Hearing Loss News and Research

Latest Hearing Loss News and Research

To drink or not while pregnant? that is the question

Pregnant women are now being told that it is safe to drink a daily glass of wine adding more confusion to the advice metered out to women.

11 Oct 2007

Researchers tackle phantom sounds of tinnitus

For the more than 50 million Americans who experience the phantom sounds of tinnitus -- ringing in the ears that can range from annoying to debilitating -- certain well-trained rats may be their best hope for finding relief.

8 Oct 2007

Cholesterol levels both high and low linked to premature births

A new study suggests that not only is a very low level of cholesterol a danger to pregnant women, but high cholesterol too increases the risk of premature birth.

3 Oct 2007

Low maternal cholesterol levels may lead to adverse birth outcomes

Pregnant women who have very low cholesterol may face a greater risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with more moderate cholesterol levels, a team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported today.

2 Oct 2007

New cell culturing technique provides better understanding of hearing loss, tinnitus and balance problems

In a breakthrough that will likely accelerate research aimed at cures for hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance problems, scientists have perfected a laboratory culturing technique that provides a reliable new source of cells critical to understanding certain inner-ear disorders.

25 Sep 2007

Long-term cell phone use may cause inner ear damage

Hold the phone – long-term use of a cell phone may cause inner ear damage and can lead to high frequency hearing loss, according to a new study.

20 Sep 2007

Effects of smoking on otologic surgery outcomes

It has long been known that active smoking exerts a negative effect on normal ear functioning and hearing by chronically irritating the Eustachian tube and the lining of the middle ear.

18 Sep 2007

Validity of the hum test in predicting hearing loss

A basic hearing evaluation generally involves the use of tuning fork tests.

18 Sep 2007

Hearing aid trials in pediatric cochlear implantation

Children with severe to profound hearing loss under evaluation for cochlear implantation have traditionally been given a three to six month hearing aid trial to verify that they don't receive sufficient audiometric and speech benefit from hearing aids before proceeding with cochlear implantation.

18 Sep 2007

New techniques to diagnose hearing loss

A Purdue University researcher is working on a new technique to diagnose hearing loss in a way that more accurately reflects real-world situations.

10 Sep 2007

Fruit flies have a taste for carbonated water

That fruit fly hovering over your kitchen counter may be attracted to more than the bananas that are going brown; it may also want a sip of your carbonated water.

4 Sep 2007

Impact of mild hearing loss on neurological processes

Mild to moderate forms of hearing loss can have a lasting impact on the auditory cortex, according to findings by researchers at New York University's Center for Neural Science.

30 Aug 2007

Aid boost for hearing research

Research at the University of Essex into aiding people with hearing impairments has won a grant of nearly half a million pounds.

29 Aug 2007

New discovery helps explain the mechanics of hearing

A 30-year scientific debate about how specialized cells in the inner ear amplify sound in mammals appears to have been settled more in favor of bouncing cell bodies rather than vibrating, hair-like cilia, according to St. Jude investigators.

28 Aug 2007

New understanding of Leber congenital amaurosis

People suffering from a severe retinal disease will sooner or later lose their eyesight considerably or even become completely blind.

7 Aug 2007

Age-related hearing loss very common

For many people, hearing loss is part of aging. Hearing loss affects approximately one-third of people over age 65. Among people age 75 and older, 40 percent to 50 percent experience hearing loss.

7 Aug 2007

Bone-anchored cochlear stimulator provides new hope for those with significant hearing impairment

Thomas Lynch, age 2, is now able to hear on both sides of his head with a device and surgical procedure pioneered by a surgeon-led team at Loyola University Medical Center.

1 Aug 2007

Novel bioreactor to repair vocal chords

Damaged or diseased vocal cords can forever change and even silence the voices we love, from a family member's to a famous personality's.

31 Jul 2007

Cochlear implants reorganize brain's hearing center

Cochlear implants electronic devices inserted surgically in the ear to allow deaf people to hear may restore normal auditory pathways in the brain even after many years of deafness.

24 Jul 2007

Hearing loss and von Hippel-Lindau disease

Patients with the genetic disorder von Hippel-Lindau disease may suddenly experience hearing loss because of a tumor-associated hemorrhage in the inner ear, according to a study in the July 4 issue of JAMA.

4 Jul 2007