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Johns Hopkins doctor says sports events and cell phones can harm voice

From the first tip-off during March Madness to the championship’s final buzzer, and with start of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, on Sunday, April 4, thousands of people will relentlessly scream and shout, placing tremendous strain on their voices. While no one is recommending complete silence, the constant pressure on the vocal cords can cause great damage.

25 Mar 2010

300,000 extra GP visits for children due to passive smoking - time to make cars and homes smoke free

Doctors have urged an immediate review of the anti-smoking laws in light of such alarming facts. They want a ban on smoking in public places and cars.

25 Mar 2010

Auditory brainstem implants for adults with damaged cochlear nerves

If a siren sounded but you were deaf, might you still be able to hear the sound?

23 Mar 2010

NPR's Car Talk guys team up with University of Utah to launch Driver Distraction Center

NPR's Car Talk guys, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, may be a couple of motor mouths, but they always put a lid on using cell phones behind the wheel. The perennial jokesters confirm their serious commitment to addressing the issue of devices that take a driver's focus off the road by teaming with the University of Utah to launch the Driver Distraction Center at their web site: cartalk.com/distraction.

23 Mar 2010

New understanding of cell in immune system may guide creation of effective flu vaccines: Study

A new understanding of a certain cell in the immune system may help guide scientists in creating better flu vaccines, report researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children's Hospital Boston.

23 Mar 2010

AAO-HNS urges Congress to pass meaningful healthcare reform

The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, the nation’s largest organization representing ear, nose, and throat surgeons, urges Congress to address several critical issues in the pending healthcare reform legislation before a final vote is held.

19 Mar 2010

Poll: Use of booster seats drops sharply to 40% by age 8

All 50 states have some type of child safety seat law, 28 of which require kids to use child safety seats or booster seats through age 8 to reduce the risk of injuries in car crashes. But the latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health finds that while nearly all parents report their kids, ages 5 and younger, use booster seats or car seats while riding in vehicles, use of booster seats drops sharply to 40 percent by age 8.

18 Mar 2010

FDA approves Envoy Medical's prosthetic hearing restoration device

On March 17, 2010 the FDA gave approval to Envoy Medical Corporation to market a "First of its Kind" prosthetic hearing restoration device. The approval follows a December 18, 2009 unanimous 15 to 0 vote by an independent advisory panel in favor of approving the Esteem® for moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. The FDA chose an expedited review process, noting that they believe the Esteem® "represents a breakthrough technology."

18 Mar 2010

Esteem hearing system receives FDA approval for treatment of sensorineural hearing loss

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the approval of the Esteem – an implanted hearing system used to treat moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss, a type of permanent hearing loss.

18 Mar 2010

New micromanipulator for precise operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants

A team of engineers from the CEIT-IK4 technological centre and doctors from the University Hospital of Navarra have designed a new tool for operating on the inner ear with maximum precision, reducing the possibility of damage to the auditory function during the surgery. This is the first micromanipulator specifically for operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants, of which about a hundred are carried out in this hospital annually. Taking part in developing the new tool were four engineers from CEIT and five ear, nose and throat specialists from the University Hospital of Navarra.

12 Mar 2010

Opinions: Haiti corruption; Financial sector tax, G8 promises; Investing in women

A Washington Post editorial reflects on Haitian President Rene Preval's response to U.S. policy makers' queries "about the perils of corruption and what measures the Haitian government might devise to minimize misuse and theft of the billions of dollars in recovery assistance flowing into the country and the billions more expected" during his visit this week to Washington D.C. "Surprisingly, he seems utterly unprepared to discuss the matter," the editorial notes.

12 Mar 2010

Auditory cortex development becomes vulnerable if it does not receive appropriate stimulation at right time

Hearing scientist Daniel Polley, Ph.D., an investigator at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary's Eaton-Peabody Laboratories of Auditory Physiology, has gained new insight into why a relatively short-term hearing deprivation during childhood may lead to persistent hearing deficits, long after hearing is restored to normal.

