Genetics

Advances in medulloblastoma treatment for children

Though rare, medulloblastoma is the most common cancerous brain tumor in children. These tumors begin in the lower back part of the brain called the cerebellum, which is important for balance, coordination and movement. Medulloblastomas ...

Gerontology & Geriatrics

Study finds major hearing difficulties in people over 90

A study from the University of Gothenburg examined a scarcely studied group in the context of hearing: People over 90. When it comes to age and hearing problems, we often talk about younger elderly (65–79 years) and older ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

New UK analysis reveals 18 million people have hearing loss

A more holistic definition of hearing loss by The University of Manchester and University of Nottingham researchers has revealed that 18 million people are affected, 6 million higher than previously reported using a definition ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Q&A: Cicadas and tinnitus—here's what you need to know

For many Illinois residents, the droning call of cicadas is central to summer's soundscape. But this year looks—and sounds—a bit different, courtesy of a timely collision between cicada Broods XIII and XIX. The two broods ...

page 1 from 40

Hearing impairment

A hearing impairment or deafness is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds. Caused by a wide range of biological and environmental factors, loss of hearing can happen to any organism that perceives sound. "Hearing impaired" is often used to refer to those who are deaf, although the term is viewed negatively by members of Deaf culture, who prefer the terms "Deaf" and "Hard of Hearing".

Sound waves vary in amplitude and in frequency. Amplitude is the sound wave's peak pressure variation. Frequency is the number of cycles per second of a sinusoidal component of a sound wave. Loss of the ability to detect some frequencies, or to detect low-amplitude sounds that an organism naturally detects, is a hearing impairment.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA