Hearing is one of the most crucial senses that all humans are designated to possessed, however in many cases, people are either born without it or lose it along the way. Throughout the years, scientists have been looking for treatments and cures for hearing impairment. A discovery has revealed that for cases of infants born deaf, there is a link between gene mutation and hearing loss. This discovery furthers the transition into the science of medicine and research, establishing a step for gene therapy.
There are 4 types of hearing loss. With the first one being auditory processing disorder, which is when the brain has problem processing sound. Then it’s conductive hearing loss, which is related to an issue with the outer or middle ear that prevents sound from reaching the
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Children can be affected by an infection or abnormalities at a young age or even at birth. Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent. The last type is known as mixed or conductive. It is caused by damage to the outer, middle, and/or inner ear which affects the cochlear or hair cells or whatever organ is responsible for hearing in general. Hereditary hearing loss and deafness can be regarded as syndromic or nonsyndromic. Syndromic hearing impairment is associated with malformations of the external ear, with malformations in other organs, or with medical problems involving other organ systems. Nonsyndromic hearing impairment has no associated visible abnormalities of the external ear or any related medical problems; however, it can be associated with abnormalities of the middle ear and/or inner ear. Approximately 80% of prelingual deafness is genetic, most often autosomal recessive and nonsyndromic. The most common cause of severe-to-profound autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss in most populations is mutation of GJB2. The