Is My Hearing Loss Permanent?

The Healing Capability of Your Body

While some injuries take longer to heal than others, the human body normally has no problem healing cuts, scrapes, or broken bones. But when it comes to repairing the tiny little hairs in your ear, you're out of luck. So far, at least. Animals are able to heal damage to the cilia in their ears and get their hearing back, but humans don't possess that ability (though scientists are working on it). That means you might have permanent loss of hearing if you damage the hearing nerve or those little hairs.

When Is Hearing Loss Irreversible?

The first thing you think of when you learn you have loss of hearing is, will I get it back? And the answer is, it depends. Fundamentally, there are two types of hearing loss:

• Blockage based hearing loss: You can exhibit all the symptoms of hearing loss when there is something obstructing your ear canal. This blockage can be caused by a wide range of things, from earwax to debris to tumors. The good news is that after the obstruction is cleared your hearing often goes back to normal.
• Damage based loss of hearing: But around 90 percent of hearing loss is accounted for by another, more common cause. This kind of hearing loss, which is often permanent, is known as sensorineural hearing loss. Here's what occurs: there are little hairs in your ear that vibrate when hit by moving air (sound waves). These vibrations are then turned, by your brain, into signals that you hear as sound. But loud noises can cause damage to the hairs and, over time, permanently diminish your hearing. Sensorineural hearing loss can also be from injury to the nerve or to the inner ear. In some cases, specifically in cases of severe loss of hearing, a cochlear implant might help improve hearing.

Whether hearing aids will help restore your hearing can only be figured out by having a hearing examination.

Hearing Loss Treatment

Sensorineural hearing loss presently has no cure. But that's not to say you can't find treatment for your loss of hearing. The following are some ways that getting the right treatment can help you:

• Make sure your general quality of life is unaffected or remains high.
• Keep isolation away by staying socially engaged.
• Prevent cognitive decline.
• Preserve and protect the hearing you still have.
• Successfully deal with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you may be suffering from.

This approach can have many forms, and it'll usually depend on how extreme your hearing loss is. One of the most common treatment options is fairly simple: hearing aids.

How is Hearing Loss Treated by Hearing Aids

People with loss of hearing can use hearing aids to perceive sounds and work as efficiently as possible. Fatigue is caused when the brain struggles to hear because hearing is hampered. As time passes the lack of sensory input has been linked to an increased chance of mental decay. By allowing your ears to hear again, hearing aids assist the restoration of mental performance. In fact, it has been demonstrated that using hearing aids can slow cognitive decline by as much as 75%. Modern hearing aids can also help you concentrate on what you want to hear, and drown out background noises.

The Best Defense Is Prevention

If you take away one thing from this little lesson, hopefully, it's this: you should safeguard the hearing you've got because you can't count on recovering from hearing loss. Certainly, you can have any blockages in your ear cleared. But many loud noises are harmful even though you may not think they are very loud. That's the reason why making the effort to safeguard your ears is a smart plan. If you are eventually diagnosed with hearing loss, you will have more treatment options if you take measures now to safeguard your hearing. Recovery won't likely be an option but treatment can help you continue living a great, full life. To find out what your best choice is, schedule an appointment with a hearing care specialist.