hearing loss news stories on Newser

Pop a Viagra and ... Go Deaf?

Mark Russell — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:11:05 CDT

Could Viagra make you, ahem, hard of hearing? Researchers are uncovering evidence that it and other anti-impotence drugs may do just that. The FDA has been warning about possible hearing complications associated with anti-impotence medicine since 2007, but two new reports are raising concerns. UK researchers who surveyed drug watchdogs...

Many Beached Dolphins Are Deaf

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:23:21 CST

In an undersea world where hearing is as valuable—sometimes more valuable—than sight, being deaf can be a death sentence. New research finds that many dolphins stranded near shore have hearing loss, and researchers theorize that loss could explain why they're beached. Without the ability to hear, dolphins can't...

'Time Traveler' Likely Using Hearing Aid

Matt Cantor — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:39:35 CDT

A clip of what appears to be a woman chatting on a cell phone—in 1928—has made waves across the Internet, but experts say she’s probably just using a hearing aid. The filmmaker who presented the clip ruled out such a device because of its shape, but actually, “short,...

1 in 5 Teens Has Hearing Loss

Emily Rauhala — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:33:49 CDT

Oh no, mom was right: It looks like those always-blaring headphones actually are hurting our ears. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that one in five American teens now suffer some form of hearing loss, a 31% rise since researchers studied the phenomenon...

Your Skin Can Help You Hear, Study Finds

Nick McMaster — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:37:59 CST

What you feel can influence what you hear, a new study suggests. People were better able to identify aspirated sounds—those requiring a puff of air, like “pa” or “ta”—when the sound was paired with a puff of air on the back of the hand or neck. If that...

College Kids' iPod Volume Hurts Hearing

Nick McMaster — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:20:25 CDT

Most young people listen to their iPods at levels that will damage hearing over time, a new study shows. Researchers measured the output of an iPod while college-age students listened to music in a lab setting, and they found 55% of the subjects set the volume higher than 85 decibels—...

Say What? Convertibles Harm Hearing

Mary Papenfuss — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:46:08 CDT

Tearing down the road in a convertible with the wind whipping at your ears exacts the same kind of hearing damage as listening to a pile driver, scientists warn. Noise from the engine, road, traffic and wind can be as high as 90 decibels at speeds of 50 mph and...

Jamming to the iPod Is Making Us Deaf

Ambreen Ali — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:57:00 CDT

The popularity of iPods and similar devices may leave a generation of adults with impaired hearing decades ahead of their time, the Boston Globe reports. Sensory cells in the ear can only take so much bombardment, and frequent, pulsing music causes irreparable damage. New research also shows that boys often...

Stem Cells Could Cure Deafness

Rob Quinn — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:06:29 CDT

Stem cell researchers have made a breakthrough they believe could someday cure deafness, the Times of London reports. The British team, working with stem cells from the inner ear, have successfully grown early versions of the cells that enable hearing and now aim to create functional cells that can be...