Hearing loss treatment

Loss of hearing can be a temporary or permanent condition,and the treatment depends on that fact. For reversible loss of hearing doctorsrecommend different approaches, according to the cause of the loss, whilepatients suffering from permanent loss of hearing should wear hearing devices.

Reversible Hearing Loss

Loss of hearing may be caused by various causes. Ear wax,ear infections and injuries of the ears or the head are some of the common reasonsleading to temporary hearing loss in people. There are also some medications,whose adverse effects might include hearing loss. This condition mightbe provoked by some medical conditions, like: autoimmune disorders, Meniere’sdisease, otosclerosis or acoustic neuroma.

The treatment of the hearing loss caused by ear wax isusually simple – removing the wax makes you hear normally again. Cotton swabsor any sharp object is not a good choice when you try to remove wax yourself,because it could push the wax even further in the ear canal or cause ear injuryin some cases.

Aspirin, ibuprofen and some other drugs are well known to beototoxic (harmful for the ears and hearing). Usually, this problem is treatableand the hearing goes back to normal once you stop using the medications thatprovoked the problem in the first place.

Ear infections may sometimes resolve without the treatment,but in more serious cases consult your doctor, for you might need someantibiotics to clear the infection.

Injuries may also heal without the therapy or require somesurgical procedure. Immune disorders might need a treatment with corticosteroiddrugs. The same goes for medical conditions causing temporary loss of hearing,for they are treated with medications or surgery.

Permanent Loss of Hearing

Permanent hearing loss may be caused by aging or be induced bysome noise. Patients suffering from this condition may benefit from hearingaids, alerting and assistive listening devices, as well as text telephone andtelevision closed captioning. If the condition worsens, doctor may recommendadjustment of the hearing aid or cochlear implant.

Hearing aids work by amplifying the surrounding sounds. Theycan’t make you hear as you used to hear, but they can ease your communicationand everyday activities.

Assistive listening devices are some telephone amplifiers, personallistening systems and hearing aids that can be connected directly to the radio,television or stereo. Text telephone and television closed captioning are also availablefor the people suffering from permanent hearing loss, to make their life somewhateasier.