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Last Updated: Aug 6th, 2008 - 09:50:39 |
Sudden Deafness
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing. SSHL can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical emergency. A person who experiences SSHL should visit a doctor immediately.
American Sign Language
American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the first language of many deaf North Americans, and one of several communication options available to deaf people. ASL is said to be the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.
Cochlear Implants
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear.
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is the abnormal growth of bone of the middle ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly and causes hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearing loss may become severe.
Presbycusis
Presbycusis is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older. Hearing loss is a common disorder associated with aging. About 30-35 percent of adults between the ages of 65 and 75 years have a hearing loss. It is estimated that 40-50 percent of people 75 and older have a hearing loss.
Hearing Aids
A hearing aid is an electronic, battery-operated device that amplifies and changes sound to allow for improved communication. Hearing aids receive sound through a microphone, which then converts the sound waves to electrical signals. The amplifier increases the loudness of the signals and then sends the sound to the ear through a speaker.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Every day we experience sound in our environment such as the television, radio, washing machine, automobiles, buses, and trucks. But when an individual is exposed to harmful sounds--sounds that are too loud or loud sounds over a long time--sensitive structures of the inner ear can be damaged, causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Auditory Neuropathy
Auditory neuropathy is a hearing disorder in which sound enters the inner ear normally but the transmission of signals from the inner ear to the brain is impaired. It can affect people of all ages, from infancy through adulthood. The number of people affected by auditory neuropathy is not known, but the condition affects a relatively small percentage of people who are deaf or hearing-impaired.
Hearing Loss and Older Adults
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing problems can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor’s advice, to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. They can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. All of this can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous.
Gene Therapy to Prevent Hearing Loss
Background: Hearing impairment is frequently caused by the loss of hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear. Hair cells, named for the hairlike projections on the top surface of the cell, play a vital role in detecting sound. When sound waves enter the cochlea, they produce corresponding waves in the fluid beneath the hair cells. The wave motion drives the hair cells into an overlying membrane.
A New Twist to the Cochlea: Why It¡¯s Shaped the Way It Is
For years, scientists have believed that the distinctive snail shape of the mammalian cochlea ¨C in contrast to the stretched-out versions found in birds or reptiles ¨C is useful for packing a slew of hearing parts into a very small space.
Gene That Blocks Regrowth of Hearing Cells Identified for the First Time
Researchers supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) have come one step closer to understanding how hair cells regenerate, a finding that could lead to new treatments for restoring hearing. In the January 13 issue of Science magazine, scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA report that they could cause hair cells to regrow by removing a single gene in mice.
¡®Modifier Gene¡¯ Makes Some Hearing Loss More Severe
Scientists have identified a genetic mutation in humans that affects the severity of hearing loss caused by a mutation of another gene. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) scientists Drs. Julie Schultz and Andrew Griffith and co-authors at NIH* and the Mayo Clinic Foundation reported their findings in the April 14 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
Can We Help the Ear Repair Itself?
NIDCD-supported scientists are identifying the genes necessary for forming the ears and enabling them to detect sound. They hope that a good understanding of normal development will enable them to correct or prevent hearing and balance disorders in children. As the Baby Boomer generation gets older, scientists hope their knowledge will help them develop therapies to restore hearing and balance lost due to infection, injury, noise, and the aging process.
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears. A loss that affects one ear is called a unilateral loss. A loss that affects both ears is called a bilateral loss.
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