The study, headed by Professor Gerald McGwin, PhD, reported, “It appears from these findings that the current government warning regarding hearing loss and the use of PDE-5i medications is warranted,” said Dr. McGwin, a professor of epidemiology in the UAB School of Public Health. “Though there are limitations to this study, it is prudent that patients using these medications be warned about the signs and symptoms of hearing impairment and be encouraged to seek immediate medical attention to potentially forestall permanent damage.”

The problem associated with hearing loss and the use of Viagra is thought to be in the drugs ability to increase blood flow. Again, originally developed to increase blood flow to and through the heart, then to increase blood flow to the penis, PDE-5i also increases blood flow throughout the body. It doesn’t selectively increase blood flow in certain parts of the body and subsequently may also increase blood flow to the ears.

In 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required the drug maker to add a warning that the use of Viagra may lead to hearing loss after several cases of sudden hearing loss were reported by the medical community. Pfizer followed the FDA’s ruling and made “hearing loss” more prominent in its list of side effects of using Viagra (BTW, all drugs have side effects so it’s not unusual).

Reports of a relationship between the use of Viagra and hearing loss aren’t new to the research and medical community and Viagra remains the most popular choice among couples for the treatment of ED in men.

Hair cells are the tiny sensory cells located in the cochlea of the inner ear that turn sound vibrations into electrical signals. Each ear shelters fewer than 15,000 of them, and once they are damaged or die, there are no others to take their place. Unlike birds, fish, and some reptiles, humans don’t have the ability to grow new hair cells if some are lost due to disease, drugs, or long-term exposure to noise. So that’s why we have so many people coming into our office to buy hearing aids.

This past May, a group of NIDCD-funded researchers led by Stefan Heller, Ph.D., at Stanford University School of Medicine announced that they had developed a system for making what appear to be functional hair cells from stem cells. Their findings were published in the May 14 issue of  Cell.

This is exciting research because hair cells in the inner ear have a complicated structure. They resemble other kinds of epithelial cells (cells that line the cavities and surfaces of structures in the body) but with a twist. At their tips, hair cells display a spiky bundle of filaments–known as stereocilia–which contain mechanosensitive ion channels that are able to produce electrochemical signals when stimulated by sound vibrations. Building a hair cell from scratch meant not only replicating its complicated architecture, but also endowing it with the ability to respond electrochemically to sound vibrations.

In the lab, Heller and his colleagues began with stem cells from mouse embryos, setting up conditions to mimic what they knew about how hair cells form during fetal development. They tried out various combinations of growth-inducing substances until they found one that made the cells cluster and display hair cell-like characteristics. The key ingredients were chemicals known as fibroblast growth factors (FGF), which were shown in previous studies to be intimately involved in inner ear development.

Eventually their efforts produced groups of cells that looked intriguingly hair cell-like–with recognizable hair cell bundles at their tips–and when stimulated by electrodes, the cells generated electrochemical currents that resembled those made by young hair cells.

With their “ear in a test tube,” Heller and his team also plan to start a series of tests to search for the biochemical basis for the inner ear’s inability to regrow hair cells. Since all the other hair cell-bearing organs in the body are able to replace lost hair cells, it’s not unreasonable to assume that the current structures in the inner ear evolved from structures that once had the capacity for self-repair.

Finding the switch that turns hair cell regeneration on and off could make returning the inner ear’s capacity to grow hair cells as simple as hitting a chemical reset button, although getting there may take some time. “We’re one step further on a journey,” says Heller. “It will take a while until we reach any kind of clinical relevance.”

