This Week’s Top Stories from Harvard Health

Hearing loss may affect brain health

The ear is the organ responsible for perceiving sound, and the brain is responsible for processing the sound. It is necessary that both organs work properly for hearing to occur. There has been extensive research examining how age-related hearing loss and brain function (cognition) are associated.

Get your copy of Coping with Hearing Loss

If you think you might need a hearing checkup, you probably do. This Special Health Report, Coping with Hearing Loss: A guide to prevention and treatment, contains in-depth information on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss. You'll learn how to prevent hearing loss and preserve the hearing you have now. You'll also learn about the latest advances in hearing aid technology and find out which kind of hearing device may be best for you.

Grain or seed of the month: Wheat

Eating more whole grains is linked to a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, which is why the federal dietary guidelines say to "make half your grains whole." But most people aren't even close to that goal. According to the CDC, whole grains account for only about 16% of the total grain-based food adults eat on any given day.

Additional News from Harvard Health Publishing

Eating nuts: A strategy for weight control?

Gout drug may help prevent repeat heart attacks

Rural health risks?

Coping with Hearing Loss

Featured content:

•	How we hear
•	When hearing loss occurs
•	Testing for hearing loss
•	SPECIAL SECTION: Selecting a hearing aid
•	Surgery for hearing loss
•	... and more!