Will My Hearing Return?

Your Body’s Capacity to Recover

While some wounds take longer to heal than others, the human body generally has no problem healing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones. But you’re out of luck when it comes to repairing the tiny little hairs in your ears. At least, so far. Although scientists are working on it, humans don’t heal the cilia in their ears like animals can. That means you might have permanent hearing loss if you injure the hearing nerve or those little hairs.

At What Point Does Loss of Hearing Become Irreversible?

The first question you think of when you learn you have loss of hearing is, will I get it back? Whether it will or not depends on several factors. Basically, there are two kinds of hearing loss:

• Damage based loss of hearing: But there’s another, more common type of hearing loss that makes up around 90 percent of hearing loss. Known technically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is usually permanent. Here’s what takes place: When hit by moving air (sound waves), tiny little hairs in your ears move. These vibrations are then turned, by your brain, into impulses that you hear as sound. But your hearing can, over time, be permanently harmed by loud noises. Damage to the inner ear or nerve can also cause sensorineural hearing loss. In some cases, specifically in instances of severe loss of hearing, a cochlear implant may help return hearing.
• Obstruction based loss of hearing: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can have all the signs of hearing loss. Debris, earwax, and tumors are just a few of the things that can cause a blockage. Your hearing normally returns to normal once the blockage is cleared, and that’s the good news.

A hearing examination will help you figure out whether hearing aids will help restore your hearing.

Treatment of Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss currently has no cure. But that’s doesn’t mean you can’t get treatment for your loss of hearing. As a matter of fact, getting the correct treatment for your hearing loss can help you:

• Successfully deal with the symptoms of hearing loss you may be suffering from.
• Preserve and protect the hearing you still have.
• Guarantee your overall quality of life remains high or is unaffected.
• Stay engaged socially, keeping isolation away.
• Prevent cognitive decline.

Depending on how severe your hearing loss is, this treatment can have many forms. One of the most common treatment options is fairly simple: hearing aids.

How is Hearing Loss Treated by Hearing Aids

Hearing aids help the ear with hearing loss to hear sounds and perform the best they can. Fatigue is caused when the brain struggles to hear because hearing is hampered. As scientist acquire more knowledge, they have recognized an increased chance of cognitive decline with a continued lack of cognitive input. By permitting your ears to hear again, hearing aids assist the restoration of mental performance. In fact, it has been shown that wearing hearing aids can slow cognitive decline by as much as 75%. Background noise can also be tuned out by modern hearing aids enabling you to concentrate on what you want to hear.

The Best Protection Is Prevention

Hopefully, if you get one thing from this knowledge, it this: you can’t depend on recovering from loss of hearing, so instead you should concentrate on safeguarding the hearing you’ve got. Certainly, you can have any obstruction in your ear cleared. But that doesn’t mitigate the risk from loud noises, noises you might not even think are loud enough to really be all that dangerous. That’s why it’s a good idea to take the time to protect your ears. The better you safeguard your hearing today, the more treatment possibilities you’ll have when and if you are eventually diagnosed with hearing loss. Treatment can help you live a great, full life even if recovery isn’t a possibility. To find out what your best option is, schedule an appointment with a hearing care specialist.