A new research study has found that one in five American teenagers already has some degree of hearing loss----a startling 31 percent increase since the late 1980s.

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston used government survey data to compare rates of hearing loss among 12- to 19-year-olds during 1988 to 1994, with the period 2005 to 2006. They based their findings on records of and interviews with nearly 4,700 kids ages 12-19 in a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The results showed that the number of teens with impaired hearing in at least one ear rose to 20 percent from 15 percent. The study results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In most cases, the hearing loss was slight. However, hearing loss is usually permanent and potentially progressive. Even mild degrees of hearing loss in children can negatively affect their educational performance and their social interactions.

The reason for the dramatic increase in hearing loss isn't clear, but many parents contend with kids who play their video games and portable music players too loud. Long-term exposure to very loud noises, including music, can cause permanent hearing loss. A case in point: a recent study of children in Australia found a 70 percent increased risk of hearing loss with the use of personal stereo devices.

If you notice changes in your child's hearing -- especially in the ability to hear when there's background noise – you should consider taking your child for a hearing test. And check back for my next blog, which will offer ways parents can protect their children's hearing.

An article in a recent issue of the Saturday Evening Post features a touching article on how the latest implantable hearing technology has changed the lives of a sister and her brother.

I performed the revision surgery on Mary Kay Windham with the Envoy Esteem implantable hearing aid in May 2005 as part of the clinical trials being conducted through my office. Shohet Ear Associates was one of only three sites in the US to be engaged in this unique clinical trial. As she relates in the article, her result was so good, she urged her brother, to undergo the same surgery. In May 2008, I implanted her brother with the same device. The change in both their lives has been extraordinary.

According to Mary Kay, “Two months after surgery, Bob and I spoke for half an hour—on ordinary cell phones. He heard every word I said, as I could with him. Those who are hearing-impaired understand exactly how precious is this gift of new technology.”

To read the full article, click here.

A study of more than 3500 men over a nearly 20-year period has found that folic acid may reduce the risk of hearing loss in men by 20 percent. The results of the study were presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Men are more likely to experience hearing loss than women. The study’s researchers used data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study cohort from years 1986 to 2004, which included 51,529 male health professionals. In this population, the investigators identified 3,559 cases of hearing loss. When they evaluated the nutritional data, they discovered that men older than 60 who had maintained a high folic acid (folate) intake had a 20 percent reduced risk of developing hearing loss. Folate occurs naturally in food; folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements and as a food additive. Other nutrients, including the antioxidants vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, did not demonstrate any benefit regarding hearing loss.

The daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for folate is 400 micrograms for both men and women ages 19 and older. Men who want to help reduce their risk of hearing loss can their recommended RDA of folate through supplementation or by eating food rich in the B vitamin, including green leafy vegetables, lentils, beans, and fortified cereals.
 

A study conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary found that regular use of pain killers such as aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men below 60.
 
Investigators compiled responses from participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which tracked over 26,000 men every two years for 18 years. A questionnaire inquired about analgesic use, hearing loss and a variety of physiological, medical and demographic factors. The data showed that men below 60 were a third more likely to have hearing problems if they regularly took aspirin. However there was no greater risk in those over 60, the findings suggest. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include Ibuprofen, were found to increase the risk by 61 per cent for those under 50, 32 per cent for those in their 50s and 16 per cent for those aged 60 and over. The results were published in the American Journal of Medicine.

One of the authors of the study, Dr Sharon Curhan from the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, noted that "Regular use of (these drugs) might increase the risk of adult hearing loss, particularly in younger individuals.  Given the high prevalence of regular analgesic use and health and social implications of hearing impairment, this represents an important public health issue."

As always, consult your physician if you have questions about the risks of using any prescription or over-the-counter medication.

Children with cochlear implants rate their quality of life as highly as children with normal hearing, according to one of the first studies that looked at children as well as their parents.

A team of American researchers asked 84 children with cochlear implants how they felt about themselves, their family lives, their friends and school. The questionnaires were completed at various summer camps designed for children with CIs in Texas and Colorado. Parents were questioned separately, and the responses were compared with those of a control group of 1,501 children the same ages, 8 to 16, with normal hearing. The paper appears in the Feb. 1 issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery.

The lead author, Betty A. Loy, is quoted as saying the information would be useful to parents making decisions about cochlear implants for their babies. “They want to know: ‘Is my kid going to be made fun of? Is my kid going to be bullied? How is my kid going to feel about themselves with this apparatus on their head?’ ” said Dr. Loy, of the Dallas Cochlear Implant Program.

