Understanding OSHA And Workplace Hearing Loss
At least 22 million workers are exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each year, OSHA reports. In 2017, employers were required to pay $1.5 million in penalties for not protecting workers from noise. OSHA also estimates that approximately $242 million is spent on workers’ compensation claims for hearing loss. Long-term exposure to hazardous noise,…
Professionals Update Ear-Cleaning Guidelines
An updated clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery Foundation published in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery provides evidence-based recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of earwax (cerumen impaction) as well as important patient information on the dos and don’ts of earwax and healthy ear care. “This update is significant because it…
Research Links High Blood Sugar And Hearing Loss To Poor Memory In Older Latino Americans
Hearing loss and diabetes are major public health problems, with Latinos at higher risk than other demographic groups. In a new study published December 17, 2020 in the online issue of JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine with colleagues elsewhere, report that hearing loss and high…
HearUSA And Ida Institute Focus On Patient Care
How can people get the most out of their appointments with a hearing care professional? What role do relatives and communication partners play? Which strategies and tips can help people with hearing loss improve communication on a daily basis? These are some of the questions addressed by a new suite of tools for people with…
Studies Show Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Can Be Blocked With Drug Compound
Inner hair cells of the cochlea (green and blue) excite auditory nerve fibers (red) by releasing glutamate, a chemical signal that helps convert sound waves into electrical signals that travel to the brain. But too much glutamate can be harmful, leading to noise-induced hearing loss. Studying mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in…
CRISPR Treatment Prevents Hearing Loss In Mice
A single treatment of a genome editing agent partially preserved hearing in mice with genetic deafness. The work could one day help scientists treat certain forms of genetic hearing loss in humans. Using molecular scissors wrapped in a greasy delivery package, researchers have disrupted a gene variant that leads to deafness in mice. A single…
What is Noise Induced Hearing Loss?
How Can Sounds Hurt Your Ears? Background sound is a constant in our busy lives. Normally, background noises are at safe levels that do not negatively impact our hearing. But repeated exposure to noise above 85 decibels (dB) can cause noise induced hearing loss. The louder the sound, the less amount of time it takes…
What is Sudden Hearing Loss?
For most people who experience hearing loss, the condition comes on gradually over a period of years. In rare cases, an abrupt loss of hearing occurs with little or no warning. This condition is known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). What is Sudden Deafness? Sudden deafness is an unexplained and rapid hearing loss that…
What is Unilateral Hearing Loss?
What is Single Sided Deafness? Sometimes referred to as unilateral hearing loss, single sided deafness is a condition in which an individual experiences hearing loss in only one ear but can hear normally out of the other ear. While most patients with a hearing impairment suffer from bilateral (two-sided) hearing loss, SSD affects approximately 60,000…