The human body has some fantastic and remarkable abilities. Scrapes, cuts, and broken bones are typically no problem for the human body to repair (I mean, sure, it takes a while, but your body can actually mend the giant bones in your legs and arms with little more than some time and a splint).
But when it comes to restoring the delicate little hairs in your ear, you’re out of luck. For now anyway.
It’s truly unfortunate that your body can accomplish such great feats of healing but can’t restore these tiny hairs. So what’s the deal?
When is Hearing Loss Irreversible?
So let’s take a closer look. You’re at your doctor’s office trying to digest the news he’s giving you: you’re losing your hearing. So you ask your doctor if your hearing will ever return. And the answer is… it depends.
It’s a little anticlimactic, speaking dramatically.
But he’s not wrong. There are two primary kinds of hearing loss:
- Blockage induced hearing loss: You can show every indicator of hearing loss when your ear has some kind of obstruction. This blockage can be caused by a wide range of things, from the gross (ear wax) to the downright scary (tumors). Fortunately, once the blockage is removed, your hearing usually goes back to normal.
- Hearing loss due to damage: But hearing loss has another more prevalent type. Known scientifically as sensorineural hearing loss, this type of hearing loss is effectively irreversible. 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 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 necessary.
So the bottom line is this: you can recover from one form of hearing loss and you probably won’t know which one you’re coping with without getting a hearing exam.
Treating Hearing Loss
So at this time there’s no “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss (though scientists are working on it). But that’s not to say you can’t find treatment for your hearing loss. As a matter of fact, getting the proper treatment for your hearing loss might help you:
- Stay active socially, keeping isolation at bay.
- Maintain a high quality of life.
- Help fend off mental decline.
- Safeguard and maintain your remaining hearing.
- Cope successfully with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you might be going through.
Of the many types of treatment available, which one is right for you depends on the seriousness of your hearing loss. One of the most common treatments is rather simple: hearing aids.
Why is Hearing Loss Successfully Treated With Hearing AIds?
You can get back to the people and things you enjoy with the help of hearing aids. With the help of hearing aids, you can begin to hear conversations, your tv, your phone, and sounds of nature once more. Hearing aids can also take some of the pressure off of your brain because you won’t be struggling to hear.
The Best Protection is Prevention
Loud sounds and other things that would damage your hearing should be avoided and your ears should be protected against them. Your overall health and well being depend on good hearing. Routine hearing care, such as annual hearing tests, is just another kind of self-care.
