Hearing Loss and Hearing Loss Treatment

Hearing loss may be temporary or permanent and has many causes. Here’s an overview of the types of hearing loss and their treatment.

Conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss is caused by problems in the middle ear, the ear canal and the eardrum. It can be caused by an ear infection, allergies, impacted earwax, perforated eardrum, fluid in the middle ear, tumors, head trauma or deformities in the structure of the ear. Conductive hearing loss is often temporary.

Sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by a problem in the inner ear, the cochlea or the auditory nerve. It can be caused by exposure to loud noises, ototoxic drugs, aging, Meniere’s disease, infection, autoimmune disorder, head trauma or genetics. Most sensorineural hearing loss is permanent.

Conductive hearing loss treatment

Treatment of conductive hearing loss depends on the cause. Infections can be treated with antibiotics. If infections are recurring, treatment for allergies may be in order. Surgery may be necessary to restore proper Eustachian tube function. If caused by head trauma, as the trauma heals hearing may be restored naturally.

Sensorineural hearing loss treatment

In most cases, this type of hearing loss is permanent. In rare cases, if ototoxic drugs cause the hearing loss, stopping the drug may restore hearing. If sudden hearing loss is caused by a one-time exposure to loud noise (such as an explosion) corticosteroids may reduce inflammation at the hair cells in the cochlea and restore hearing.

For most instances of sensorineural hearing loss, treatment is not centered on restoring lost hearing it is centered on making the most of the hearing capabilities left.

• Hearing aids: Hearing aids come in a vast variety of styles. They may be worn behind the ear, in the ear, or even in the ear canal. No matter the type, all hearing aids consist of a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker. Hearing aids capture sounds, make them louder, and then send the sound into the ear. They may be fitted with telecoils to pick up signals from telephones or public address systems.
• Cochlear implants: Cochlear implants are devices that are surgically implanted to replace the function of the inner ear. Hearing aids make sounds louder, cochlear implants send sound signals directly to the brain. In addition to the implant, a sound processor and coil are located on the outside of the body.
• Hearing dogs: Hearing dogs can’t help you hear, but they can help you stay safe. They do the job of alerting you in certain instances. For example, hearing dogs can alert to a ring at the door or telephone, a baby’s cry, an alarm clock or a timer.

If you suspect you may be suffering from hearing loss, schedule an appointment with an audiologist in your area. The audiologist will be able to test, diagnose and treat a hearing loss if it is present.