Can Hearing Loss Be Reversed?

Older man staring out of the window wondering is his hearing will come back

The Healing Ability of Your Body

The physical body can generally heal scratches, cuts, and fractured bones, though some injuries take longer than others.
Sadly, there is no remedy for the fragile hair cells in your ears once they are damaged.
At least so far.
Animals can repair damage to the hair cells in their ears and get their hearing back, but people don’t possess that ability (although scientists are working on it).
That means you might have a permanent loss of hearing if you damage the hearing nerve or those tiny hairs.

At What Point Does Hearing Loss Become Irreversible?

The first thing you think of when you discover you have hearing loss is whether it can come back.
Whether it will or not is dependent on a number of things.

There are a couple of fundamental types of hearing loss:

  • Blockage-related hearing impairment: If your ear canal is partially or totally blocked, it can mirror the symptoms of hearing loss.
    Earwax, debris, and irregular growths can possibly obstruct the ear canal.
    The good news is, your hearing normally recovers once the obstruction is removed.
  • Hearing loss due to damage: But there’s another, more prevalent kind of hearing loss that represents around 90 percent of hearing loss.
    This distinct kind of hearing loss, referred to as sensorineural hearing loss in scientific terms, is frequently permanent.
    Here’s the way it works: tiny hairs in your ear move when struck with moving air (sound waves).
    Your brain transforms these vibrations into auditory signals that are heard 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 instances of extreme hearing loss, a cochlear implant might be able to improve hearing function.

A hearing assessment can assist in identifying if hearing aids would improve your hearing ability.

Treatment of Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss currently has no cure.
But it may be possible to obtain effective treatment.
Advantages of correct treatment for your well-being:

  • Make sure your overall quality of life is unaltered or remains high.
  • Successfully address any symptoms of hearing loss that you might be experiencing.
  • Preserve and protect the hearing you still have.
  • Preserve relations and community participation to avoid feelings of isolation and disconnection.
  • Prevent cognitive decline.

This treatment can take 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

Individuals going through hearing loss can use hearing aids to detect sounds which will allow them to function more effectively.
Tiredness happens when the brain needs to work overtime to process sound.
Researchers have come to realize that prolonged mental inactivity presents a considerable risk to mental health, as new findings clarify the importance of ongoing mental stimulation.
Hearing aids help you recover your cognitive function by allowing your ears to hear again.
In fact, using hearing aids has been shown to diminish mental decline by as much as 75%.
Modern hearing aids will also allow you to focus on what you want to hear while tuning out background sounds.

The Best Protection is Prevention

Maintaining your hearing is essential because once it’s lost, it’s often permanent. If an object becomes lodged in your ear canal, it can usually be safely removed.
However, this doesn’t decrease the danger posed by high-volume noises, which can be damaging even if they don’t seem overly loud to you.
So taking measures to safeguard your hearing is a wise decision.
If you are ever diagnosed with hearing loss later in life, you will have more treatment possibilities if you take measures to protect your hearing today.
Receiving treatment can enable you to live a fulfilling life, even if complete recovery is not achievable.
Speak with our expert audiologist to discover the most suitable solution for your specific hearing requirements.

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.