The human body is an awesome, beautiful, confusing, confounding construction, isn’t it? Scratches, cuts, and broken bones are generally no problem for the human body to heal (with a bit of time, your body can restore the giant bones in your arms and legs).
But when it comes to mending the fragile little hairs in your ear, it’s not going to happen. At least, so far.
It doesn’t seem exactly fair when you can heal from significant bone injuries but you have problems repairing tiny hairs in your ear. What’s going on there?
When is Hearing Loss Irreversible?
So let’s take a closer look. You’re at your doctor’s office attempting to digest the news he’s giving you: you’re losing your hearing. So you ask your doctor if your hearing will ever return. And the answer is… maybe.
Dramatically speaking, it’s a bit anticlimactic.
But he isn’t wrong. There are two primary forms of hearing loss:
- Hearing loss caused by a blockage: You can exhibit every indicator of hearing loss when your ear has some sort of blockage. This blockage can be caused by a number of things, from the gross (ear wax) to the downright scary (tumors). Fortunately, once the blockage is cleared, your hearing often goes back to normal.
- Damage induced hearing loss: But hearing loss has another more common form. This kind of hearing loss, known as sensorineural hearing loss, is permanent. This is how it works: there are tiny hairs in your ear that vibrate when hit with moving air (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 needed.
So here’s the main point: you can recover from one type of hearing loss and you most likely won’t know which one you have without having a hearing exam.
Hearing Loss Treatment
Scientists haven’t discovered a “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss but they’re working on it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get treatment for your hearing loss. Here are some ways that the right treatment may help you:
- Prevent isolation by staying socially active.
- Successfully manage hearing loss symptoms you may already have.
- Make sure your overall quality of life is untouched or remains high.
- Help stave off mental decline.
- Protect and maintain your remaining hearing.
Of the many types of treatment available, which one is correct for you depends on the extent of your hearing loss. Hearing aids are one of the simplest and most prevalent treatment choices.
Why is Hearing Loss Effectively Treated With Hearing AIds?
You can return to the people and things you enjoy with the assistance of hearing aids. With the help of hearing aids, you can begin to hear conversations, your television, your phone, and sounds of nature once again. You will no longer be straining to hear so pressure will be taken off your brain.
The Best Protection is Prevention
Loud sounds and other things that would harm your hearing should be avoided and your ears should be safeguarded against them. Your overall health and well being depend on strong hearing. Having routine hearing exams is the best way to be sure that you are protecting your hearing.