways but also change in length.

4 Oct 2012

Chinese medicine boosts hearing recovery after sudden deafness

Intravenous administration of a natural antioxidant used in Chinese medicine significantly improves the recovery of hearing after sudden deafness compared with standard therapy, the results of a Chinese study indicate.

2 Oct 2012

CIB2 gene responsible for progression and severity of Usher syndrome

Usher syndrome is a hereditary disease in which affected individuals lose both hearing and vision. The impact of Usher syndrome can be devastating. In the United States, approximately six in every 100,000 babies born have Usher syndrome.

2 Oct 2012

CIB2 genetic mutation responsible for deafness associated with Usher syndrome type 1

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have found a new genetic mutation responsible for deafness and hearing loss associated with Usher syndrome type 1.

1 Oct 2012

MD Hearing Aid line offers reasonable low-cost solution for persons with hearing loss

A study presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. shows that the MD Hearing Aid line offers a reasonable low-cost solution to those who are not using hearing aids or other amplification devices because of cost concerns.

28 Sep 2012

Cochlear implant an option for unhappy stapes patients

Cochlear implantation is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with far advanced otosclerosis who have not benefitted from stapedectomy, report US researchers.

25 Sep 2012

Tips for health care providers when communicating with deaf or hearing impaired

This week is the International Week of the Deaf, held to draw attention to deaf and hearing-impaired people, their accomplishments and challenges they face. One health care issue is a potential communication barrier between medical providers and deaf or hard-of-hearing patients.

25 Sep 2012

GPs not always using reliable online resources for information on tinnitus

GPs are not always using the most comprehensive and reliable online resources to support them in treating patients with the debilitating hearing condition tinnitus, researchers have found.

13 Sep 2012

Ibuprofen or acetaminophen may increase risk of hearing loss among women

Headache? Back pain? At the first sign of pain, you might reach for a pain-relieving medicine to sooth your bodily woes. Analgesics are the most frequently used medications in the United States and are commonly used to treat a variety of medical conditions. But although popping a pill may make the pain go away, it may do some damage to your ears.

13 Sep 2012

Daily noise exposure can lead to permanent hearing loss in nightclub bar employees

New research shows that nightclub bar employees could be exposed to noise levels almost four times over the legal limit. Aoife Kelly, a PhD researcher in Dublin Institute of Technology also found that nightclub managers showed little awareness of the relevant health and safety legislation and had not provided hearing tests for their employees or provided training in noise awareness.

13 Sep 2012