The Recovery Ability of Your Body
The human body typically has the ability to recover from cuts, scrapes, and broken bones, although the healing process might vary in duration depending on the injury.
But you’re out of luck when it pertains to repairing the little hairs in your ears.
At least thus far.
Animals can repair damage to the cilia in their ears and get their hearing back, but people don’t have that ability (though scientists are tackling it).
That means you might have a permanent loss of hearing if you damage the hearing nerve or those little hairs.
When is Hearing Loss Permanent?
Upon identifying hearing loss, the preliminary worry that usually arises is whether the hearing will be restored.
It is unclear if it will happen, as it depends on various factors.
There are a couple of basic kinds of hearing loss:
- Blockage-related hearing loss: If your ear canal is partially or entirely blocked, it can mirror the symptoms of hearing loss.
Earwax, debris, and irregular growths can potentially block the ear canal.
The good news is, your hearing typically bounces back once the obstruction is removed. - Hearing loss due to damage: But there’s another, more prevalent kind of hearing loss that accounts for around 90 percent of hearing loss.
Clinically known as sensorineural hearing loss, this kind of hearing loss is typically permanent.
The hearing process is triggered by the impact of moving air on tiny hairs in the ear which send sound waves to the brain.
Your brain converts these vibrations into auditory signals that are perceived by you as sound.
But your hearing can, over time, be permanently harmed by loud noises.
Damage to the inner ear or nerve can also lead to sensorineural hearing loss.
In some instances of extreme hearing loss, a cochlear implant might be able to improve hearing function.
A hearing assessment will help you determine whether hearing aids will help improve your hearing.
Treatment of Hearing Loss
There is presently no cure for sensorineural hearing loss.
Treatment for your hearing loss might, however, be an option.
Advantages of correct treatment for your well-being:
- Make sure your general quality of life is unaltered or remains high.
- Effectively deal with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you might be dealing with.
- Take care of your remaining hearing to prevent added damage.
- Maintain connections and community involvement to avoid feelings of isolation and disconnection.
- Prevent cognitive degeneration.
This treatment can take many forms, and it’ll typically be dependent on how extreme your hearing loss is.
A frequently recommended and rather straightforward strategy is the use of hearing aids.
What Role do Hearing Aids Play in Dealing With Hearing Impairment?
Individuals who cope with hearing loss can use hearing aids to help them perceive sounds, allowing them to work as effectively as they can.
Fatigue happens when the brain needs to work harder to process sound.
Researchers have come to recognize that extended mental inactivity presents a significant danger to cognitive health, as new discoveries shed light on the value of ongoing mental stimulation.
Hearing aids help you restore your mental function by allowing your ears to hear once more.
In fact, utilizing hearing aids has been shown to diminish mental decline by as much as 75%.
Modern hearing aids enable you to concentrate on particular sounds you wish to hear while reducing background noise.
The Best Defense is Prevention
Preserving your hearing is essential as once it’s lost, it’s often irretrievable. Certainly, if you get something lodged in your ear canal, you can most likely have it removed.
However, this doesn’t diminish the danger posed by loud noises, which can be damaging even if they don’t seem excessively loud to you.
That’s why making the effort to safeguard your ears is a good idea.
The better you protect your hearing today, the more treatment possibilities you’ll have when and if you are inevitably diagnosed with hearing loss.
Getting treatment can enable you to live a fulfilling life, even if total recovery is not achievable.
To identify what your best option is, make an appointment with our hearing care experts.
