Have you ever heard of Meniere’s disease before? It is an inner ear disorder which affects about one percent of folks living in the US, and is a particularly disabling condition since attacks of vertigo can occur without any prior warning. In order to treat it, ordinary folks are required to lay still for several hours at a time before they can get back on their feet again. Since it strikes like a thief in the night, this ever-present possibility will inevitable cause sufferers to avoid certain activities, situations and perhaps, even careers. Both medication and lifestyle changes will do their bit to alleviate the situation, but it will not solve it completely. Of course, there is always the alternative to go under the knife, but that typically results in depleted hearing and/or balance functions of the affected ear. Good thing for progress though as a team of scientists from the University of Washington Medical Center are currently working on a new cochlear implant on their first human test subject. The main idea? To remove the patient’s symptoms without sacrificing functionality in either ear.
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