The human body has some amazing and remarkable abilities. The human body typically has no problem repairing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones (with a little time, your body can restore the huge bones in your legs and arms).
But when it comes to restoring the delicate little hairs in your ear, you’re out of luck. For now anyway.
It’s really unfortunate that your body can pull off such amazing feats of healing but can’t restore these little hairs. So what’s the deal?
When is Hearing Impairment Irreversible?
So let’s have a closer look. You’re at your doctor’s office trying to process the news he’s giving you: you’re losing your hearing. So you ask your doctor if your hearing will ever return. And he tells you that it might or it might not.
It’s a bit anticlimactic, speaking dramatically.
But he isn’t wrong. There are two general types of hearing loss:
- Hearing impairment caused by a blockage: When there’s something obstructing your ear canal, you can show 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 go back to normal, thankfully, when the obstruction is cleared away.
- Hearing loss due to damage: But there’s another, more prevalent type of hearing loss. Known medically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is effectively irreversible. Here’s what happens: there are little hairs in your ear that vibrate when struck by moving air (sound waves). Your brain is good at changing these vibrations into the sounds you hear. But loud noises can cause harm to the hairs and, over time, diminish your hearing to the point where you require treatment.
So the bottom line is this: there’s one form of hearing loss you can recover from, and you might need to get examined to see which one you have.
Treating Hearing Loss
So at this time there’s no “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss (although scientists are working on it). But your hearing loss still might be manageable. As a matter of fact, getting the correct treatment for your hearing loss might help you:
- Cope successfully with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you might be enduring.
- Safeguard and maintain your remaining hearing.
- Avoid isolation by staying socially active.
- Help ward off cognitive decline.
- Make sure your general quality of life is untouched or stays high.
Of the many forms of treatment available, which one is right for you depends on the extent of your hearing loss. One of the most common treatments is rather simple: hearing aids.
Why is Hearing Loss Effectively Treated With Hearing AIds?
You can return to the people and things you love with the help of hearing aids. They can help you hear the discussions, your phone, your tv, or even just the sounds of nature. You will no longer 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 protected against them. Hearing well is crucial to your general health and well-being. Having regular hearing exams is the best way to be sure that you are protecting your hearing.