Is there a cure for hearing loss

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

The symptoms include obvious problems when a person is unable to hear people talking unless they increase the level of their voices. The problems may even occur in places that are really loud and noisy. Tinnitus also known as ringing in ears is another symptom of this condition.Hearing loss is a condition that mostly affects people over the age of 60. However it can even affect children and young adults. The loss is mainly gradual.

Causes

The loss of hearing may be classified as conductive and sensorineural. Conducive hearing loss is a consequence of improper conduction of the sound from the outer to inner ear. This can be a result of previous infections of middle ear fluid accumulation in the middle ear a blockage with foreign object or increased production of ear wax and certain head traumas. Finally perforation of an ear drum is always followed by ipsilateral hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is a consequence of damage of the nerves that are in charge with transmission of the sound. This form of hearing loss occurs in case of chronic exposure to loud noises previous viral infection. Old people tend to lose hearing in a form of sensorineural hearing loss. This form of hearing loss may be as well caused by certain medications tumors and is regularly present in Ménière's disease. One may even suffer from a mixture of these two hearing losses.

Treatment

Non-surgical MethodsAccording to the very cause of the disease patient is prescribes certain drugs. In case of bacterial infection one is given antibiotics. This happens in case of the infection of the middle ear. If there is foreign object present in outer ear canal a doctor will mechanically remove the object and cure the patient.

But if a person suffers from progressive form of hearing loss he or she may need hearing aids. Today a variety of hearing aids is available and some of them are so advanced that they are hardly noticeable. Audiologist is the one who will inform the patient about which of the hearing aids is most suitable in specific case. Luckily hearing aids are suitable in both variations of hearing loss.

Surgical MethodsIf hearing loss is caused by perforation of an eardrum the patient may need to undergo the surgical procedure. Still not all the eardrum perforations are surgically treated. Surgery is essential in removal of all the possible tumors responsible for hearing loss. The tumors that are mostly responsible for hearing loss are neurinomas and cholesteatomas.

In worst cases a person has to undergo a surgical placement of cochlear implant. This highly advanced gadget will help most of the patients to re-establish the hearing that has been lost.