Ear News and Research

RSS

Study examines impact of cochlear implants

Cochlear implants are small electronic devices that are surgically implanted in the ear, aiding those deaf people not helped by traditional hearing aids. Approximately 90 percent of parents who have deaf children are not deaf, and generally have had little, if any, experience with deaf persons or understanding of deafness. However, perceptions may be changing, partially due to new research on the implants, the article states.

17 May 2004

Researchers develop low-carb corn with enhanced protein and oil

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside reported the development of technology that doubles the protein and oil content of corn while reducing its carbohydrate content, a boost for growers to feed both people and livestock.

4 May 2004

New figures suggest Scotland is in the middle of a mumps epidemic

New figures raise public fears of a mumps epidemic by showing there were 370 confirmed cases of mumps in the first four months of 2001. This figure is almost an 800% increase on the total of recorded mumps cases for the whole of 2003.

3 May 2004

New practice guidelines for treating fluid in the ears

Most toddlers and preschoolers will be diagnosed with fluid in their middle ears--or otitis media with effusion (OME)--at some time before school age.

3 May 2004

Children's Surgery International to help peruvian children with facial deformities

Approximately 100 Arequipa, Peru area children with facial deformities will be eligible to have those deformities surgically repaired free of charge by an elite medical team of American doctors and nurses who will be in Peru from May 5th to May 14th, 2004.

30 Apr 2004

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice

By watching mice “dance” and comparing the DNA of the dancers to their flat-footed siblings, scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice, a finding that is already being used to search for a similar genetic defect in humans.

29 Apr 2004

Body repositioning is highly effective in resolving dizziness

Dizziness is one of the most common medical complaints affecting older adults, with 10-20 percent of such complaints resulting from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Many research studies have stated that without medical treatment, some 30 percent of BPPV patients will recover on their own. Now, a new evidence-based review has found that a single ten minute in-office treatment, based on a series of head and body turns, is highly effective in resolving this disorder, with an overall effectiveness of 70-80 percent.

29 Apr 2004

Nasal fungi in newborn babies sheds light on eosinophilic chronic sinusitis

Researchers have recently claimed that eosinophilic chronic sinusitis is an immune disorder caused by the body’s reaction to fungus.

29 Apr 2004

Surgery a safe treatment for Meniere’s Disease

Episodic attacks of vertigo with hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness all characterize Meniere’s disease. Vertigo is the most disabling symptom of Meniere’s disease

29 Apr 2004

Having your tonsils removed gets more complicated if you have a bleeding disorder

Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy (adenotonsillectomy) remain two of the most commonly performed surgeries in the United States. For the most part, these procedures are safe and effective; however, risk of post-operative bleeding remains a concern.

29 Apr 2004

A high rate of marriage among deaf individuals can explain the increased frequency of connexin deafness in the United States

A high rate of marriage among deaf individuals can explain the increased frequency of connexin deafness in the United States and may have led to a doubling of its occurrence during the past 200 years, according to a study by hereditary deafness experts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

27 Apr 2004

New Australian report outlines the health benefits of breastfeeding

A new report released by the NSW Centre for Public Health Nutrition, Australia outlines the health benefits of breastfeeding, which is the foundation for a lifetime of good health.

25 Apr 2004

The April 2004 issue of Otolaryngology focuses on head and neck surgery

The efficacy of a new cancer-fighting virus is tested in the study, “Treatment of Solid Sarcomas in Immunocompetent Mice with Novel Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Viruses.” A team of multi-disciplinary Japanese researchers found that a weakened version of herpes simplex virus (HSV) effectively eradicated neck and flank tumors in mice.

23 Apr 2004

New study to benefit pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers

Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are set to benefit from the first study of its kind in the UK. Researchers at the Highlands and Islands Health Research Institute (HIHRI) will undertake a three-year study, which is being funded from £500,000 worth of awards from the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) Chief Scientist Office.

4 Apr 2004

Discovery of molecule that is part of the machinery that mediates the sense of hearing

A group of scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, at the University of California in San Diego, and at the Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a key molecule that is part of the machinery that mediates the sense of hearing.

28 Mar 2004

New research may help treatment of Norrie disease and familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR)

Researchers have discovered that genetic mutations underlying two inherited eye disorders arise in different components of a single intracellular signaling pathway that is responsible for development of blood vessels in the eye.

22 Mar 2004

Forward step in treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the presentation of clinical data for R112, the company’s lead candidate for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, during a poster session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) in San Francisco, CA. The phase I/II single dose trial demonstrated that R112 was well tolerated and showed favorable biological effects.

22 Mar 2004