Archive 2009

December 18, 2009:

Self-consciousness greatly affects use of hearing aids

Many hearing aid users still believe that their hearing aids signal all sorts of things about themselves to other people. Read more

December 14, 2009:

Hearing loss has negative impact on relationships with grown children

Hearing impairment among baby boomers adversely affects their relationships with their adult children, according to survey. Read more

December 4, 2009:

Take control of your hearing aids

Your perception of technology greatly affects your relationship with your hearing aids. A thorough introduction and advice are extremely important in achieving the best hearing aid experience, according to a scientific study. Read more

November 30, 2009:

Gene mutations causing tinnitus

Tinnitus in combination with hearing loss may be caused by genetic changes and may become curable with gene therapy in the future, say Australian scientists. Read more

November 19, 2009:

General practitioners overlooking patients' hearing loss

Many general practitioners ignore, overlook or fail to mention disabling hearing loss in their patients, according to a study conducted in the United States. Read more

November 12, 2009:

Hearing loss causing difficulty at work

Workers with untreated mild or moderate hearing loss suffer from psychological and social problems in the workplace. Read more

October 29, 2009:

Protect your hearing in the subway

As little as two minutes in the New York subway may result in hearing loss. Passengers should replace their headphones with earplugs.

Read more

October 22, 2009:

One in three school-children with hearing problems

As many as 35 percent of school-children in Argentina suffer from hearing damage, according to a recent study. Read more

October 15, 2009:

Imperfect bite may cause tinnitus

Rather than grinning and bearing it you might want to have your teeth checked. More and more dentists understand that an imperfect bite may be the cause of your tinnitus. Read more

October 9, 2009:

Hearing aid stigma is French toast

Ninety-two percent of the French population would be willing to use hearing aids, if necessary, according to a new study. Read more

October 5, 2009:

Micro RNA - Molecule key to hearing

If micro RNA in inner ear hair cells are blocked or mutate, hearing is lost. New discoveries about the importance of micro RNA could result in long-term gains for hearing impaired people. Read more

September 28, 2009:

Gene associated with age-related hearing loss identified

An extensive research project has led to the discovery of a gene associated with age-related hearing loss. Next up is testing of treatment options. Read more

September 16, 2009:

Common herpes virus can damage hearing in unborn children

Four in five children of mothers infected in early pregnancy with a herpes virus were found in a Belgian study to suffer from hearing damages. The mothers were among the up to four percent of all pregnant women who become infected with the cytomegalovirus. Read more

September 10, 2009:

One in ten British soldiers suffers from severe hearing loss

Many British veterans have returned from Afghanistan with severe and permanent hearing damage due to the intense noise exposure in combat. Read more

September 4, 2009:

Check out living with a hearing aid

If you have trouble deciding whether or not you need a hearing aid you can try one for a limited time. New studies indicate that a little personal experience convinces many to take the full step to adopting the device for good. Read more

August 25, 2009:

Just 12 percent using hearing aids

Only a fraction of hearing impaired American children and adolescents are treated with hearing aids. The untreated majority suffers unnecessarily in terms of reduced quality of life, development and opportunities, according to an American study. Read more

August 18, 2009:

Mega city traffic noise causing hearing loss

Working daily in busy streets of the cities of India is hazardous to your hearing, according to several studies. Read more

August 11, 2009:

Practice makes for better hearing

Hearing related processes in the brain can be affected by intensive training, according to experiments with rats. The finding may someday benefit children with auditory processing disorder. Read more

August 6, 2009

Millions of Europeans exposed to noise in the workplace

More than 60 million European workers are exposed to noise for at least one in four hours at work Read more

August 3, 2009

Sound discrimination ability more important than degree of hearing loss

Ability to follow a conversation more important for school performance than degree of hearing loss. Read more

July 28, 2009:

Brain adapting to hearing damage

The brain starts adapting immediately when the hearing is damaged. The brain tries to compensate for changes throughout life. Read more

July 21, 2009:

Guide: How to select best earplugs for you

Earplugs offer protection against noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus. You should use them in noisy surroundings at work, at music events and at sports events. Here is a brief guide to various types of earplugs. Read more

July 14, 2009:

Australians ignoring their hearing loss

More than half of the Australians who were diagnosed with hearing loss in phone tests have done nothing about it. Read more

July 7, 2009:

New test to determine whether hearing damage is in inner ear or brain

A brief test can determine if cause of hearing loss is in the inner ear or in the brain. The results are useful in hearing aid fitting. Read more

July 2, 2009:

Golf shots affecting hearing

Doctors recommending that golf players wear earplugs. The “sonic boom” created when clubs strike the ball can damage players’ hearing. Read more

June 25, 2009:

Hearing impaired people often struggle to stay in labour market

Hearing loss makes getting a well paid job harder and increases risk of unemployment, according to Australian data. Read more

June 18, 2009:

Extended Bandwidth in Hearing Aids

New advances in technology enable better perception of speech and sound Read more

June 11, 2009:

