ABSTRACT
The hearing disorders are a complex disease of the ear and include a partial or full loss of hearing, tinnitus, and Meniere’s disease (MD) that are caused by diverse groups of biological, chemical, and environmental agents. There is no adequate strategy for prevention except avoiding the agents or conditions that can induce hearing disorders. Earplugs are used to reduce the intensity of noise that is known to induce hearing disorders. The effective treatment includes primarily hearing aids of various kinds. Anti-inammatory drugs are used to reduce inammation and improve hearing loss induced by certain agents. At present, there are no effective biological strategies for prevention or improved treatment of hearing disorders. In order to develop such strategies, it is essential to know some of the biochemical mechanisms that contribute to the damage of cells responsible for hearing. The analysis of published data on hearing disorders suggest that increased oxidative stress and products of inammation, such as proinammatory cytokines, play a central role in the initiation and progression of hearing loss induced by diverse groups of biological, chemical, and environmental agents. Since high-dose dietary and endogenous antioxidants neutralize free radicals and reduce inammation, they should be useful in prevention and improved management of hearing disorders in combination with physical devices currently in use.
