Advanced Hearing & Balance - Do Chickens Hold the Key to a Cure for Hearing Loss?

Chickens can restore their own damaged hearing, and their feat may one day help people with hearing loss.  Chickens have the amazing ability to restore their own hearing, and this trait is inspiring a nonprofit organization in their search for a cure for hearing loss in humans.

Locked within the ears of this chick is the potential to restore hearing and cure tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 36 million adults in the U.S. have some form of hearing loss, and 25 million are affected by tinnitus.

Shari Eberts, chairman of the Hearing Health Foundation’s Board of Directors says that, “Life with hearing loss can be frustrating. Sometimes you miss the joke when everyone else is laughing, and sometimes you miss important information because you don't hear it. Supportive family and friends can make living with hearing loss easier, but a genuine cure would be life changing.”

The secret to the chicken’s auditory magic is that supporting cells in its inner ear can replace hair cells that have been damaged by loud noises or other causes.

And chickens aren’t the only animals that can restore their own damaged hearing. All vertebrates other than mammals can do the same. And preliminary research has shown that mice can regain some of their hearing using supporting cells that turn into hair cells—in the lab, at least. 

Researchers supported by the Hearing Health Foundation hope to find a way to coax the supporting cells in the inner ears of people to transform into functional hair cells. Their goal is to have a cure within a decade.

Advanced Hearing & Balance Specialists has provided the area’s most trusted hearing and balance services for more than 40 years. With offices in 10 communities throughout Southern Utah and Nevada, we make it convenient for you to receive the highest levels of care. We support research and development of the newest hearing technologies and the cure for hearing loss.  We always put our patient’s concerns first, matching each individual’s needs with the treatments and tools which fit their lifestyle.  For an appointment with a Doctor of Audiology at any one of our 10 locations, call 435-688-8866 or 800-548-0356. (Article facts provided by: Shawn Radcliffe, Healthline News)