Researchers Find Gene Linking Deafness to Inner Ear Cell Death

A person’s hearing can be damaged by loud noise, aging and even certain medications, with little recourse beyond a hearing aid or cochlear implant. But now, UCSF scientists have achieved a breakthrough in understanding what is happening in the inner ear during hearing loss, laying the groundwork for preventing deafness. The research, published on Dec. […]

AAP Warns Against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Children

The parent’s universal cry in response to loud music— “Turn that thing down!”—is well-founded, as evidence shows that children and teens risk hearing loss by cranking up their personal listening devices. What families may not realize is that children are exposed to potentially harmful noise from infancy and that the effects are cumulative over a […]

AAP Warns Against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Children

The parent’s universal cry in response to loud music— “Turn that thing down!”—is well-founded, as evidence shows that children and teens risk hearing loss by cranking up their personal listening devices. What families may not realize is that children are exposed to potentially harmful noise from infancy and that the effects are cumulative over a […]

Researchers Examine if Tinnitus Causes Hearing Loss

Tinnitus causes an individual to hear sounds that do not have any external sources. These patients experience difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments. Tinnitus is a common problem in patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Around 10–15% of the global adult population experiences tinnitus. It must be noted that approximately 3% of people with […]

New Study Explains Why Hearing Loss is Linked to Dementia

Hearing loss has a long connection to an increased risk of dementia, although the link between the two has baffled scientists for years. Now, a new study may finally have an answer. When you lose this key sense, your brain works harder to detect sound. Researchers have discovered that these subtle brain changes appear to […]

UVA Scientists Discover Process for Fixing Damaged Hearing Cells

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered how cells that let us hear can repair themselves after being damaged, an insight that could benefit efforts to treat and prevent hearing loss. “Hair cells” found in the inner ear are important both for the ability to hear and for a sense of balance. They […]

New Study Examines Connection Between Active Listening and Eye Movements

After a certain age, approximately 40% of people experience some degree of hearing loss. While age-related hearing loss is most prevalent in adults over the age of 65, it can start occurring far earlier than that, when people are in their 40s or 50s. Despite their widespread use, existing diagnostic techniques might be unable to […]

Vestibular Evaluation Helps Predict Sensorineural Hearing Loss Outcomes

For patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), vestibular assessment is beneficial for predicting hearing outcome, according to a study published online in the Frontiers of Neurology Andrea Castellucci, M.D., from the Azienda USL—IRCCS di Reggio Emilia in Italy, and colleagues prospectively assessed 86 patients with SSNHL. Pure-tone/speech/impedance audiometry, cervical/ocular-vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs), video […]

Psychologists Reflect on Impacts of Untreated Hearing Loss

The ability to communicate is a door to our relatedness with others. Much of our shared experience is through listening and talking. However, if you are someone who cannot hear the verbal messages of those around you, let alone the birds singing, one of the doors to relatedness is closed. Loved ones may express concern, […]

Can Headphones Cause Hearing Loss?

Overexposure to loud music for long durations can cause damage to the ear, resulting in temporary or permanent loss of hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss is the term that refers to hearing loss that occurs due to exposure to loud noise. Do Headphones Cause Hearing Loss? Noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common type of […]