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Audiology
Phone app life-changer for millions of hearing-impaired Africans
In rural Kenya, 64-year-old John Kamau’s world of silence is about to change. After decades of being isolated by hearing loss from the community’s...
Gene therapy restores hearing in children with hereditary deafness
Scientists have been able to effectively use gene therapy to restore hope and hearing to children suffering from hereditary deafness – the first human...
Video gamers risk permanent hearing damage – global review
Given the popularity of video gaming, particularly among children and teenagers, more needs to be done to raise awareness of the risks, says a...
Brain changes from hearing loss linked to dementia – US study
Scientists have suggested that hearing loss causes structural changes in parts of the brain related to symptoms of dementia – regions associated with attention...
Tinnitus relief on horizon with innovative device
A double-blind randomised clinical trial of a device aimed at silencing the phantom sounds of tinnitus has yielded promising results for a condition that...
Half of the world’s young people at risk for hearing loss: global meta-analysis
Some 1.35bn young people worldwide risk hearing loss due to “unsafe listening”, according to a study that found at least one in four people...
False teeth could double as hearing aids – Chinese study
Prosthetic teeth could make great hearing aids, according to researchers, who have found that vibrations applied to replacements for lost teeth travel well through...
Hearing aids improve cognitive function — Australian study
Cognitive decline is associated with hearing loss, which affects about 32% of people aged 55 years, and more than 70% of people aged over...
Hearing aids linked to reduced risk of mental decline and falls but few get them
Hearing aids are associated with significantly reduced risk of physical and mental decline, although only 12% of those formally diagnosed with hearing loss...
Earplugs the only way to stop ear damage among musicians
Physical measures to reduce damaging sound levels for musicians are not effective enough to replace hearing protection devices such as ear plugs, found a...
Involvement of audiologists important in ototoxicity monitoring
In audiology, pharmaco-vigilance in the form of ototoxicity monitoring is gaining momentum within the South African research and clinical communities, writes Katijah Khoza-Shangase, at...
Some hearing assistance devices perform as well as hearing aids
In a highly controlled comparison study, several over-the-counter hearing assistance devices performed almost as well as a conventional hearing aid that cost thousands of...
Osteoporosis link to sudden hearing loss
People with osteoporosis may be almost twice as likely to develop sudden hearing loss.
Older adults benefit from cochlear implants
Cochlear implantation was associated with improved speech perception and cognitive function in adults 65 years or older with profound hearing loss, according to a French study.