Research

Essential oils have been used medicinally for centuries and are becoming more popular. This is mainly due to growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine, as well as an increase in sales tactics. With so many individuals suffering from hearing loss, it is natural to seek out a quick fix. Some essential oils may assist with hearing loss and tinnitus. Even CBD oils have been used to treat several neurological disorders. However, research on the link between cannabis and tinnitus has been deemed inconclusive. There is also a lack of data on adverse effects. What Causes Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Tinnitus is most commonly caused by an injury to the small hair cells inside the eardrum. That is why tinnitus generally affects people as they get older. Still, it is fairly ...

Tinnitus happens when a person hears a sound without an external source. This condition torments people and compromises their quality of life. The pandemic made the case worse for these patients as it prevents their much-needed care from GPs and specialists from coming. For this reason, the BTA or British Tinnitus Association’s battle cry is for psychologists and other secondary care professionals to step in and address the mental health challenges brought by this condition. This condition has been linked to depression and anxiety. Data show that GPs had to refer tinnitus patients to tinnitus and ENT specialists because they can reduce the patients’ stress by 1.7%. But due to the pandemic and the social restrictions it caused, 1 in 3 GPs have had rejected referrals to specialists. ...

Thomas Behrens of Oticon has something to say regarding technological advancements in AI when it comes to hearing health. Behrens is the company’s Senior Director of the Centre for Applied Audiology Research. He has first-hand knowledge on the focus of hearing aid technology, how instruments are being developed, the benefits to users, etc. According to Behrens, they have uncovered new information about the brain’s auditory center which allowed them to reinvent hearing technology, focusing on deep neural networks instead of noise reduction. Behrens added that deep neural networks allow the brain to create a complete sound scene so it can focus on what it needs to pay attention to. To create these sound scenes, they developed an AI that can take more detail into account so that the per...

The link between coffee and lower risks of hearing impairment is backed by a research team from the University of Madrid, the capital of Spain. The research team conducted a longitudinal study entitled Coffee consumption and risk of hearing impairment in men and women. It was participated by 16,142 men and 20,781 women. Before their coffee intake was recorded, their hearing was tested first. Throughout the 11-year research wherein the participants consumed 1.6 cups of coffee daily (on average), follow-up hearing tests were conducted twice. The results showed that men who consumed more coffee had a lower risk of developing hearing problems. The type of coffee was an insignificant variable. According to the researchers, this benefit may have stemmed from the coffee’s properties that pr...