Photo credit: Ronna Hertzano et al. licensed under CC BY 2.5
By Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
A recent report that scientists in Boston have caused human hair cells to regrow in the laboratory is exciting news, holding out the promise of hearing restoration in the future.
But it is important to remember two facts:
1. Development and then approval of this technology for human use are likely to be years if not decades in the future, and the technology will most likely be very expensive.
2. Noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable and prevention is either free or inexpensive: avoid loud noise exposure and use hearing protection (ear plugs or ear muffs) if one can’t.
