How Your Body Bounces Back From Injury and Illness
The human body normally has the ability to recover from cuts, scrapes, and broken bones, although the recovery process could differ in duration depending on the injury.
But you’re out of luck when it pertains to restoring the tiny little hairs in your ears.
At least thus far.
Animals can heal damage to the hair cells in their ears and get their hearing back, but people don’t possess that ability (though scientists are working on it).
That means you could have an irreversible loss of hearing if you damage the hearing nerve or those little hairs.
At What Point Does Hearing Loss Become Irreversible?
Upon identifying hearing loss, the first concern that commonly emerges is whether the hearing will be recovered.
Whether it will or not depends on a variety of things.
Two primary forms of hearing loss:
- Blockage-related hearing loss: If your ear canal is partially or completely obstructed, it can mimic the symptoms of hearing loss.
Earwax, debris, and irregular growths can possibly obstruct the ear canal.
Your hearing generally goes back to normal after the blockage is cleared, and that’s the good news. - Hearing loss caused by damage: But there’s another, more widespread type of hearing loss that represents about 90 percent of hearing loss.
This distinct kind of hearing loss, known as sensorineural hearing loss in scientific terms, is frequently irreversible.
Here’s how it works: tiny hairs in your ear move when hit with moving air (sound waves).
These vibrations are then changed, by your brain, into signals that you hear as sound.
Prolonged exposure to loud noises can, however, lead to permanent damage to your hearing.
Injury 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 will help you identify whether hearing aids will help improve your hearing.
Solutions for Enhancing Your Hearing
Sensorineural hearing loss currently can’t be cured.
But it may be possible to obtain effective treatment.
Benefits of correct treatment for your wellness:
- Ensure your overall quality of life is unaffected or remains high.
- Effectively address any symptoms of hearing loss that you might be encountering.
- Maintain and protect the hearing you still have.
- Maintain connections and community involvement to prevent feelings of loneliness and solitude.
- Prevent cognitive decline.
The form of treatment you get for your hearing loss will vary depending on the severity of the issue.
One of the most common treatment options is fairly simple: hearing aids.
What Role do Hearing Aids Play in Dealing With Hearing Impairment?
People who have hearing loss can use hearing aids to help them perceive sounds, allowing them to work as effectively as possible.
Tiredness happens when the brain has to work harder to process sound.
Researchers have come to recognize that prolonged mental inactivity poses a significant risk to mental health, as new findings shed light on the importance of continuous mental stimulation.
Hearing aids help you restore your cognitive function by allowing your ears to hear again.
Research has revealed that wearing hearing aids can significantly slow cognitive decline, with some research indicating a reduction of up to 75%.
Modern hearing aids will also allow you to pay attention to what you want to hear while tuning out background sounds.
Prevention is The Best Protection
Preserving your hearing is crucial as once it’s lost, it’s often irretrievable. Certainly, if you get something stuck in your ear canal, you can probably have it removed.
But that doesn’t decrease the danger posed by loud sounds that you might not believe to be loud enough to be all that hazardous.
That’s why making the effort to protect your ears is a good plan.
If you are ever diagnosed with hearing loss later in life, you will have more treatment options if you take measures to protect your hearing now.
Treatment can help you live a great, full life even if a cure isn’t a possibility.
To identify what your best choice is, make an appointment with our hearing care professionals.