|
|
|
Last Updated: Oct 6, 2009 - 12:07:30 PM |
A New Twist to the Cochlea: Why It¡¯s Shaped the Way It Is
For years, scientists have believed that the distinctive snail shape of the mammalian cochlea ¨C in contrast to the stretched-out versions found in birds or reptiles ¨C is useful for packing a slew of hearing parts into a very small space.
American Sign Language
American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the first language of many deaf North Americans, and one of several communication options available to deaf people. ASL is said to be the fourth most commonly used language in the United States.
Auditory Neuropathy
Auditory neuropathy is a hearing disorder in which sound enters the inner ear normally but the transmission of signals from the inner ear to the brain is impaired. It can affect people of all ages, from infancy through adulthood. The number of people affected by auditory neuropathy is not known, but the condition affects a relatively small percentage of people who are deaf or hearing-impaired.
Can We Help the Ear Repair Itself?
NIDCD-supported scientists are identifying the genes necessary for forming the ears and enabling them to detect sound. They hope that a good understanding of normal development will enable them to correct or prevent hearing and balance disorders in children. As the Baby Boomer generation gets older, scientists hope their knowledge will help them develop therapies to restore hearing and balance lost due to infection, injury, noise, and the aging process.
Cochlear Implants
A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear.
Gene That Blocks Regrowth of Hearing Cells Identified for the First Time
Researchers supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) have come one step closer to understanding how hair cells regenerate, a finding that could lead to new treatments for restoring hearing. In the January 13 issue of Science magazine, scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA report that they could cause hair cells to regrow by removing a single gene in mice.
Gene Therapy to Prevent Hearing Loss
Background: Hearing impairment is frequently caused by the loss of hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear. Hair cells, named for the hairlike projections on the top surface of the cell, play a vital role in detecting sound. When sound waves enter the cochlea, they produce corresponding waves in the fluid beneath the hair cells. The wave motion drives the hair cells into an overlying membrane.
Hearing Aids
A hearing aid is an electronic, battery-operated device that amplifies and changes sound to allow for improved communication. Hearing aids receive sound through a microphone, which then converts the sound waves to electrical signals. The amplifier increases the loudness of the signals and then sends the sound to the ear through a speaker.
Hearing Loss and Older Adults
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss. Hearing problems can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor’s advice, to respond to warnings, and to hear doorbells and alarms. They can also make it hard to enjoy talking with friends and family. All of this can be frustrating, embarrassing, and even dangerous.
How common is hearing loss?
In the 2002¨C2003 school year, nearly 72,000 children ages 6 to 21 years got special education services under the ¡°hearing impairment¡± category in the United States. Another 1,600 children received services under the ¡°deaf blind" category. The total number of children with hearing loss is likely higher, since some of them may have other disabilities and be served under other special education categories. Still others may not be counted because they receive only regular education services.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Every day we experience sound in our environment such as the television, radio, washing machine, automobiles, buses, and trucks. But when an individual is exposed to harmful sounds--sounds that are too loud or loud sounds over a long time--sensitive structures of the inner ear can be damaged, causing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is the abnormal growth of bone of the middle ear. This bone prevents structures within the ear from working properly and causes hearing loss. For some people with otosclerosis, the hearing loss may become severe.
Presbycusis
Presbycusis is the loss of hearing that gradually occurs in most individuals as they grow older. Hearing loss is a common disorder associated with aging. About 30-35 percent of adults between the ages of 65 and 75 years have a hearing loss. It is estimated that 40-50 percent of people 75 and older have a hearing loss.
Sudden Deafness
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL), or sudden deafness, is a rapid loss of hearing. SSHL can happen to a person all at once or over a period of up to 3 days. It should be considered a medical emergency. A person who experiences SSHL should visit a doctor immediately.
What causes hearing loss? Can it be prevented?
Normal hearing requires that all parts of the auditory pathway are working correctly. This pathway includes the external ear, middle ear, inner ear, auditory nerve, and the connection between the auditory nerve and the brain. The exact location and nature of the problem in the auditory pathway determines the type and severity of a person¡¯s hearing loss.
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears. A loss that affects one ear is called a unilateral loss. A loss that affects both ears is called a bilateral loss.
What is the cost or economic impact associated with hearing loss?
Many people with hearing loss need long-term services. The average lifetime cost for one person with hearing loss is estimated to be $417,000 (in 2003 dollars). This represents costs over and above those experienced by a person who does not have a disability.
¡®Modifier Gene¡¯ Makes Some Hearing Loss More Severe
Scientists have identified a genetic mutation in humans that affects the severity of hearing loss caused by a mutation of another gene. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) scientists Drs. Julie Schultz and Andrew Griffith and co-authors at NIH* and the Mayo Clinic Foundation reported their findings in the April 14 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
<< prev
next >>
|
|
|
|
| Tramadol |
| 100% satisfactied comments on Tramadol for Pains |
| 100% satisfactied on Tramadol for pains: chronic pain, TMJ, migraines, toothaches, back pain, restless leg syndrome |
| Assessment of Tramadol as a Treatment for Opioid Addiction |
| Comparison of Tramadol Orally Versus an Optimized Dose of Intravenous Tramadol for Postoperative Pain Relief in Ambulatory Surgery |
| Donot taking Tramadol if you are pregnant or Breastfeeding |
|
| About Pain |
| Beliefs, Cultures, Knowledge and Pain |
| Dorsal Horn Sensitisation Pain Theory |
| How can emotions affacet your pain |
| How do we feel pain ? Pain Mechanisms - Pain receptors, Pain signals |
| How is Pain Diagnosed - Pain, Diagnose, Electrodiagnostic procedures, nerve conduction studies, magnetic resonance imaging , neurological examination , X-rays , EP tests |
|
| Pain Relief |
| Acetaminophen, Butalbital, and Caffeine |
| Alcohol and Bone Health |
| Analgesic Nephropathy (Painkillers and the Kidneys) |
| Anatomy of the Spine |
| Arthritis Pain Medications |
|
| Pain Treatment |
| Boomer Pain Booming - Wave of pain to come for boomers |
| Burns and pain : Symptoms, Causes, Preventive Care, Diagnosis, and treatment |
| How Is Pain Treated? |
| Neuropathic Pain Causes, symptoms, diagnosed, and treated |
| Pain Treatment Glossary E-Z: Electrical stimulation, Hypnosis, Ibuprofen, Low-power lasers, Magnets |
|
| Pain Medications |
| Advil ( Ibuprofen ) |
| Amitriptyline |
| Aspirin |
| Cataflam ( Diclofenac ) |
| Celebrex ( Celecoxib ) |
|
| Headache |
| 10 Migraine triggers |
| Alternative medicines and Therapies for Tension Headache |
| Commonly Used Acute Migraine Treatments |
| Eating Patterns and Migraine |
| Headache Glossary |
|
| Complementary Therapy |
| Aim for a Healthy Weight: Assessing Your Risk |
| Lose Weight If You Are Overweight |
| Obesity And Weight Loss |
| Obesity And Weight Loss |
| Weight Control: Guide to Physical Activity |
|
|
