The human body has some amazing and remarkable abilities. Scratches, cuts, and broken bones are normally no problem for the human body to heal (I mean, sure, it takes some time, but your body can literally heal the huge bones in your arms and legs with little more than a splint and some time).
But when it comes to restoring the delicate little hairs in your ear, you’re out of luck. For now anyway.
It doesn’t seem quite fair when you can recover from major bone injuries but you can’t heal tiny hairs in your ear. What’s going on there?
When is Hearing Impairment Irreversible?
So let’s have a closer look. You’re sitting in your doctor’s office and you’re digesting the news: you have hearing loss. So the first question you have is whether the hearing will ever return. And he informs you that it may or may not.
Dramatically speaking, it’s a bit anticlimactic.
But it’s also the truth. There are two general forms of hearing loss:
- Damage induced hearing loss: But there’s another, more common form of hearing loss. Known scientifically as sensorineural hearing loss, this type of hearing loss is effectively permanent. Here’s what happens: inside of your ear, there are little hairs that vibrate when moved by sound waves. Your brain is good at turning these vibrations into the sounds you hear. But over time, loud sounds can cause these hairs to be damaged to the point where treatment is required.
- Obstruction induced hearing loss: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can present all the symptoms of hearing loss. A wide range of things, from something gross (earwax) to something frightening (a tumor), can be the cause of this blockage. Fortunately, once the blockage is cleared, your hearing often returns to normal.
So here’s the main point: there’s one form of hearing loss you can recuperate from, and you might need to get tested to see which one you have.
Hearing Loss Treatment
So presently there’s no “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss (although scientists are working on that). But your hearing loss still might be treatable. As a matter of fact, getting the correct treatment for your hearing loss may help you:
- Protect and maintain your remaining hearing.
- Help ward off cognitive decline.
- Remain engaged socially, keeping isolation away.
- Cope successfully with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you may be enduring.
- Ensure your general quality of life is unaffected or stays high.
Of the many types of treatment available, which one is the right choice for you depends on the seriousness of your hearing loss. Hearing aids are one of the simplest and most prevalent treatment options.
Why is Hearing Loss Successfully Treated With Hearing AIds?
Hearing aids can help you get back to the people and things you enjoy. They can help you hear the discussions, your phone, your television, or even just the birds in the park. Hearing aids can also take some of the pressure off of your brain because you will no longer be struggling to hear.
Prevention is The Best Protection
Whether you have hearing loss now or not, you should protect your hearing from loud noises and other things that can damage your hearing (like ototoxic drugs). Hearing well is crucial to your overall health and well-being. Routine hearing care, like annual hearing tests, is just another form of self-care.