 |
Report: Strategies to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus in soldiers
September 07, 2012DETROIT - Antioxidants, dietary supplements and high-tech brain imaging are among some of the novel strategies that may help detect, treat and even prevent noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus among American troops, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.
A culmination of nearly 25 years of research on noise-induced hearing loss - a growing medical issue that affects more than 12 percent of American troops returning from conflicts around the globe - will be presented Sept. 9 at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Led by Michael Seidman, M.D., the research team is the first to identify how acoustic trauma from machinery and explosive devices damages the inner ear cells and breaks down cell growth, much like age-related hearing loss.
"Improvised explosive devices, aircraft and other weaponry being used by the military are frankly deafening our troops," says Dr. Seidman, director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.
"Noise-induced hearing loss doesn't just impact a person's ability to hear; it can cause balance issues, make it difficult to sleep and communicate, and even raise the risk for heart disease by increasing a person's blood pressure, lipids and blood sugar."
As part of his presentation, Dr. Seidman will explain how noise-induced hearing loss, as well as tinnitus-related traumatic brain injury, occurs based on research from Wayne State University's Jinsheng Zhang, Ph.D.
Dr. Zhang has developed a model of blast-induced tinnitus and hearing loss using a shock tube that generates a 194 decibel shock wave similar to many of the explosive devices being deployed against troops.
Further, Dr. Seidman will discuss the use of nutraceuticals, such as acetyl-l-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid and resveratrol - a substance found in red wine and red grapes - to mitigate hearing-related issues.
Based on initial results, Dr. Seidman says a nutraceutical with a resveratrol-based component may possibly hold the potential to not only prevent, but reverse hearing loss in certain circumstances for soldiers. This research is based on animal models, but will soon be tested with humans, to see if a pill could soon be developed to prevent acoustic trauma in troops.
In addition, Dr. Seidman will highlight new research on tinnitus, a chronic ringing of the head or ears that affects more than 50 million patients.
A study co-authored by Susan Bowyer, Ph.D., senior bioscientific researcher at Henry Ford Hospital, found that an imaging technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG) can determine the site of perception of tinnitus in the brain, which could in turn allow physicians to target the area with electrical or chemical therapies to lessen symptoms.
Although is no cure for tinnitus, several interventions are available, including dietary modification, the use of specific herbs and supplements, sound therapies, centrally acting medications and electrical stimulation of the cochlea and brain using implantable electrodes and an implantable pulse generator.
To date, Dr. Seidman has treated six patients with direct electrical stimulation to the brain, reducing the tinnitus in four of those patients.
In all, the team's work on noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus has led to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and several patents.
According to Dr. Seidman, more research and funding are needed in order to generate critical data to facilitate an understanding of the damage caused by acoustic trauma and develop strategies to mitigate that damage.
Henry Ford Health System
Related Hearing Loss Current Events and Hearing Loss News Articles
Women with chronic physical disabilities are no less likely to bear children
Like the general public, health care professionals may hold certain stereotypes regarding sexual activity and childbearing among women with disabilities.
Research on cilia heats up: Implications for hearing, vision loss and kidney disease
Experiments at Johns Hopkins have unearthed clues about which protein signaling molecules are allowed into hollow, hair-like "antennae," called cilia, that alert cells to critical changes in their environments.
Effect of different oxygen saturation levels on death or disability in extremely preterm infants
In a randomized trial performed to help resolve the uncertainty about the optimal oxygen saturation therapy in extremely preterm infants, researchers found that targeting saturations of 85 percent to 89 percent compared with 91 percent to 95 percent had no significant effect on the rate of death or disability at 18 months.
Concert cacophony: Short-term hearing loss protective, not damaging
Contrary to conventional wisdom, short-term hearing loss after sustained exposure to loud noise does not reflect damage to our hearing: instead, it is the body's way to cope.
Researchers create map of 'shortcuts' between all human genes
Some diseases are caused by single gene mutations. Current techniques for identifying the disease-causing gene in a patient produce hundreds of potential gene candidates, making it difficult for scientists to pinpoint the single causative gene.
Researchers advance fight against biggest hidden virus
A virus that most people have probably never heard of, yet most of us carry, is the number 1 infectious cause of congenital birth defects.
Researchers advance fight against leading infectious cause of congenital birth defects
A virus most people probably have never heard of, but that the majority of us carry, is the No. 1 infectious cause of congenital birth defects in the U.S. today. Because of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during in utero development, 1 in 750 children are born with or develop permanent disabilities such as hearing loss or brain damage. But efforts to develop a first-ever CMV vaccine are gaining ground.
Rapid hearing loss may be a symptom of rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Rapid hearing loss in both ears may be a symptom of the rare but always-fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and should be considered a reason for clinicians to test for the disorder.
Research leads to better understanding of peripheral neuropathy
One in 25,000 people worldwide is affected by neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a condition where the loss of a tumour suppressor called Merlin results in multiple tumours in the brain and nervous system.
Now hear this: Stanford researchers identify forerunners of inner-ear cells that enable hearing
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a group of progenitor cells in the inner ear that can become the sensory hair cells and adjacent supporting cells that enable hearing.
