By Tara Guastella

For the second year, HHF is excited to be included in Media Planet’s Vision and Hearing News campaign. This annual initiative aims to raise awareness about vision and hearing loss, discuss new technologies, and provide expert commentary on the latest from the field. The campaign is included as an insert in USA Today and shared digitally, reaching millions of viewers worldwide.

This issue’s cover story features Seattle Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman in an interview about his experience with hearing loss and the methods he took to succeed in his career. The interview is inspirational and it’s great to see Coleman as a role model for people with hearing loss.

Our exciting work to cure hearing loss and tinnitus is included within the issue in an article titled “The Promise for a Cure”. While technologies like hearing aids and cochlear implants bring great benefit to people with hearing loss, the article highlights how the work of our Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) aims to deliver a genuine, biologic cure for hearing loss and tinnitus within the next decade. By studying chickens, fish, and other animals who have the ability to naturally regenerate their inner ear hair cells and reverse hearing loss, our team of HRP researchers aims to translate the ability to restore hearing to people. Our PSA is also featured at the bottom of the article.

"Our organization has been at the forefront of hearing research for over half a century. Now we’re funding a genuine, biologic cure for hearing loss and tinnitus within the next decade. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of continued research in the hearing field,” says Shari Eberts, the chairman of HHF’s board of directors, in the article.

HHF Medical Director David Haynes, M.D., FACS, answers common questions about cochlear implants (CIs) and the types of hearing loss that may be eligible for CIs. “While standard hearing aids amplify sound, the cochlear implant has the capacity to break down sound and deliver this signal to specific areas of the cochlea, improving understanding,” Haynes says.

Lastly, we contributed an article about preventing hearing loss and the best ways to keep your, and your loved ones, hearing safe and sound. You can watch our interactive “How Hearing Works” video and also learn about walk, block, and turn. Our three-step method to prevent hearing damage advises walking away from loud sounds, blocking them with earplugs or earmuffs, and turning down the volume when it is under your control.

Check out the full Media Planet campaign for other hearing and vision resources.