Americans, as a group, are facing more and more hearing loss. As many as 50 million people could be hearing impaired by 2050. Experts say the cause is loud music and an increasingly loud environment.

Researchers say young people have a rate of hearing impairment 2 1/2 times that of their parents and grandparents.

Damage to the outer hair cells in the ear can be helped with hearing aids. But, damage to the inner hair cells cannot be repaired and is responsible for deafness.

Scientists say gene therapy may be the answer to curing some hearing loss.