Further research tipped to help prevent hearing loss

Hearing is a vital part of people's lives and fear about the loss of it can be a major worry, especially for people of a more advanced age group.

It's perhaps reassuring then that research is constantly ongoing within the medical community to see what can be done to improve the chance of retaining hearing; music to your ears, we're sure.

Kathleen Campbell, an audiologist, has long been keen to improve on and find ways of improving hearing, especially when it comes to those who have been exposed to loud noises regularly.

Following 25 years working in a clinic, Ms Campbell then proceeded to move into audiology research full time, she told STL Today.

Much of her work is carried out at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield and currently a main project is the use of an antioxidant called D-methionine.

It is a component of fermented protein that is found in both yoghurt and cheese and has already been shown to improve certain forms of hearing loss as well as even preventing hearing loss prior to noise exposure.

"We've been able to show in animal studies that if we give it before and after noise exposure, that we can get pretty full protection from noise-induced hearing loss," she told the news provider.

So far, some very encouraging results have come about because of it, with researchers finding that it can be given up to seven hours after the noise is experienced and remain effective.

"It doesn't mean it's going to work for long-standing hearing loss, but it does mean that in the early stages, you could intervene and keep it from becoming permanent."

A strong breakthrough could potentially be on the cards then it seems, which will no doubt be a relief to people everywhere.