Question Title: Hearing Disorders

Folks,

Correct me if I am wrong but, is the inner ear not the worst place in the body to sustain damage ? Since it sits on the brain it's like having brain damage. To fix
tinnitus, to restore hearing, or fix balance issues, would require restoring the vestibular and/or hearing nerve and/or restoring lost hair cells. Actually, this would apply
more to hearing loss or balance issues. Actually, in the case of tinnitus, it would probably mean destroying frayed hair cells or nerves.

Anyhow, I know the ATA is doing excellent research in this area, as is SHHH (hard of hearing Groups).
You think, with inner ear disorders being the number one chronic (incurable) illness in the U.S., you think more dollars would be poured into research. And if money
is an issue, there will be a big pay off for anyone who finds a cure for any of these issues.

So my question for all the health professionals is, how will they get into the ear or brain to affect a cure for inner ear disorders ? Or will they use lasers, nerve cell
injections (read Christopher's Reeve's book, regarding his efforts to regenerate nerves of the spine) for illumination on nerve regeneration.

Sometimes I think the answers are out there, waiting to be found, it's just lack of money and coordination between different groups that are stopping us. Why aren't
all hearing damaged researchers working with spinal researchers. Am I missing something ?? Let's stop treating the symptoms and get to the heart of this thing.

I challenge any of the health professionals out there to disprove what I've said.

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This Forum might not exactly the best place to discuss the very lastest in
basic/clinical science research, but you might be interested is there are
several university-based and industrial laboratories developing artificial
cochlear implants. Granted it is a very small step towards the "natural"
hearing that most of us possess for a significant portion of our lives,
but it represents a very significant quality of life improvement for deaf
patients. As for the solution to tinnitus, there are not practical attempts
to address the problem "at the source". As a matter of fact, it is still
not well proven what exactly causes tinnitus. The same lack of practical
solutions apply to vestibular system problems. One should realize actually
how complex all the sensory organs are, and specially how immensely
complex is the information generated by them.

You might find interesting reading in any university library, or by
visiting any hearing/vestibular research laboratory.

N.B. I have worked for 5 years in auditory basic research.

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