Last month I read about a protein in the inner ear that helps people differentiate between sounds and understanding speech, French researchers reported a finding that could help treat the hard of hearing.

A researcher at the University of Auvergne, Paul Avan, said the study also helps explain why some people have difficulty hearing in crowded restaurants or other noisy places, “This won’t help cure deafness but will help diagnose why some people have hearing problems, especially in noisy places,” he explained. ……