The human body is an awesome, breathtaking, perplexing, confounding construction, isn’t it? Scrapes, cuts, and broken bones are normally no problem for the human body to repair (with a bit of time, your body can heal the giant bones in your arms and legs).
But when it comes to restoring the tiny little hairs in your ear, you’re out of luck. For now at least.
It’s really unfortunate that your body can pull off such fantastic feats of healing but can’t ever re-grow these tiny hairs. What’s happening there?
When is Hearing Loss Permanent?
So let’s take a closer look. You’re at your doctor’s office trying to process the news he’s giving you: you have hearing impairment. So you ask your doctor if your hearing will ever return. And the answer is… it depends.
Dramatically speaking, it’s a little anticlimactic.
But he isn’t wrong. There are two general forms of hearing loss:
- Hearing loss due to damage: But hearing loss has another more common form. Known scientifically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is effectively irreversible. This is how it works: there are little hairs in your ear that vibrate when struck by moving air (sound waves). Your brain is good at turning these vibrations into the sounds you hear. But loud noises can cause damage to the hairs and, over time, reduce your hearing to the point where you need treatment.
- Obstruction induced hearing loss: When there’s something obstructing your ear canal, you can present all the signs of hearing loss. This obstruction can be caused by a number of things, from the gross (ear wax) to the downright frightening (tumors). Your hearing will return to normal, thankfully, when the blockage is cleared away.
So here’s the main point: there’s one type of hearing loss you can recover from, and you may need to get tested to see which one you’re dealing with.
Hearing Loss Treatment
Scientists haven’t found a “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss but they’re working on it. But your hearing loss still may be treatable. Here are some ways that the correct treatment may help you:
- Cope successfully with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you might be going through.
- Avoid isolation by remaining socially involved.
- Maintain and safeguard the hearing you still have.
- Maintain a high quality of life.
- Help fend off mental decline.
This treatment can take various forms, and it’ll usually depend on how significant your hearing loss is. One of the most common treatments is pretty simple: hearing aids.
Why is Hearing Loss Effectively Managed With Hearing AIds?
Hearing aids can help you return to the people and things you enjoy. With the help of hearing aids, you can begin to hear conversations, your tv, your phone, and sounds of nature once again. Hearing aids can also take some of the pressure off of your brain because you will no longer be straining to hear.
The Best Protection is Prevention
Loud noises 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 good hearing. Regular hearing care, such as annual hearing tests, is just another form of self-care.
