Posted on 11/22/2021 7:18:21 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Exposure to loud noise is the most common preventable cause of hearing loss. Research suggests that 12% or more of the world population is at risk for noise-induced loss of hearing.
Loud sounds can cause a loss of auditory nerve cells in the inner ear, which are responsible for sending acoustic information to the brain, resulting in hearing difficulty. However, the mechanism behind this hearing loss is not fully understood.
Now, a new study links this type of inner ear nerve damage to a condition known as endolymphatic hydrops, a buildup of fluid in the inner ear, showing that these both occur at noise exposure levels people might encounter in their daily life.
Additionally, researchers found that treating the resulting fluid buildup with a readily available saline solution lessened nerve damage in the inner ear.
For this study, Oghalai and colleagues wanted to explore the effect of common loud sounds ranging from 80 to 100 decibels on the ear. After the exposure, they used an imaging technique known as an optical coherence tomography to measure the level of inner ear fluid in the cochlea, the hollow, spiral-shaped bone found in the inner ear.
Up until exposure to 95 decibels of sound, the inner ear fluid level remained normal. However, researchers discovered that after exposure to 100 decibels—which is equivalent to sounds such as a power lawn mower, chain saw or motorcycle—mice developed inner ear fluid buildup within hours. A week after this exposure, the animals were found to have lost auditory nerve cells.
However, when researchers applied hypertonic saline, a salt-based solution used to treat nasal congestions in humans, into affected ears one hour after the noise exposure, both the immediate fluid buildup and the long-term nerve damage lessened, implying that the hearing loss could be at least partially prevented.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I know minerals such as zinc, a few vitamins, and an antioxidant have been found to greatly help, if taken within a few hours of the loud noise, though.
Wear proper PPE.
When they are done with that lawn mowing mouse I could use him.
I have always been very sensitive to fluid in my ears. Im not sure why, but I get a bit nauseous even thinking about the fluid in there. No way could I do this as a treatment. Hope it works for someone else.
Hypertonic saline would cause osmosis of fluid OUT since higher salt concentration. This is not just regular saline.
I use hypertonic saline nasal spray for nasal congestion. Works great and you avoid drugs like sudafed and antihistamines.
So only use nasal saline or supersaturated salt water?
Our company had a presentation once from a
hearing expert who talked about a physician
who went to the gun range and experienced
immediate catastrophic hearing loss.
His emphasis was on the necessity of wearing
sound reduction headgear earbuds while listening
to music from carried devices.
He couldn’t answer my question as to how ear wax build up could possible potentially suppress the noise.
Recently watched a video about a supersonic propeller
driven airplane that made sounds that gave people
seizures. Which reminded me of a particular noise
generator, I had close proximity to once—not pleasant.
I’m glad more is known now for a treatment pathway.
Interesting.
I’m still waiting for a cure for tinnitus, with or without saline.
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Thx for the post.
I was wondering if this was talking about tinnitis, but they couldn’t presume that the mice experienced the hearing loss as a ringing.
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