Parents undermining newborn hearing screening

Missing information from parents may cause faulty diagnosis of hearing screened newborns. Read more

June 8, 2009:

More people hear low sound frequency smoke alarm

Australian researchers find that home smoke alarms can save more lives when the alarm sounds at lower sound frequencies. Read more

June 4, 2009:

No common guidelines for treatment of sudden hearing loss

Americans suffering sudden sensorineural hearing loss cannot be sure what examination or treatment they will be offered. Read more

May 28, 2009

Tinnitus patients feel better with hearing aids

If you have tinnitus, a hearing aid may help you, according to hearing specialists. Hearing aids may reduce the stress of bad hearing and offer sound therapy. Read more

May 25, 2009:

Workers in fishing vessels at risk for hearing loss

Argentine study finds moderate hearing loss among commercial fishermen. Read more

May 13, 2009:

Medicine misuse causing hearing loss among Chinese children

Up to 10,000 new cases of hearing loss among Chinese children are found each year due to medicine misuse. Read more

May 7, 2009:

70 percent of young Australians experiencing tinnitus

70 percent of Australians aged 18 to 34 years have experienced tinnitus, or ringing in their ears, an early symptom of hearing damage. Read more

May 4, 2009:

Stem cells from the brain may offer cure for hearing loss

American researchers believe certain stem cells from the brain hold key to potential cure for hearing loss. Read more

April 30, 2009:

T-loop systems in public facilities

Many countries have passed accessibility laws requiring the use of advanced technology in public places to break communication barriers. Read more

April 23, 2009

Tuning the ear to restore hearing

Scientists believe it possible to tune the cochlea so that sound bi-passes damaged parts. But the surgical procedure to turn this new theory into practice has yet to be developed. Read more

April 22, 2009:

International Noise Awareness Day

Noise is all around us, making noise related hearing loss more and more prevalent at all ages. The annual International Noise Awareness Day brings the noise and the problems associated with it into focus. Read more

April 14, 2009:

Anthropologist: Evolution of the ear ongoing

Our ears are still adapting to human speech, says anthropologist, who discovered that genes associated with hearing have changed in the most recent thousands of years. Read more

April 3, 2009:

Disco noise volume over the top

If you go night clubbing you know the situation. You can’t hear a word because the music is too loud. No wonder. According to a Danish study, that country’s discoteques routinely break the noise regulations. They play their music way too loudly. Read more

April 2, 2009:

Hearing loss epidemic approaching in the US

The use of personal stereos and an aging society may lead to a hearing loss epidemic. Read more

March 30, 2009:

Effects on babies of prenatal exposure to smoking

Study finds that smoking during pregnancy can damage the developing cochlea. Read more

85 percent of Aborigine children in Northern Australia suffer from hearing problems

Chronic infections of the middle ear damage the hearing of Aborigine children in Australia’s Northern Territory. Doctors are warning about negative social consequences of the hearing loss epidemic and are asking the Australian authorities to take action. Read more

Hearing Aids May be Set for Different Languages

Different programmes for English or Japanese? Read more

March 16, 2009:

Hearing screening of newborns improves speech development

The first reports about the long-term effects of hearing screening of newborns have been published. The findings are positive. They confirm that early intervention based on hearing screenings is beneficial for the speech development of hearing impaired children. Read more

Video arcades causing hearing loss and tinnitus

Noise levels found to be so high that young guests risk hearing loss in just 30 seconds. Read more

Scientists find hearing loss gene

A new type of hearing loss and the gene causing it have been identified by an international team of scientists. The discovery makes it possible to be screened for this specific type of hearing loss. Read more

Advancements in tinnitus research

Researchers at State University of New York at Buffalo are studying the biological and physiological mechanisms that cause tinnitus. Read more

March 2, 2009:

Military battling hearing loss

New equipment to protect hearing of American Navy personnel and Marines. Improving hearing protection record in Finland. Read more

Little awareness about hearing loss among young adults

Young Australians know little about hearing loss and fail to take necessary precautions to protect their hearing, according to a new study. Read more

The eyes also listen

Our pupils dilate in response to the sounds perceived. This discovery may show a connection between eye movements and hearing ability. It may also be the basis for an alternative method to detect hearing loss when a standard hearing test is not applicable. Read more

Turning the brain scanner on the ear

An imaging technique mainly used for scanning brains can help doctors to more precisely diagnose sensorineural hearing loss, a discovery made by scientists in Texas. Read more

EU: Millions of music listeners risk hearing loss

As many as 10 million Europeans are putting their hearing at risk when they listen to loud music on their MP3 players, according to an EU report. An EU commissioner wants to improve personal stereo safety. Read more

Breakthrough: Inner ear hair cells generated through gene therapy

Using gene therapy on mice, American researchers have succeeded for the first time in growing the kind of inner ear hair cells crucial in processing of sound and hearing. The breakthrough is likely to lead to the development of a future therapy to successfully treat hearing loss, the researchers believe. Read more