The human body is an awesome, beautiful, confusing, confounding piece of work, isn’t it? The human body typically has no problem repairing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones (with a little time, your body can repair the huge bones in your arms and legs).
But you won’t be so lucky if the tiny hairs in your ears are damaged. For now anyway.
It’s really regrettable that your body can accomplish such fantastic feats of healing but can’t regenerate these little hairs. So what’s the deal?
When is Hearing Impairment Permanent?
So, let’s get right down to it. You’re at your doctor’s office attempting to process the news he’s giving you: you have hearing loss. 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. Hearing loss comes in two primary forms:
- Damage related hearing loss: But hearing loss has another more common type. Known scientifically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is effectively irreversible. Here’s what happens: In your ear, there are little hairs that vibrate when moved by sound waves. When vibrations are converted into signals, they are transmitted to the brain which renders them into the sounds you perceive. But over time, loud noises can cause these hairs to be damaged to the point where treatment is required.
- Hearing loss caused by an obstruction: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can show all the signs of hearing loss. A wide variety of things, from something gross (earwax) to something frightening (a tumor), can be the cause of this blockage. Your hearing will go back to normal, luckily, when the obstruction is removed.
So here’s the main point: there’s one type of hearing loss you can recover from, and you may need to get examined to see which one you have.
Hearing Loss Treatment
Scientists haven’t found a “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss but they’re working on it. But your hearing loss still might be manageable. As a matter of fact, getting the proper treatment for your hearing loss may help you:
- Avoid isolation by staying socially involved.
- Successfully manage hearing loss symptoms you may already have.
- Ensure your general quality of life is untouched or remains high.
- Reduce cognitive decline.
- Preserve and protect the hearing you have left.
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 fairly simple: hearing aids.
Why Are Hearing Aids a Smart Treatment For Hearing Loss?
You can get back to the things and people you enjoy with the assistance of hearing aids. They can help you hear the discussions, the phone, your tv, or even just the birds in the park. You won’t be straining to hear so pressure will be removed from your brain.
The Best Protection is Prevention
Whether you have hearing loss now or not, you should protect your hearing from loud sounds and other things that can damage your hearing (like ototoxic drugs). Your general health and well being depend on strong hearing. Regular hearing care, like annual hearing tests, is just another form of self-care.
