The last thing people think about when wondering about hearing loss is about chickens! You might be amazed at the recent results of a study conducted by the Hearing Restoration Project under the Hearing Health Foundation. This study exposed chickens for ten days to antibiotic medication that was considered to cause hearing loss. The results indicated that much like human beings, chickens also tended to lose their hearing as a result of damage to their tiny hair follicles. However, the study happened to chance upon a surprising twist.
After a span of three weeks had elapsed, the researchers found that the chickens had somehow regenerated all the damaged hair follicles that were causing their hearing loss. The hearing of the chickens was therefore mysteriously restored! This result indicates that certain cells within the inner ears of certain animals can actually regenerate.
Unfortunately, this seemingly magical result has not been found in any mammals so far. Researchers have successfully conducted a partial restoration of hair follicles in mice through the use of medication to block auditory pathways that prevent the restoration of hair follicles. One can hope that in the future, similar research can be used to help cure people suffering from hearing loss. For now it appears as though the use of hearing aids is still the preferred choice of treatment for hearing loss.