More Hearing Loss Current Events and Hearing Loss News Articles
 |
What Did You Say? An Unexpected Journey Into the World of Hearing Loss by Monique E. Hammond (Author) Nothing prepared Monique Hammond for her own sudden hearing loss, and her questions to medical professionals often left her with more questions than answers. What Did You Say? is the book she wishes she had when she was coping with and trying to understand her own hearing loss. Hammond points out that she is not a professional hearing specialist, so her first important message is that people who experience any ear-related symptoms ''must consult their physician or ear specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment.'' From there, she provides organized, easy-to-understand facts and details that enable readers to have educated discussions with their medical professionals. Weaving together her own experiences with a wealth of information, Hammond's wisdom and insights are invaluable, and her... |
 |
Shouting Won't Help: Why I--and 50 Million Other Americans--Can't Hear You by Katherine Bouton (Author) For twenty-two years, Katherine Bouton had a secret that grew harder to keep every day. An editor at The New York Times, at daily editorial meetings she couldn’t hear what her colleagues were saying. She had gone profoundly deaf in her left ear; her right was getting worse. As she once put it, she was “the kind of person who might have used an ear trumpet in the nineteenth century.” Audiologists agree that we’re experiencing a national epidemic of hearing impairment. At present, 50 million Americans suffer some degree of hearing loss—17 percent of the population. And hearing loss is not exclusively a product of growing old. The usual onset is between the ages of nineteen and forty-four, and in many cases the cause is unknown. Shouting Won’t Help is a deftly... |
 |
Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss: A Guide to Prevention and Care by Prof. John Burkey (Author) In Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss, audiologist John Burkey shows readers how they can continue to enjoy youthful living, regardless of whether their hearing abilities are undiminished or severely compromised. In a reassuring and straightforward style, Burkey explains the typical causes of hearing loss, from genetic factors to years of exposure to loud noises, and demystifies the sometimes confusing results of a hearing test. Fortunately, new technologies and advances in medicine have made it easier to detect signs of initial hearing loss and to prevent it from becoming a serious problem.For those who have already sustained some damage, the author suggests ways to manage daily activities by using a range of techniques, equipment, and medical procedures. His suggestions include minor... |
 |
A Quiet World: Living with Hearing Loss by Professor David G. Myers (Author) How do people cope with hearing loss? In this study, David Myers, who has himself suffered gradual hearing loss, explores the problems faced by the hard of hearing at home and at work and provides information on the new technology and surgical procedures available. |
 |
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hearing Loss by House Clinic (Author), William M. Luxford M.D. (Author), M. Jennifer Derebery M.D. (Author), Karen I. Berliner Ph.D. (Author) Applying straightforward sense to one of our most important senses. Hearing loss and impairment is a problem for millions of adults and children. Because hearing loss can affect people at any age and the symptoms are so diverse, it is important to have one authoritative source for information. Written by certified otolaryngologists under the auspices of the world renowned House Clinic, The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Hearing Loss covers all conditions and symptoms, along with methods of prevention and treatment, including: ?The most familiar symptoms of hearing impairment and loss ?Details about such conditions as ear wax, swimmer's ear, ear infections, tinnitus, cochlear problems from aging and noise, otosclerosis, tumors, and hearing problems in... |
 |
Children with Hearing Loss: Developing Listening and Talking, Birth to Six by Elizabeth Cole (Author), Ed.D. (Author), Carol Flexer (Author), Ph.D. (Author) This second edition of Children with Hearing Loss Developing Listening and Talking: Birth to Six remains a dynamic compilation of crucially important information for the facilitation of auditorally-based spoken language for today's infants and young children with hearing loss. This text is intended for graduate level training programs for professionals who work with children who have hearing loss and their families (teachers, therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists.) In addition, the book will be of great interest to undergraduate speech-language-hearing programs, early childhood education and intervention programs, and parents of children who have hearing loss. Responding to the crucial need for a comprehensive text, this book provides a framework for the skills... |
 |
Save Your Hearing Now: The Revolutionary Program That Can Prevent and May Even Reverse Hearing Loss by Michael D. Seidman (Author), Marie Moneysmith (Author) After 20 years of research, leading otolaryngologist Dr. Michael Seidman has developed a breakthrough all natural alternative treatment program to battle hearing loss safely and effectively. Using a specifi c combination of antioxidants, diet, exercise, and basic lifestyle changes, Dr. Seidman's program can help to prevent--and possibly reverse--hearing loss. The book offers a simple self-assessment test that identifies the type, severity, and prognosis of hearing loss, comprehensive advice on diet and supplements, and natural remedies and important lifestyle changes that can make a difference. This is the ultimate resource providing answers--and hope--to the millions of hearing impaired. |
 |
Hear Your Life: Inspiring Stories and Honest Advice for Overcoming Hearing Loss by Melissa Kay Rodriguez (Author) Imagine waking up in a world of silence. You may see the world going on around you, but there is no laughter of a child, no birds singing and no soothing sound of the ocean as its waves gently tickle the shore. In Hear Your Life, readers will learn how devastating the effects of hearing loss are and learn how to avoid them. Expert Melissa K. Rodriguez shares revealing and inspirational stories about hearing loss and the road back to better hearing. She answers commonly asked questions about hearing loss and has included a resource guide full of useful information For those ready to live life to the fullest, Hear Your Life can help! Sarayi was born without ears, but now she hears the birds and her mother's voice. Donna is a nurse that chooses to hear every heartbeat clearly.... |
 |
The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss and Hearing AIDS: A Bridge to Healing by Richard E. Carmen (Editor) |
 |
Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears: The Road to Better Hearing by John M. Burkey (Author) There are dozens of misconceptions about hearing aids: “They make you look old.” “They cause ear infections.” “They increase hearing loss.” “I can’t afford one.” This misinformation impairs a person’s quality of life by discouraging them from pursuing help. Technological advances have enabled hearing aids to address a greater range of hearing losses, while making them smaller, better designed, and easier to use than those of the past. More people than ever can benefit from a hearing aid, yet of the nearly thirty million people with a hearing impairment, only about 20 percent choose to use one. In Overcoming Hearing Aid Fears, audiologist John M. Burkey addresses common fears, concerns, and misconceptions about hearing aids to help readers decide... |
| © 2013 BrightSurf.com |