An international team of researchers has developed a new method to deliver drugs into the inner ear. The discovery was possible by harnessing the natural flow of fluids in the brain and employing a little understood backdoor into the cochlea. When combined to deliver a gene therapy that repairs inner ear hair cells, the researchers…
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.…
People with tinnitus experience persistent ringing or buzzing in their ears that can significantly impact their quality of life — and now, scientists think they finally know what causes the condition. A new study revealed that people with tinnitus have damage to specific fibers within their auditory nerve that is not detected by standard hearing tests. In addition, neurons…
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…
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…
If you’ve observed a decline in your hearing ability, you might be seeking guidance on selecting the appropriate hearing aids. From over-the-counter (OTC) options to prescription devices, there are various factors to consider when deciding on the technology that best fits your needs. After narrowing down the hardware, there are still additional choices to evaluate,…
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…
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…
Add preventing falling to the list of reasons to get a hearing aid if your hearing starts to wane. New research from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus suggests that people with even mild hearing loss are at more than double the risk of falling. And falls are a leading contributor to death in…
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…
