The Relationship Between Exercise and Hearing Loss
Center For Hearing • May 13, 2024
From strengthening muscles and improving cardiovascular health to boosting mood and reducing stress, the advantages of regular exercise are well-documented. However, its positive impact extends beyond just physical fitness and extends to include your hearing health.
Advantages of Exercise for Hearing Health
Engaging in regular physical activity has been linked to various benefits for hearing health:
- Improved circulation: Exercise promotes better blood flow throughout the body, including the inner ear. This increased circulation helps deliver essential nutrients and oxygen to the delicate structures of the auditory system, which supports their function.
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease: Many hearing-related issues, such as sensorineural hearing loss, are associated with cardiovascular conditions like hypertension. By lowering the risk of heart disease and improving overall cardiovascular health, exercise can help mitigate these risk factors and preserve hearing abilities. Exercise can also reduce metabolic syndrome, resulting in a decrease in potential conditions which could impact hearing.
- Stress reduction: Chronic stress has been shown to have adverse effects on hearing health, potentially leading to conditions like tinnitus and exacerbating existing hearing loss. Regular exercise is an effective way to combat stress, releasing endorphins and promoting relaxation, which can in turn benefit auditory well-being.
- Enhanced cognitive function: Research suggests a strong connection between cognitive function and hearing health. Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive abilities, including memory, attention and processing speed, which are important for auditory processing and communication in challenging listening environments.
While exercise offers numerous benefits for hearing health, it’s essential to be mindful of potential risks associated with exposure to loud noises during certain activities. Activities like outdoor running, cycling or attending fitness classes in noisy environments like the YMCA of Collier County may expose individuals to high decibel levels. Using ear protection, such as earplugs or noise-canceling headphones, can help mitigate these risks and preserve hearing health while staying active.
Incorporating regular exercise into your routine not only promotes physical fitness and overall well-being but also plays a vital role in preserving hearing health. To learn more about healthy behaviors and how to protect your existing hearing, contact Center For Hearing to schedule a consultation today.
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Hearing technology has come a long way over the years; however, one aspect of hearing loss that many hearing aids have difficulty addressing is trouble understanding speech in noise. Fortunately, some of today’s state-of-the-art devices can solve this problem utilizing deep neural networks (DNN) and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensorineural hearing loss causes difficulty understanding speech in background noise. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear that convert soundwaves into electrical energy, which are then interpreted by the brain. This causes the quality and quantity of the signal sent from the ears to the brain to diminish over time, resulting in the brain expending more energy and effort to make sense of it. DNNs may help improve the transmission of the neural code, making hearing easier on the brain. [1] It’s important to know what DNNs are to understand how they can help. DNNs are a subset of AI. They rapidly analyze large data sets so that they can teach hearing aids and other technological devices how to respond to data like a human would, all while verifying accuracy and making corrections. DNNs are beneficial in hearing technology because they can help with speech enhancement. DNNs can be applied as “time-frequency masks,” meaning select sounds—like speech—are allowed while other sounds are suppressed. DNNs can also identify and separate multiple voices, selecting a primary voice to emphasize and secondary voices to suppress. This feature can help hearing device wearers in a variety of settings. For example, at a restaurant or party, the hearing device can emphasize a conversation partner, allow other nearby voices at a reduced volume and suppress background noises such as dishes clinking. Schedule an appointment to talk to Center for Hearing about our vast state-of-the-art hearing solutions today— (239) 434-0086. [1] Published by Douglas L. Beck. (2021, January 15). Deep neural networks in hearing devices. Retrieved April 2, 2021 from https://www.hearingreview.com/hearing-products/hearing-aids/deep-neural-networks
A Boston biotech startup is attempting to develop the first gene therapy treatment for hearing loss. If successful, it promises to offer new hope to the estimated 300,000 Americans who suffer from gene-based hearing loss—a number that includes more than 4,000 newborns. The timing may not be ideal, but biotech companies have been largely immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession. Developing new drugs takes years, so these companies are better able to weather storms. And the efforts of biotechnology companies that are focusing on tools to prevent and treat potentially fatal health threats has resulted in soaring stock values for many of these companies, even in the face of the current crisis. Akouos, the Boston startup, was founded in 2016. Its goal is to develop the first gene therapy to treat hearing loss and is targeting a specific form of deafness that results from mutations in a single gene. They are experimenting with adeno-associated viruses, using them as vectors to deliver DNA that encodes a functioning gene in certain target cells. Around 7,000 people are afflicted with this type of genetic hearing loss. Adeno-associated viruses are considered viable candidates because they don’t usually cause disease and can be customized to treat a variety of genetic conditions. The company has partnered with two influential organizations: Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, a Swiss manufacturing company that holds contracts with various pharmaceutical makers. Manny Simons, Akouos’ co-founder and chief executive, holds a degree in neuroscience from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His desire to help those with hearing loss stems from his passion for playing the piano. “It’s easy to take hearing for granted,” said in a Boston Globe interview. “Maybe because music has been important to me, it’s something that I take a little less for granted.” [1] [1] Saltzman, J. (2020, June 22). Akouos, a startup developing a gene therapy for hearing loss, raises IPO value to $125 million - The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/22/business/ipo-upped-akouos-boston-startup-working-gene-therapy-hearing-loss/
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