The human body is a wonderful, beautiful, perplexing, confounding piece of work, isn’t it? Scrapes, cuts, and broken bones are generally no problem for the human body to heal (I mean, sure, it takes some time, but your body can literally repair the giant bones in your legs and arms with little more than a splint and some time).
But when it comes to restoring the delicate little hairs in your ear, you’re out of luck. At least, so far.
It’s really regrettable that your body can accomplish such amazing feats of healing but can’t regenerate these little hairs. What’s happening there?
When is Hearing Impairment 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 impairment. So the first question you ask is whether the hearing will ever come back. And the answer is… it depends.
Dramatically speaking, it’s a bit anticlimactic.
But it’s also the truth. Hearing loss comes in two primary forms:
- Damage related hearing loss: But there’s another, more prevalent type of hearing loss. Known scientifically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is effectively permanent. Here’s what happens: In your ear, there are little hairs that vibrate when moved by sound waves. Your brain is good at turning these vibrations into the sounds you hear. But over time, loud sounds can cause these hairs to be damaged to the point where treatment is required.
- Obstruction induced hearing loss: You can exhibit every indicator of hearing loss when your ear has some kind of blockage. This blockage can be caused by a number 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.
So the bottom line is this: you can recover from one type of hearing loss and you probably won’t know which one you have without having a hearing test.
Treating Hearing Loss
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. Here are a few ways that the correct treatment may help you:
- Help ward off cognitive decline.
- Make sure your total quality of life is untouched or stays high.
- Cope successfully with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you might be experiencing.
- Protect and maintain your remaining hearing.
- Stay active socially, keeping isolation at bay.
This treatment can take various forms, and it’ll normally depend on how significant your hearing loss is. Hearing aids are one of the simplest and most prevalent treatment choices.
Why Are Hearing Aids a Smart Treatment For Hearing Impairment?
Hearing aids can help you return to the people and things you enjoy. They can help you hear the conversation, your phone, your tv, or even just the sounds of nature. Hearing aids can also take some of the pressure off of your brain because you won’t be struggling to hear.
Prevention is The Best Protection
Whether you have hearing loss now or not, you need to safeguard your hearing from loud noises and other things that can harm your hearing (like ototoxic drugs). Your general health and well being depend on strong hearing. Having routine hearing exams is the best way to be sure that you are safeguarding your hearing.