Almost two-thirds of Americans 70 and older suffer from hearing loss ranging from mild to severe, according to what might be the first study to estimate the prevalence of hearing impairment in a nationally representative sample of older adults, TheNew York Times recently reported.
A growing number of pharma companies are pursuing drugs for the ear, according to a recent article in TheNew York Times. A clinical trial recently began of a gene therapy being developed by Novartis that is aimed at restoring lost hearing, according to the article.
Siemens’ smart hearing aids, recently introduced at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, promise to make the world more accessible for many people who are deaf or have hearing loss. The new easyTek™ aids are more like sophisticated wearables than traditional aids.
A University of Canterbury (New Zealand) study hopes to produce results which may help people with hearing loss, according to a recent press release from the school. Associate Professor Megan McAuliffe says hearing loss affects 10 to 15 percent of young adults and more than 30 percent of older adults.
Noise pollution is a fact of life worldwide. Similar to second-hand smoke, second-hand noise is an unwanted airborne pollutant produced by others; imposed without consent, and often at times, places, and volumes with no controls, according to a report from the Republic of Zimbabwe, in southern Africa.
Noise-induced hearing loss is the most common work-related illness in the United States. Each year, an estimated 22 million U.S. workers encounter noise exposures loud enough to be potentially hazardous. In addition to damaging workers' quality of life, occupational hearing loss can carry a high economic price to society.
Two homemade pressure-cooker bombs exploded within seconds of each other near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, killing three people and seriously injuring hundreds. Some who escaped physical harm realized days or weeks later they were suffering from hearing problems, according to the Washington Post.
Noise pollution at oil and gas sites remains “woefully under-studied contrary to its public health significance,” according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Environmental noise caused by oil and gas drilling activities is often overlooked entirely or rejected as a minor, temporary nuisance by industry and regulators, despite the fact that drilling and other activities at well sites are very noisy and can be close to homes, according to the NRDC.
The Hearing Loss Association of America estimates that by age 65, one out of three people in the U.S. have some degree of hearing loss, according to a report by CNN.