Will My Hearing Come Back?

Asian woman drinking coffee and straining to hear the birds outside.

The human body is an awesome, breathtaking, perplexing, confounding piece of work, isn’t it? The human body usually has no difficulty healing cuts, scratches, or broken bones (with a little time, your body can restore the giant bones in your arms and legs).

But you won’t be so lucky if the delicate hairs in your ears are compromised. For now anyway.

It doesn’t seem really fair when you can heal from significant bone injuries but you have problems repairing tiny hairs in your ear. So what’s the deal?

When is Hearing Impairment Permanent?

So, let’s get right down to it. You’re at your doctor’s office trying to digest the news he’s giving you: you’re losing your hearing. So you ask your doctor if your hearing will ever come back. And he tells you that it might or it might not.

It’s a bit anticlimactic, speaking dramatically.

But he isn’t wrong. Hearing loss comes in two basic forms:

  • Blockage induced hearing loss: When there’s something obstructing your ear canal, you can present all the indications of hearing loss. This blockage can be caused by a number of things, from the gross (ear wax) to the downright frightening (tumors). Your hearing will return to normal, thankfully, when the obstruction is removed.
  • Hearing loss due to damage: But there’s another, more common type of hearing loss. Known scientifically as sensorineural hearing loss, this form of hearing loss is effectively permanent. This is how it works: inside of your ear, there are little hairs that vibrate when moved by sound waves. Your brain is good at changing these vibrations into the sounds you hear. But loud noises can cause harm to the hairs and, over time, reduce your hearing to the point where you require treatment.

So here’s the main point: there’s one form of hearing loss you can recuperate from, and you may need to get examined to see which one you’re dealing with.

Hearing Loss Treatment

Scientists haven’t discovered a “cure” for sensorineural hearing loss but they’re working on it. But your hearing loss still might be manageable. Here are a few ways that the proper treatment might help you:

  • Safeguard and maintain your remaining hearing.
  • Successfully cope with any of the symptoms of hearing loss you may be enduring.
  • Remain engaged socially, keeping isolation away.
  • Make sure your overall quality of life is unaffected or remains high.
  • Reduce mental decline.

This treatment can take numerous forms, and it’ll normally depend on how significant your hearing loss is. Hearing aids are one of the easiest and most common treatment choices.

Why Are Hearing Aids a Smart Treatment For Hearing Impairment?

Hearing aids can help you get back to the people and things you enjoy. With the help of hearing aids, you can start to hear conversations, your tv, your phone, and sounds of nature once again. Hearing aids can also remove some of the pressure from your brain because you will no longer be straining to hear.

The Best Protection is Prevention

Loud sounds and other things that would damage your hearing should be avoided and your ears should be protected against them. Hearing well is crucial to your general health and well-being. Having regular hearing exams is the best way to be certain that you are safeguarding your hearing.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.