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.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)

Hearing Loss and Genetics

Newborn Hearing Screening

Treatment of hearing loss

Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss Research

Age-Related Hearing Loss (ARHL) / Presbycusis

Dealing with Hearing Loss

Conductive Hearing Loss

What is Safe Listening?

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Hearing Loss

See more featured articles »

Preventing Noise-induced Hearing Loss

Recent Developments in Hearing Technology

Types of Hearing Loss

Latest Hearing Loss News and Research

C-Path awards $1.7 million to advance five drug development projects

Critical Path Institute (C-Path) today announced that its Translational Therapeutics Accelerator has awarded $1,699,500 through five Bridging Research and Innovation in Drug Development Grants (BRIDGe).

22 Sep 2026

New earwax testing method improves Meniere's disease diagnosis

This technology uses mass spectrometry to analyze earwax, helping to detect Meniere's disease.

22 Sep 2026

Otolaryngologists gather to present latest advances in ear, nose, and throat care

The latest treatments and research advances in ear, nose, and throat care will take center stage in Los Angeles October 17-20, when more than 5,000 of the world's leading otolaryngologists gather for the 2026 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

18 Sep 2026

Deafness prompts brain rewiring to enhance peripheral vision

The brains of people who are deaf from an early age re-wire to see more of what is happening in their visual periphery, new research has revealed.

17 Sep 2026

Severe intestinal inflammation in preterm infants directly triggers brain damage

NEC is one of the most common and lethal gastrointestinal emergencies in preterm infants, with mortality rates ranging from 15% to 30%.

16 Sep 2026

Multimorbidity linked to shorter lifespans in aging dogs

As dogs age, many develop more than one chronic health condition. New research from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) shows those conditions can dramatically shorten a dog's lifespan, highlighting the importance of managing multiple diseases together rather than individually.

31 Aug 2026

Cell proliferation gene plays a distinct role in cells that no longer proliferate

In a tale of identities as divergent as "The Prince and the Pauper," a well-known cancer-causing gene also influences cells in a zombie-like state meant to prevent cancer.

28 Aug 2026

New platform enables large-scale production of custom proteins

Scientists have been hard at work for more than 20 years to instruct biological systems, such as E. coli cells, to produce proteins they don't naturally do.

27 Aug 2026

Harnessing neuroplasticity to improve cochlear implant adaptation

Cochlear implants have transformed what is possible for people with profound hearing loss. But the next major advance may depend less on the device itself than on the brain's ability to learn how to use it.

10 Aug 2026

New review advances understanding of biological mechanisms driving Ménière's disease

A comprehensive new review is bringing together the latest advances in Ménière's disease, offering a clearer picture of the biological mechanisms that may drive this complex inner ear disorder while highlighting new directions for diagnosis, disease modeling, and treatment.

6 Aug 2026

Brain's extracellular matrix controls learning windows and memory stability

For many who have struggled to learn a new language or instrument, it's a familiar pattern: they make rapid progress at first, then hit a plateau that no amount of diligent practice or concentration seems to break.

6 Aug 2026

Targetable MYH9 gene drives cancer progression and inherited genetic disorders

A comprehensive new review article highlights the growing importance of the MYH9 gene as a central player in both cancer biology and inherited genetic conditions, offering fresh perspectives on its potential as a therapeutic target.

6 Aug 2026

Longer lives now come with more years spent in poor health worldwide

Global life expectancy rose from 64.6 to 73.8 years between 1990 and 2023, but healthy life expectancy did not keep pace. The widening morbidity gap means most populations now spend a decade or more in poor health.

26 Jul 2026

Bio-inspired ear probe may enhance early hearing loss diagnosis

Binghamton University Assistant Professor Jian Zhou, PhD '18, will lead a five-year, $1.84 million project funded by the National Institutes of Health to create a dual-sensing ear canal probe that will more accurately and reliably detect otoacoustic emissions.

23 Jul 2026

Global study reveals widening gap between lifespan and healthspan

People around the world are living longer than ever before but spending more of those additional years in poor health, according to a new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet Public Health.

21 Jul 2026

Trans-tympanic optical stimulation of the cochlea evokes reliable auditory responses

A new study, using Mongolian gerbils as an animal model, demonstrated for the first time that trans-tympanic infrared laser stimulation of the cochlea evokes reliable, auditory-guided behaviour in awake animals without the need for genetic modification or invasive surgical implantation.

17 Jul 2026

Global study reveals country-specific patterns in dementia risk factors

A major, USC-led study of more than 214,000 older adults across 14 countries and regions finds that the most common controllable risk factors for dementia - such as low education, high blood pressure and smoking - vary widely from country to country, meaning a one-size-fits-all approach to prevention won't work everywhere.

12 Jul 2026

USC researcher wins NIH grant to study how the cochlea processes complex sounds

USC researcher Karolina Charaziak, PhD, has been awarded a $3.3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Project (R01) grant to study how the cochlea, the part of the inner ear responsible for hearing, processes complex sounds encountered in everyday life.

7 Jul 2026

Brighter daytime light is linked to a lower dementia risk

The study finds that greater exposure to daytime light may lower dementia risk, pointing to light's role in enhancing circadian rhythms and cognitive function.

29 Jun 2026

Hearing aids may lower dementia risk in adults with epilepsy and hearing loss

Adults with both epilepsy and hearing loss who use hearing aids may have a 23% lower risk of developing dementia than those who do not, according to new research presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026.

26 Jun 2026