What are the benefits of genetic research into deafness?
In the future, many more genes needed for hearing may be discovered. The technology to find mutations in these genes will improve and become faster and more efficient. This will make it possible to test for more genes than at present and so improve the diagnosis and the accuracy of information about your deafness and the chances of having children who are deaf. The genes discovered so far mainly cause deafness in childhood or young adulthood. However, deafness in older people – hearing loss due to ageing – can have an inherited component too. Researchers are beginning to discover which genes contribute to hearing loss due to ageing. This knowledge, together with a better understanding of which genes make one person more at risk of being affected by factors such as loud noise than another, might make it possible to identify people at risk of losing their hearing. They may then be able to change their lifestyle to protect their hearing. Knowledge of the genes needed for hearing will also
