The Recovery Capacity of Your Body
The physical body typically has the ability to recuperate from cuts, scrapes, and broken bones, although the recovery process might vary in duration depending on the damage.
But you’re out of luck when it comes to repairing the tiny little hairs in your ears.
Up to this time, at least.
Animals can repair damage to the cilia in their ears and get their hearing back, but humans don’t have that ability (though scientists are working on it).
That means you may have a permanent loss of hearing if you damage the hearing nerve or those little hairs.
At What Point Does Hearing Loss Become Irreversible?
Upon discovering hearing loss, the first worry that often arises is whether the hearing will be restored.
Whether it will or not is dependent on a variety of things.
Two primary kinds of hearing loss:
- Obstruction-based hearing loss: When there’s something obstructing your ear canal, you can experience all of the symptoms of hearing loss.
Debris, earwax, and tumors are some of the things that can cause an obstruction.
The good news is, your hearing usually bounces back once the obstruction is eliminated. - Hearing loss caused by damage: But there’s another, more widespread type of hearing loss that makes up around 90 percent of hearing loss.
Clinically known as sensorineural hearing loss, this type of hearing loss is typically irreversible.
The hearing process is triggered by the impact of moving air on tiny hairs in the ear which transmit sound waves to the brain.
Your brain transforms 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 trigger sensorineural hearing loss.
In some cases of severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant might have the ability to enhance hearing function.
A hearing exam can help in identifying if hearing aids would enhance your hearing ability.
Treatment of Hearing Loss
There is currently no cure for sensorineural hearing loss.
Treatment for your hearing loss may, however, be an option.
The following are a few ways that obtaining the correct treatment can help you:
- Ensure your general quality of life is unaltered or remains high.
- Effectively deal with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you might be suffering from.
- Maintain and protect the hearing you still have.
- Preserve connections and community involvement to avoid feelings of isolation and disconnection.
- Prevent mental deterioration.
This treatment can take many forms, and it’ll generally be dependent on how severe your hearing loss is.
A frequently recommended and fairly straightforward solution is the use of hearing aids.
How is Hearing Loss Managed by Hearing Aids
People who cope with hearing loss can use hearing aids to help them perceive sounds, allowing them to work as effectively as possible.
Fatigue occurs when the brain has to work harder to process sound.
As scientists develop more knowledge, they have recognized a greater threat of mental decline with a consistent lack of cognitive stimulation.
Your mental function can begin to be recovered by utilizing hearing aids because they let your ears hear again.
As a matter of fact, utilizing hearing aids has been shown to slow down mental decline by as much as 75%.
Modern hearing aids allow you to focus in on specific sounds you wish to hear while decreasing background noise.
The Best Protection is Prevention
Maintaining your hearing is essential as once it’s gone, it’s usually irretrievable. Certainly, if you get something lodged in your ear canal, you can most likely have it cleared.
However, this doesn’t reduce the danger posed by loud sounds, which can be damaging even if they don’t seem excessively loud to you.
So taking measures to safeguard your hearing is a good plan.
If you are ever diagnosed with hearing loss later in life, you will have more treatment options if you take steps to protect your hearing today.
Treatment can help you live a wonderful, full life even if recovery isn’t a possibility.
To determine what your best choice is, make an appointment with our hearing care professionals.