If you’ve ever seemingly out of the blue experienced hearing loss in one ear, it can be alarming. This condition is called sudden sensorineural hearing loss, or SSNHL, and is an unexplained or rapid loss of hearing — one that is not caused by a “noise trauma,” such as an exploding firecracker right next to [...]
As we go about our day-to-day lives, much of our hearing is on autopilot. All the day long, our brain is processing the sounds our auditory system collects as automatically as we inhale and exhale. In fact, the way we hear is a fascinating and, sometimes mysterious, process. Here are 5 things about your hearing [...]
People with unilateral hearing loss now have the opportunity to hear out of both ears. In July, the FDA approved the use of cochlear implants for single-sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss for patients 5 years of age and older based on data from a clinical trial conducted by Margaret Dillon, AuD, and the UNC [...]
Close to 40 million American adults have hearing loss, making it one of the most common health concerns people face, according to the NIH. Hearing loss can creep up on you gradually, stealing your hearing in such small increments you suddenly find yourself straining to understand conversation and missing some of your favorite sounds. In many cases, [...]
Researchers have developed a new device that can be used to visualize how sound-induced vibrations travel through the ear. The technology is providing new insight into how the ear receives and processes sound waves and, with additional development, might one day be used by physicians to diagnose diseases that affect hearing. The new imaging tool [...]
Hearing loss can be genetic or caused by damage to the ear – but did you know that there are also some diseases that can cause hearing loss? When it comes to hearing loss, we tend to associate it with aging or something caused by genetic predisposition. But certain diseases can actually increase a person's [...]
Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells. Endless research studies have focused on stem cells and the many conditions that could potentially be treated using them. Given their power, could stem cells hold the key to a cure for hearing loss or tinnitus? Before [...]
Did you know that hearing is the only one of our senses that is constantly active – even when we sleep? Your ears don't stop hearing when you sleep, it's just that your brain chooses to ignore sound. Here are ten more fun facts about hearing that you might not know... #1. Newborn babies’ middle [...]
Over half a million people worldwide with severe hearing loss use an electronic implant in the ears to be able to let them understand speech. Cochlear implants, as they are known, are one of the most successful technologies to have come out of neuroscience, but only provide partial correction for any hearing deficit. For example, [...]
Parents of girls who don’t appear to be developing at the same rate as their peers and who suffer from frequent ear infections may want to ask their family doctor if she should be tested for Turner syndrome, a rare genetic condition which affects one out of every 2,000 - 4,000 female births. While Turner [...]