DrCraigKasper.com

Tinnitus: The Washington Post Interviews Dr. Kasper

Tinnitus is a rapidly growing issue for millions of Americans, including countless veterans who have served (and continue to serve) bravely in the military. Use this link to read "The Buzz That Veterans Hear" in today's Washington Post written by Tom Wilkinson.

Golf-Induced Hearing Loss?! - British Medical Journal Brief

Golf provides a welcome challenge to those dedicating countless hours to fine-tune their game. In time, injuries related to repetitive stress and flexibility issues might force the most skilled golfer to modify their swing, but a new study released in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) presents a new set of health concerns for those hitting the links.

 

The study titled, “Is Golf Bad for Your Hearing?” focused on a case of a 55 year old man who developed tinnitus and hearing loss in his right ear after playing golf three days a week for eighteen months with a thin-faced titanium driver. After examination, his physicians ruled out the normal aging process and decided to assess his golf clubs.

 

The doctors evaluated the sound levels emitted from the club-ball impact of multiple clubs, titanium as well as older steel clubs. They found that all the titanium clubs tested exceeded safe noise limits (one at a level of 128 decibels), while only two of the six steel drivers posed a treat.

Often, noise-induced hearing loss results from continuous exposures to unsafe levels over a period of time. Noise-induced hearing loss may also occur instantly as a result of a sufficiently loud impact sound such as an explosion or feedback from a speaker. This is called acoustic trauma. Based on their study, the UK researchers believe the levels measured from newer titanium golf clubs may in fact pose a threat to golfers’ ears in the form of an impact-type exposure.

Further studies are planned but until more data is available, the researchers have recommended the use of hearing protection for those who use titanium drivers on a frequent basis.

Prevention of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Taking the “Hearing Pill” Concept to the Next Level

Commonly used in cases of Tylenol toxicity, n-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) has been packaged in recent years as a potential supplement to aid in the prevention of or recovery from noise-induced hearing loss. Considering the vast numbers of young soldiers serving around the globe who are exposed to elevated levels of noise on a regular basis, a simple pill that could save the ear’s delicate sensory hair cells would be a welcome solution to a growing problem. According to the Institute of Medicine, hearing loss is the third most common disability among retired veterans. 

Now, two of the scientists who have been working on the NAC equation are taking their research one step further. Richard Kopke of the Hough Ear Institute and Robert Floyd of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have combined NAC with a cancer drug known as 4-OHPBN nitrone. Initial studies that have been completed in laboratory chinchillas treated with the drug compound have demonstrated a 90% retention of hearing in the animals following traumatic noise exposure. Although promising, safety of the drug compound in humans is yet to be established and the researchers are hoping to begin clinical trials within two years.

Dr. Kasper appears in October issue of Men's Journal

Read the article appearing in this month's Men's Journal! Dr. Kasper was interviewed by Rick Bass for his article on hearing loss and tinnitus. If you have thoughts or questions, feel free to send them to Dr. Kasper at craig(at symbol)drcraigkasper.com. 

Diabetes and Hearing Loss Revisited – Study Results Shared at ADA Convention

At this past week's 67th meeting of the American Diabetes Association, researchers from Maryland shared the results of a five year study investigating the prevalence of hearing impairment in those with diabetes versus non-diabetic peers. 5140 individuals, aged 20-69 years old, participated in the study. Once age, gender, race/ ethnicity, education, income-to-poverty ratio and noise exposure were removed from the equation, results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed an increased likelihood of hearing impairment in those with diabetes. Previous research has described microvascular and neuropathic changes in the ear structures associated with diabetes. According to the scientists who presented these most recent results, “The high prevalence of (hearing impairment) among those with diabetes based on national data indicates that screening diabetic patients for hearing impairment is likely to yield a high number of these diagnoses.” The take-home message: hearing evaluations should be considered on an annual basis for all patients with diabetes. It is responsible preventive care.