Hearing Loss

Hearing loss, impairment or deafness may be of two major types: one that develops some time in life, one that a baby is born with – or congenital deafness. Most commonly, hearing loss is seen with age or is caused by exposure to loud noises.

What is hearing loss?

More than 10 million people in the United Kingdom have some form of hearing loss. Of these about 688,000 are severely or profoundly deaf.

Types of Hearing Loss

Causes of Hearing Loss

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Hearing Loss

Treatment of hearing loss

Preventing Noise-induced Hearing Loss

Age-Related Hearing Loss (ARHL) / Presbycusis

Hearing Loss Research

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)

Conductive Hearing Loss

Newborn Hearing Screening

Dealing with Hearing Loss

See more featured articles »

Hearing Loss and Genetics

Recent Developments in Hearing Technology

What is Safe Listening?

Latest Hearing Loss News and Research

Novel drug delivery system aims to prevent hearing loss from cisplatin chemotherapy

The chemotherapy drug cisplatin is a lifesaver for many adults and children diagnosed with cancer, but it often causes hearing loss, a side effect that can diminish quality of life following treatment.

13 Sep 2024

Older brains adapt to recognize music by reconfiguring neural activity

Older adults exhibit changes in brain activity when recognizing musical sequences, indicating compensatory mechanisms that help maintain memory despite aging-related declines.

11 Sep 2024

Addressing the physical health risks related to excessive video gaming

Gaming is a popular activity, especially for young people – and with summer drawing to a close, more and more children may be opting to spend time playing video games as opposed to enjoying time outdoors.

6 Sep 2024

COVID-19 linked to increased risk of hearing loss in young adults, study finds

Researchers in South Korea found that young adults who recovered from COVID-19 are at significantly higher risk of experiencing hearing loss and sudden sensorineural hearing loss compared to those who never had the virus.

28 Aug 2024

AHN myLab® 96 well plate centrifuge

With the age of single-tube PCR reactions fast being eclipsed by microplate-based PCR setups, scientists need tools that are equal to the task. The AHN myLab® PCR plate spinner is designed to offer dependable performance for all PCR plate applications.

From AHN Biotechnologie GmbH 28 Aug 2024

Portable OCT otoscope improves diagnostic capabilities in hearing clinics

In the realm of ear health, accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment, especially when dealing with conditions that can lead to hearing loss.

23 Aug 2024

Declining senses linked to worse mental health in older adults

Most people -; up to 94% of U.S. adults -; experience at least some dulling of their senses with age, finding themselves squinting at screens, craving stronger flavors, and missing snatches of conversations more and more frequently.

22 Aug 2024

Magnetic nanoparticles may revolutionize drug delivery for hearing loss

Just as a business needs an effective and reliable service to deliver its goods to customers, medications need an effective delivery system to get them to the specific area of the body where they can have an impact.

19 Aug 2024

Study links chronic noise exposure in power loom weavers to increased blood pressure

Noise exposure is a known occupational hazard in some jobs, particularly for hearing loss, physical and psychological stress, and reduced concentration.

15 Aug 2024

Study reveals high undiagnosed rates of mild cognitive impairment in rural West Michigan

Corewell Health™ and Michigan State University researchers are the first in the state to use de-identified electronic health records of more than 1.5 million patients to analyze incidence rates and risk factors of mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, in rural and urban areas in West Michigan.

12 Aug 2024

Targeting 14 modifiable risk factors from childhood to old age could prevent or delay dementia

Addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, starting in childhood and continuing throughout life, could prevent or delay nearly half of dementia cases, even as people around the world live longer and the number of people with dementia is set to rise dramatically in all countries, according to the third Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care, which is being presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC 2024).

1 Aug 2024

COVID-19 significantly increases risk of hearing loss in young adults, study finds

Young adults with COVID-19 face a significantly higher risk of hearing loss and sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Researchers urge awareness and further investigation into COVID-19-related auditory damage.

31 Jul 2024

Low-dose aspirin does not affect the progression of age-related hearing loss

The effect of daily low-dose aspirin versus placebo on the progression of age-related hearing loss in healthy older adults.

30 Jul 2024

Tinnitus linked to obesity and body composition in men, study finds

Study finds a significant link between tinnitus and body composition, particularly highlighting higher obesity-related inflammation in men as a potential factor.

17 Jul 2024

Gene editing silences mutant microRNA, restores hearing in adult mice

Researchers have used gene editing to restore hearing in adult mice with a type of inherited hearing loss. They showed that shutting down a damaged copy of a gene called a microRNA (miRNA) enabled the animals to regain hearing. The approach by a research team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported in Science Translational Medicine, may eventually lead to potential treatments for inherited hearing loss in people.

13 Jul 2024

New gene editing technique offers hope for millions

A team led by Mass Eye and Ear researchers has demonstrated for the first time a successful restoration of hearing through a novel, in vivo genome editing approach in an adult mouse model with a form of inherited deafness caused by mutations in microRNA.

11 Jul 2024

Neanderthal child with Down syndrome reveals ancient caregiving practices

Research reveals that Neanderthals provided extensive caregiving, allowing a child with Down syndrome and congenital ear pathology to survive for at least six years, highlighting their complex social structures.

1 Jul 2024

Breakthrough in auditory research: Supranormal hearing achieved

A study from Michigan Medicine's Kresge Hearing Research Institute was able to produce supranormal hearing in mice, while also supporting a hypothesis on the cause of hidden hearing loss in humans.

28 Jun 2024

Long-term effects of chemotherapy on hearing and quality of life in testicular cancer survivors

An interdisciplinary study led by researchers at the University of South Florida and Indiana University has uncovered significant findings on the long-term effects of one of the most common forms of chemotherapy on cancer survivors.

28 Jun 2024

Study documents the first case of Down syndrome in Neandertals

A new study published by an international multidisciplinary team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, documents the first case of Down syndrome in Neandertals and reveals that they were capable of providing altruistic care and support for a vulnerable member of their social group.

26 Jun 2024