Can treating hearing loss lower your chances of developing dementia down the road? Maybe, claims new research that found that folks who are experiencing hearing loss and don’t use a hearing aid may have a higher risk of developing dementia than people who use hearing aids and those without hearing loss. The study wasn’t designed to say how untreated hearing loss may up the risk for memory problems in later […]
In a study on the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and long-term hearing loss, researchers found that people with COPD had higher incidences of hearing decline at low and mid frequencies over 20 years. “Our large cohort study showed an association between COPD and increased long-term hearing decline,” wrote the researchers of this study. “Our […]
If you’ve ever left a movie theater and felt like your ears had taken a beating, you’re not imagining things. The level of noise exposure that one experiences in a movie theater is relatively high and could actually cause hearing damage, says Dr. Nicole Laffan, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders […]
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OSHU) have uncovered for the first time and in near-atomic detail, the structure of the key part of the inner ear responsible for hearing. Their findings are published in the journal Nature in an article titled, “Structures of the TMC-1 complex illuminate mechanosensory transduction.” “The initial step in the sensory transduction […]
In 1802, Ludwig van Beethoven asked his brothers to request that his doctor, J.A. Schmidt, describe his malady — his progressive hearing loss — to the world upon his death so that “as far as possible at least the world will be reconciled to me after my death.” Now, more than two centuries later, a […]
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) estimates that over 22 million workers are exposed to sustained noises louder than 85 dB, which can cause potential hearing damage. The rule-of-thumb in evaluating how loud 85 dB noise is is best demonstrated by someone trying to talk to you when they are only three feet away, and you understand what […]
Aging may have its benefits, but apparently crystal-clear hearing is not one of them. Nearly two-thirds of adults over the age of 70 in the United States experience hearing loss. Erika Walsh, M.D., director of the Division of Otology and Neurotology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, says hearing loss in […]
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) became the first state in the nation to screen all newborns for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a common viral infection that can have serious health effects for children if not detected early. This common virus can lead to hearing loss in about 20% of diagnosed cases. As scientific technology and […]
Whether you blast music in your headphones or watch movies with spatial audio, you may want to reduce the volume. That’s because lowering the volume by a couple of notches could protect your ears and prevent hearing loss, according to a recent study published in the journal BMJ Global Health.1 The study found that more than 1 billion […]
Individuals who used hearing aids and cochlear implants for hearing loss had a decreased risk of cognitive decline, according to a new meta-analysis published online in JAMA Neurology. The researchers found that using these hearing devices was associated with a 19 percent reduction in the risks for long-term cognitive decline and significantly associated with a […]
