Exposure to loud noises during common recreational activities is widely cited as a cause of "hidden hearing loss." A new study of young adults, however, finds that while hearing is temporarily affected after attending a loud event, there is no evidence of auditory nerve injury or permanent hearing difficulties. The study is the first to look for a causal relationship

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Older adults often choose not to seek treatment for hearing loss, but ignoring the problem can have a huge impact on their quality of life – and increases their risk of dementia. The statistics are shocking, say two University of Toronto medical experts: At least one in four adults over the age of 50 experience hearing problems, but it takes an average

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Some newborns in the United States still aren't getting screened for hearing loss or congenital heart disease, a new report shows. "Newborn screening at birth is crucial to quickly identify infants at risk of hearing loss and congenital [inherited] heart disease so they can receive early intervention and follow-up care," said Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Finding these conditions early

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It was not uncommon for older adults to report mishearing a physician or nurse in a primary care or hospital setting, according to a study published by  JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery . The prevalence of medical errors is higher among older patients. Failures in clinical communication are considered to be the leading cause of medical errors. A previous study

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The risk of dementia is increased for older adults with hearing loss, according to a study published in the  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society . Hilary R. Davies, PhD, from University College London, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study involving adults aged 50 years and older to examine the correlation between hearing loss and incident physician-diagnosed dementia. Cross-sectional associations

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It was once thought that hearing loss in older women might be linked to loss of estrogen and progesterone following menopause and that hormone therapy might reduce that risk. Recent results from the Nurses' Health Study II indicate just the opposite — that late natural menopause and the use of oral hormone therapy are linked to a higher risk of

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Although there was an increase in the percentage of U.S. youth ages 12 to 19 reporting exposure to loud music through headphones from 1988-2010, researchers did not find significant changes in the prevalence of hearing loss among this group, according to a study published by  JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Even mild levels of hearing loss in children and adolescents

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The MDMA studies over the past two years have involved a small number of participants in placebo-controlled trials.  Participants were given a small dose of MDMA or a placebo and monitored over a four-hour time period. They were not given enough MDMA to feel 'high', but many reported an easing of tinnitus after three hours.  Participants who felt benefits also reported those same effects were maintained for

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People who experience hearing loss could be at greater risk of memory and thinking problems later in life than those without auditory issues, research suggests. The study focused on people who were at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, revealing that those who were diagnosed with hearing loss had a higher risk of “mild cognitive impairment” four years later. “It’s really not

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Two researchers at UConn School of Medicine have developed a new hearing test that can identify hearing loss or deficits in some individuals considered to have normal or near-normal hearing in traditional tests. Many adults report difficulties hearing in everyday situations, despite having their physicians or audiologists tell them that the results of their hearing tests are normal or near-normal.

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