The human body is a wonderful, breathtaking, confusing, confounding piece of work, isn’t it? The human body usually has no problem repairing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones (with a bit of time, your body can restore the giant bones in your legs and arms).
But when it comes to mending the tiny little hairs in your ear, it’s not going to happen. For now at least.
It doesn’t seem exactly fair when you can recover from considerable bone injuries but you can’t heal tiny hairs in your ear. So what’s the deal?
When is Hearing Loss Permanent?
So, let’s get right to it. You’re at your doctor’s office attempting to digest the news he’s giving you: you have hearing loss. So the first question you ask is whether the hearing will ever come back. And he informs you that it may or may not.
It’s a little anticlimactic, speaking dramatically.
But he isn’t wrong. There are two basic types of hearing loss:
- Damage induced hearing loss: But there’s another, more prevalent type of hearing loss. This kind of hearing loss, called sensorineural hearing loss, is irreversible. 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 loud sounds can cause harm to the hairs and, over time, reduce your hearing to the point where you need treatment.
- Obstruction induced hearing loss: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can show all the signs of hearing loss. This obstruction can be caused by a wide range of things, from the gross (ear wax) to the downright scary (tumors). Your hearing will return to normal, thankfully, when the obstruction is removed.
So here’s the main point: you can recover from one form of hearing loss and you most likely won’t know which one you have without getting a hearing exam.
Hearing Loss Treatment
So currently there’s no “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss (though scientists are working on it). But your hearing loss still might be treatable. In fact, getting the right treatment for your hearing loss might help you:
- Successfully cope with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you may be going through.
- Help fend off cognitive decline.
- Make sure your general quality of life is unaffected or stays high.
- Remain active socially, keeping isolation at bay.
- Preserve and safeguard the hearing you have left.
This treatment can take various forms, and it’ll normally depend on how significant your hearing loss is. Hearing aids are one of the simplest and most prevalent treatment options.
Why Are Hearing Aids a Smart Treatment For Hearing Impairment?
You can return to the things and people you enjoy with the assistance of hearing aids. With the help of hearing aids, you can start to hear conversations, your tv, your phone, and sounds of nature once more. Hearing aids can also remove some of the pressure from your brain because you will no longer be straining to hear.
Prevention is The Best Protection
Loud noises and other things that would damage your hearing should be avoided and your ears should be safeguarded against them. Hearing well is crucial to your overall health and well-being. Having routine hearing exams is the best way to be certain that you are safeguarding your hearing.