About 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noises annually, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and it estimates about one in four workers has been exposed to a hazardous noise. Tuten says that although hearing protection can protect the ears of workers, it’s not always used correctly.
The Day It Happened
My hearing had been gradually declining. I knew that because I would hear ringing in my ears, and I knew what that meant. (Scary organ chord here.) It meant hearing loss. But how bad could it be, I figured. I’m still hearing. I’m still on the phone. I’m still talking to people. I can manage, right? This had been going on for several years and it was my new normal. Sure, I have to say “What?” a few times, but so what.
USC Stem Cell Study Shows When to Quit “Yapping”
It turns out that to hear a person yapping, you need a protein called Yap. Working as part of what is known as the Yap/Tead complex, this important protein sends signals to the hearing organ to attain the correct size during embryonic development, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences (PNAS) from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Neil Segil.
New Connections
I am remaining social and engaged in the world from the safety and comfort of my home. This is so important to do when you have a hearing loss. For almost three decades—since I was in my early 50s working as a secretary in a bank—I’ve so appreciated the value of hearing aids to stay connected and to be able to function. Now, I’m feeling immensely grateful for electronic communication, too.
Study Charts Developmental Map of Inner Ear Sound Sensor in Mice
Scientists at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their collaborators analyzed data from 30,000 cells from mouse cochlea, the snail-shaped structure of the inner ear. The results provide insights into the genetic programs that drive the formation of cells important for detecting sounds. The study also sheds light specifically on the underlying cause of hearing loss linked to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
Les Paul in His Own Words
Les Paul, whose birthday was June 9, 1915, was famous for the solid body electric guitar and many innovations related to recording music. He also had compromised hearing, and wore hearing aids in both ears. Although his hearing loss was not caused by loud noise, almost all of his rock musician friends had some level of hearing loss from performing and being around loud music. Les and most of his musician friends also had tinnitus.
The Challenge of Communication During the Pandemic and Beyond
In New York City, we are required to wear face coverings in public and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Non-essential work, like my own part-time job as an educational researcher for a university, must be completed remotely. With these vital public health measures emerge new challenges for people with hearing loss, and I’m advocating for myself and creating solutions when and where I am able.
Operation Regrow Begins June 16
During COVID-19, we have witnessed unprecedented challenges to people with hearing loss, Social distancing and face coverings have exacerbated feelings of isolation and impeded communication with friends, family, colleagues, and medical practitioners. We hope you’ll keep these unprecedented challenges in mind when you make a gift to HHF’s research through Operation Regrow.
18 Years Later
Our twins, James and Riley, were born on August 23. They did not pass this initial hearing screen, so auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests were administered in the hospital. Two weeks after a second ABR with our audiologist, they were both diagnosed with moderate bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
Paint Has a Sound
I wear hearing devices but over the years as I have struggled with my hearing, I could feel and see changes in how I interact with others, in social situations, with family, and, more personally, in how I started to withdraw and become more introverted and retrospective.