To read the full story in the New York Times, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.

A gene associated with a rare form of progressive deafness in males has been identified by an international team of researchers funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The gene, PRPS1, appears to be crucial in inner ear development and maintenance. The findings are published in the December 17 early online issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

This discovery has therapeutic implications because it gives scientists a way to develop a targeted treatment for hearing loss in boys with this disorder. It may also open doors to the treatment of other types of deafness, including some forms of acquired hearing loss.

The gene is associated with DFN2, a progressive form of deafness that primarily affects males. Boys with DFN2 begin to lose their hearing in both ears roughly between the ages of 5 and 15, and over the course of several decades will experience hearing loss that can range from severe to profound. Their mothers, who carry the defective PRPS1 gene, may experience hearing loss as well, but much later in life and in a milder form. Families with DFN2 have been identified in the United States, Great Britain, and China.

To read the full story, click here.

There is great news for people suffering from hearing loss: On December 18th, an Advisory Panel of independent ENT experts unanimously recommended that the FDA approve the Esteem®, the first Fully Implantable Hearing Restoration System.

The Esteem device had been in the clinical trial stage for over five years. Shohet Ear Associates was one of three sites in the nation that finished the last clinical trial concluded in August. I had the privilege of testifying before the FDA on December 18th on the efficacy of this groundbreaking device.

Among the three sites participating in the clinical trial, patients averaged an 11 decibel improvement in Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) scores beyond their hearing aids.  At a quiet conversation level, average patient speech understanding improved by more than 45% over their hearing aids.

The Advisory Panel’s vote is a recommendation only, and the FDA will still have to formally approve the Esteem® before it can be marketed to the public. In most cases, the FDA does follow the Advisory Panel’s recommendation. Stay tuned for word on final approval by the FDA.

To read more on this development, click here.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and a consortium of Korean institutions finds that there is "possible evidence linking mobile phone use to an increased risk of tumors." Their analysis has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

During the meta-analysis, researchers examined 465 articles published in major journals and focused on 23 studies involving 37,916 participants. In eight of the studies – where "blinding" was used, meaning that researchers were not told which people in the study had tumors  -- cell phone users were shown to have a 10% to 30% increased risk of tumors compared with people who rarely or never used cell phones. The risk was highest among those who had used cellphones for 10 years or more.

However, the scientists agree that more research is required before a definitive conclusion can be reached. The lead author of the analysis, Dr. Seung-Kwon Myung from the National Cancer Center in Goyang, South Korea, said it is not possible to draw conclusions without larger, more rigorous studies conducted without the influence of the cell phone industry.

Read more at Consumer Affairs.

Studies presented at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology's annual conference earlier this year suggests that it may be possible for a combination of vitamins to protect against noise-induced and even age-related hearing loss in humans. Two separate studies, one using guinea pigs and the other, mice---showed that vitamin supplements containing the antioxidants beta carotene, vitamins C and E and the mineral magnesium prevented both temporary and permanent hearing loss during and after exposure to loud noises.

In the first study, test animals were exposed to sounds at 110 decibels for four hours, a noise level roughly equivalent to what people experience at rock concerts. The second study showed that supplements prevented permanent hearing loss in mice that would typically occur after a single, extremely loud sound exposure.

According to University of Florida scientist and senior author of the studies, Colleen Le Prell, Ph.D., "What is appealing about this vitamin 'cocktail' is that previous studies in humans, including those demonstrating successful use of these supplements in protecting eye health, have shown that supplements of these particular vitamins are safe for long-term use." Dr. LePrell's comments were distributed via a press release on the ear studies.

So how is it that nutritional supplements could actually protect hearing? Theories suggest these compounds "mop up" free radicals that can damage healthy cells in the ear. According to the researchers’ statement to the media, the antioxidants beta carotene, vitamins C and E prevent hearing damage by "scavenging" these free radicals. Magnesium helps maintain blood flow to the inner ear and aids in healing.

I occasionally see patients who have experienced a temporary hearing loss after loud noise exposures and have recommended use of these vitamins based on some previous studies reporting their efficacy in the use of acoustic trauma.  If you experience a hearing loss after being exposed to loud noise, these vitamins maybe indicated to treat.  Dr. Le Prell and her colleagues are currently engaged in clinical trials of the vitamin supplements. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the research studies the affects of these compounds in students who wear MP3 music players and military troops exposed to loud noises. To read more about vitamins and hearing loss prevention, click on one of the links below:

Read more about A Pill to Prevent Hearing Loss from US News.

source of Vitamins Protect Against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Natural News