11 Mar 2010

Sonova Group broadens portfolio of hearing solutions with launch of Sona

By launching Sona, the Sonova Group is introducing a novel business concept combining a specialized product portfolio with easy fitting and simplified logistic processes, which are unique in the industry. The new brand broadens the portfolio of the established hearing solutions of Phonak and Unitron and is aimed at the market segment for mild-to-moderate hearing loss. It features mainly the integrated service concept providing audiologists with new opportunities to make their hearing solutions more accessible to consumers.

10 Mar 2010

Common allergens that may cause contact dermatitis

Itchy irritated skin can leave some people scratching their heads trying to determine the cause of this bothersome condition. What did they touch? Is it just dry skin gone awry? Are they allergic to something in their home or workplace? The answers to these questions could require not only a little detective work, but the help of a dermatologist who can diagnose and treat the most likely culprit - contact dermatitis.

5 Mar 2010

Philadelphia FRESH project: Door to door smoking cessation treatment for smokers with young children

In underserved areas like North Philadelphia, existing research shows a nearly 10 percent higher smoking rate than in the general population, with a lower quit rate to boot. The consequences of this public health problem are magnified for new mothers that smoke, as they also expose their babies to the ill effects of second-hand smoke.

4 Mar 2010

Public education campaign launched to promote benefits of hearing aids

The American Academy of Audiology on behalf of audiologists, and the Hearing Loss Association of America on behalf of people with hearing loss announce a collaborative public education campaign "Get in the Hearing Loop."

3 Mar 2010

Phase III study results of Merck's allergy immunotherapy tablet

In new data from a Phase III study in 345 children and adolescents (ages 5-17 years), patients with grass pollen allergic rhinoconjunctivitis treated with Merck's investigational sublingual grass (Phleum Pratense) allergy immunotherapy tablet (AIT) showed a 26 percent greater improvement in the total combined score (daily symptom score and daily medication score), compared to patients receiving placebo

3 Mar 2010

Regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and NSAIDs increases risk of hearing loss in men

In a study published in the March 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers determined that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men, particularly in younger men, below age 60.

1 Mar 2010

FDA approves Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Prevnar 13 pneumococcal disease vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Prevnar 13, a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine for infants and young children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. Prevnar 13 will be the successor to Prevnar, the pneumococcal 7-valent conjugate vaccine licensed by the FDA in 2000 to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and otitis media. The new vaccine extends the protection to six additional types of the disease causing bacteria.

24 Feb 2010

Early implantation of cochlear devices in deaf children leads to better overall quality of life

Profoundly deaf children with cochlear implants to help them to hear rate their quality of life equal to their normal-hearing peers, according to new research from UT Southwestern Medical Center auditory specialists.

24 Feb 2010

Ear News and Research

Johns Hopkins doctor says sports events and cell phones can harm voice

300,000 extra GP visits for children due to passive smoking - time to make cars and homes smoke free

Auditory brainstem implants for adults with damaged cochlear nerves

NPR's Car Talk guys team up with University of Utah to launch Driver Distraction Center

New understanding of cell in immune system may guide creation of effective flu vaccines: Study

AAO-HNS urges Congress to pass meaningful healthcare reform

Poll: Use of booster seats drops sharply to 40% by age 8

FDA approves Envoy Medical's prosthetic hearing restoration device

Esteem hearing system receives FDA approval for treatment of sensorineural hearing loss

New micromanipulator for precise operations involving cochlear and middle ear implants

Opinions: Haiti corruption; Financial sector tax, G8 promises; Investing in women

Auditory cortex development becomes vulnerable if it does not receive appropriate stimulation at right time

Sonova Group broadens portfolio of hearing solutions with launch of Sona

Common allergens that may cause contact dermatitis

Philadelphia FRESH project: Door to door smoking cessation treatment for smokers with young children

Public education campaign launched to promote benefits of hearing aids

Phase III study results of Merck's allergy immunotherapy tablet

Regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and NSAIDs increases risk of hearing loss in men

FDA approves Wyeth Pharmaceuticals' Prevnar 13 pneumococcal disease vaccine

Early implantation of cochlear devices in deaf children leads to better overall quality of life

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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