What is Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is a decrease in the ability to perceive sounds. In adults, hearing loss can be partial or total, sudden or gradual, temporary or permanent, and it can affect one ear or both. Currently in the United States, 28 million people over age 3 have some form of hearing loss. During adulthood, the condition affects approximately 3 percent of all men and women. In general, the risk of hearing loss increases with age. Between 24 percent and 40 percent of adults over age 65 have difficulty hearing. Thirty percent of people over age 85 are deaf in at least one ear. For more information please see: Hearing Loss in Adults, Hearing Loss in Children, and When Hearing Loss Occurs

Feature article from the Harvard University Gazette: Hearing Loss Tied to Heart Disease
Feature article from Harvard Magazine: Cilia in C-Major An overview of the mechanics of hearing.

Related on this site: Aging, Children's Health

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Research News

From Harvard Medical School and Affiliated Hospitals

Researchers Learn More About Ways to Regenerate the Ear's Hearing Cells Follow up study finds gene knockout has different effects in specific areas of inner ear.

Study Reveals Adolescents Unaware of Risks to Hearing Results of a novel web-based survey show shortcoming of teen knowledge.

Long-Sought Key to Hearing may be Found in Protein Discovery Researchers have identified a protein in the inner ear that they believe translates sound into nerve impulses.

Using Stem Cells to Create Inner Ear Cells Suggests a New Approach
A research team recently discovered a new population of stem cells that reside in the inner ear of adult mice.

Scientific Reports

From HMS Faculty Newsletter Focus

Blocking Protein Might Reverse Hearing Loss
A well-known cell regulator prevents regrowth of inner ear hair cells.

Long-Sought Key to Hearing is Found
Researchers have identified an inner-ear protein that transforms sound waves into nerve impulses. See a related video here.

Findings Break Silence on Stem Cells in Inner Ear Research suggest regenerative therapy for hearing loss.