The human body has some fantastic and surprising abilities. The human body usually has no issue repairing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones (I mean, sure, it takes a while, but your body can actually mend the giant bones in your arms and legs with little more than some time and a splint).
But you won’t be so lucky if the delicate hairs in your ears are compromised. For now anyway.
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 Impairment Irreversible?
So let’s take a closer look. You’re sitting in your doctor’s office and you’re digesting the news: you have hearing impairment. So the first question you have is whether the hearing will ever return. And he tells you that it might or it might not.
Dramatically speaking, it’s a little anticlimactic.
But it’s also a fact. Hearing loss comes in two basic forms:
- Blockage induced hearing loss: When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you can exhibit all the indications of hearing loss. This blockage 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 blockage is removed.
- Damage induced hearing loss: But hearing loss has another more common type. This form of hearing loss, known as sensorineural hearing loss, is permanent. This is how it works: inside of your ear, there are tiny hairs that vibrate when moved by sound waves. Your brain is good at changing these vibrations into the sounds you hear. But loud sounds 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 may need to get examined 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 that doesn’t mean you can’t get treatment for your hearing loss. In fact, getting the proper treatment for your hearing loss might help you:
- Preserve and protect the hearing you still have.
- Avoid isolation by staying socially active.
- Ensure your general quality of life is untouched or remains high.
- Cope successfully with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you may be enduring.
- Reduce mental decline.
Of the many types of treatment available, which one is the right choice for you depends on the severity of your hearing loss. One of the most common treatments is rather simple: hearing aids.
Why is Hearing Loss Successfully Treated With Hearing AIds?
Hearing aids can help you get back to the people and things you love. They can help you hear the discussions, your phone, your tv, or even just the birds in the park. Hearing aids can also take some of the pressure off of your brain because you will no longer be struggling to hear.
Prevention is The Best Protection
Loud noises and other things that would damage your hearing should be avoided and your ears should be protected against them. Your general health and well being depend on good hearing. Regular hearing care, like annual hearing exams, is just another kind of self-care.