The human body has some fantastic and surprising abilities. The human body generally has no difficulty healing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones (I mean, sure, it takes some time, but your body can literally repair the huge bones in your legs and arms with little more than some time and a splint).
But when it comes to repairing the delicate little hairs in your ear, it’s not going to happen. For now anyway.
It’s truly unfortunate that your body can pull off such great feats of healing but can’t regenerate these tiny hairs. What’s happening there?
When is Hearing Loss Permanent?
So, let’s get right 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 he informs you that it may or may not.
Dramatically speaking, it’s a little anticlimactic.
But he’s not wrong. Hearing loss comes in two primary forms:
- Hearing loss due to damage: But there’s another, more common type of hearing loss. Known medically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is effectively permanent. This is how it works: there are tiny hairs in your ear that vibrate when hit with moving air (sound waves). When vibrations are converted into signals, they are sent to the brain which renders them into the sounds you perceive. But loud sounds can cause damage to the hairs and, over time, diminish your hearing to the point where you require treatment.
- Hearing impairment caused by an obstruction: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can exhibit 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 frightening (tumors). Your hearing will go back to normal, thankfully, when the obstruction is cleared away.
So the bottom line is this: you can recover from one type of hearing loss and you most likely won’t know which one you have without getting a hearing test.
Hearing Loss Treatment
Scientists haven’t found a “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss but they’re working on it. But that’s not to say you can’t find treatment for your hearing loss. Here are a few ways that the right treatment might help you:
- Maintain a high quality of life.
- Help ward off mental decline.
- Safeguard and maintain your remaining hearing.
- Successfully manage hearing loss symptoms you might already have.
- Remain engaged socially, keeping isolation at bay.
Of the many forms of treatment available, which one is the right choice for you depends on the seriousness of your hearing loss. One of the most common treatments is pretty simple: hearing aids.
Why Are Hearing Aids a Smart Treatment For Hearing Loss?
Hearing aids can help you return to the people and things you love. They can help you hear the conversation, the phone, your television, or even just the birds in the park. You won’t be struggling to hear so pressure will be taken off your brain.
Prevention is The Best Protection
Loud sounds and other things that would damage 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.