Scientists developed a pill that can prevent noise-induced hearing loss

Exposure to loud noise is a risk factor for hearing loss. That's why it's great to see smart devices like the iPhone and AirPods notify you when the environmental sounds around you surpass a safe threshold. Also, wearing earphones like the AirPods when going to concerts can help reduce exposure to loud sounds.

We can't prevent all the loud noises around us to reduce the risk of hearing loss after exposure. Thankfully, there might be a novel treatment for avoiding hearing loss or reducing its effects in the form of a pill you swallow. There's nothing new about taking pills orally to treat various afflictions. The drug goes through your gut and the bloodstream to do its magic.

However, this new therapy isn't intended to reach the inner ear and fix whatever damage has occurred after exposure to loud noise. Instead, the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle assembly (SPIOCA) medicine that researchers from China developed will act locally inside the gut.

SPIOCA favors the good bacteria in the body and blocks the bad ones. This prevents additional damage to the ear, as the bad bacteria can't reach it as it normally would.

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The post Scientists developed a pill that can prevent noise-induced hearing loss appeared first on BGR.

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Scientists developed a pill that can prevent noise-induced hearing loss originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 28 Jun 2024 at 17:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.