The hearing aid style you receive depends on a few factors.  The most important factor when choosing a hearing aid is the degree of your hearing loss.  Most mild to moderate loss levels can pretty much wear any style of hearing aid.   A more severe loss may warrant a larger aid, such as a traditional BTE or a full-shell ITE so that it can produce enough power.  Other factors to consider are lifestyle, cosmetic importance, ear shape/size, dexterity and shape of hearing loss.  Your hearing health provider can discuss with you the best style for you.

o Yes o No o Sometimes

2) Do you sometimes feel that people are mumbling or not speaking clearly?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

3) Do you experience difficulty fol­lowing dialog in the theater?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

4) Do you sometimes find it difficult to understand a speaker at a pub­lic meeting or a religious service?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

5) Do you find yourself asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

6) Do you find men’s voices easier to understand than women’s?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

6) Do you experience difficulty understanding soft or whispered speech?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

7) Do you have difficulty understand­ing speech on the telephone?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

8 ) Does a hearing problem cause you to feel embarrassed when meeting new people?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

9) Do you feel handicapped by a hearing problem?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

10 Does a hearing problem cause you to visit friends, relatives, or neighbors less often than you would like?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

11) Do you experience ringing or noises in your ears?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

12) Do you hear better with one ear than the other?

o Yes o No o Sometimes

13) Have you had any significant noise exposure during work, recreation, or military service?

o Yes o No

14) Have any of your relatives (by birth) had a hearing loss?

o Yes o No

Scoring

2 points for Yes

1 point for Sometimes

0 points for No

Scores of 3 or more: May mean that you have a hearing problem.

Scores of 6 or more: Strongly suggest that a hearing check is warranted.

Cerumen (earwax): The external part of the ear canal contains sweat and sebaceous glands. The glands produce a waxy substance known as cerumen or earwax, which traps bacteria and dust. Cerumen is only produced in the outer third of the ear canal where it can be removed. Never try to clean down inside of the canal yourself. If you have a problem, consult your hearing care professional or physician.

Protective hair: The external part of the ear canal is covered with tiny hairs that act like a curtain to protect the eardrum from dust and dirt. If dust or bacteria do succeed in penetrating the curtain they are trapped by the cerumen.

Ear canal: The eardrum is further protected by bends in the ear canal. This helps prevent objects accidentally entering the ear and damaging the eardrum.

Cerumen and hearing instruments: When you first start wearing a hearing instrument, it often seems like a foreign object in the ear. This feeling disappears after a short familiarization period. All the same, hearing instruments can stimulate the production of cerumen. Some instruments are equipped with a protective cerumen filter to help prevent earwax from entering the instrument. If the outlet of the hearing instrument is blocked by earwax, the volume may be reduced or even cut-off altogether.

The acoustic reason – A loosely fitting hearing instrument can cause feedback (whistling). This happens when the instrument does not fit snugly and the amplified signal finds its way back to the microphone. For comfortable, interference-free hearing, a snug fit in the ear canal is essential.

The anatomical reason – A hearing instrument that does not fit snugly can work its way out of the correct position when its wearer is chewing, yawning or simply talking. This is because the shape of the ear canal is influenced by movements of the jaw. You can feel this by putting the tip of your finger into the ear, then slowly opening and closing your mouth.

• Avoid getting your hearing instruments dirty. Always make sure your fingers are dry and clean before handling your hearing instruments. The microphone inlet is only a few tenths of a millimeter wide and can become blocked easily.
• Avoid sharp knocks and impact. Insert and remove your hearing instruments over a soft surface (a bed or sofa). Protect your hearing instruments from heat. Never leave your hearing instruments where they may be affected by extreme heat. Protect them from direct sunlight (at home and in a parked car) and do not leave them near radiators. Protect your instruments from dampness. Remove instruments from your ears before showering, bathing, or swimming. Do not leave them in the bathroom where they could suffer water damage. Dry any perspiration inside and around the ears regularly. Dampness and condensation can damage the circuitry in your hearing instruments. We recommend that you leave the battery compartments open overnight and use the special drying kit available from your hearing care professional.
• Keep your hearing instruments out of the reach of children and pets. Dogs are irritated by the feedback (whistling) sound and attracted by the owner’s scent. Often the result is a chewed up hearing instrument. The hearing instrument battery can be dangerous if swallowed. Consult a medical professional immediately if the battery is accidentally ingested.
• Avoid contact with make-up or hair spray. The fine particles produced by make-up or hair spray can easily block a microphone inlet. Always remove hearing instruments before using such products.