Vitamin supplement protects against short-term hearing loss and possibly long-term too

Physorg.com - Vitamin supplements may protect against noise-induced hearing loss

Scientists have put together a vitamin supplement of vitamins C, E, beta carotene and magnesium and given it to animals, then exposed them to four hours of loud noises at 110 decibels. Testing afterward showed no evidence of short-term hearing loss. A second study exposed the animals to even higher sharp loud noises to test permanent hearing loss and found no damage to the ear's lateral wall (a part of the inner ear thought to be integral to permanent hearing loss). There is speculation that repeated short-term hearing loss leads to long-term hearing loss, and if the supplements can stave off short-term, then it might work for long-term as well. Limited trials in humans have shown similar results to the animal tests. In addition to the preventative power, vitamin E and salicylate have shown some effectiveness in healing the ear up to 4 days after being exposed to a 'noise insult'.