News

When we think about hearing protection, we often focus on people, from construction workers, to musicians, to city dwellers. But there’s another population at risk for hearing damage that often goes overlooked: dogs.

In particular, working dogs like those used for hunting, law enforcement, search and rescue, and military purposes, routinely encounter environments that are just as noisy, if not louder, than what their human partners experience. And unlike humans, dogs can’t tell us when something doesn’t sound right.

If you've ever stepped out of your apartment and immediately been hit with a wall of sound, be it honking cars, rumbling subways, construction drills, or shouting pedestrians, you’re not imagining things. Urban noise isn’t just annoying; it’s a legitimate public health concern, particularly when it comes to your hearing.

This week, a new RestorEar-sponsored clinical trial titled “Noninvasive Therapeutic Hypothermia for Tinnitus” received Institutional Review Board approval to begin recruitment. RestorEar and our collaborators at the University of Miami were awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) earlier this spring to complete this year-long project studying tinnitus symptom management with therapeutic hypothermia.

Here at RestorEar, we focus on bringing awareness to noise exposure and hearing protection as a way to combat hearing loss. That’s because an estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents and 17% of adults have suffered permanent damage to their hearing from excessive exposure to noise. But tools like earplugs and ReBound aren’t the only way to care for your hearing health, especially for young people. A recent literature review highlights a powerful but often overlooked tool in preventing hearing loss in children and teens: vaccination.

Hearing loss in the armed services is a major health challenge. In fact, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, hearing loss is the second most common service-related disability. A study published in Military Medicine last summer found that sudden hearing loss—a rapid, often unexplained loss of hearing that requires urgent medical attention—is more common among active duty U.S. military members than in the general public. While hearing issues in the military are nothing new, this research focused specifically on sudden cases, which can have serious consequences for both personal well-being and mission readiness.

Tinnitus—often described as a ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in the ears—is a condition that affects an estimated 15% to 20% of adults. For some, it’s a mild annoyance. For others, it can seriously impact quality of life, contributing to sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and depression. What’s more, many people who experience loud noise exposures or noise-induced hearing loss also suffer from tinnitus. 

Despite how common tinnitus is, there’s no one-size-fits-all cure. But there are treatments and therapies that can help manage the symptoms. Here’s what’s currently available—and where care still falls short.

From maintaining cognitive health to preventing heart disease, hearing health plays a huge role in our overall health, especially as we age. It also acts as a social tool, facilitating conversations and helping us form connections. But how much does hearing and the social connection it provides impact our health as we age? A new study from NYU Langone Health suggests hearing treatment can help older adults feel less isolated and lonely over time.

We at RestorEar know that maintaining hearing health isn’t just about sound. From mental health to cardiovascular disease to even Parkinson’s, our quality of hearing—esepcially as we age—plays a vital role. Previous research has linked hearing aid use with decreased risk of dementia. Now, a new study from Brazil adds to growing evidence that hearing loss in midlife may accelerate cognitive decline as people age. 

Summer is quickly approaching. While the RestorEar team is excited to enjoy the good weather and outdoor activities, we also know that summer fun brings with it unique risks to hearing health. From loud airports during summer travel to music festivals to increases in road construction, the warmest months of the year can also be the loudest. We have previously written about strategies for protecting hearing health during the summer. Today, we want to highlight another tool in the toolkit: ReBoundLite.