Can Hearing Loss Be Restored?

The most common assumption about deafness is that is it irreversible, this is hardly true at all times. Hearing loss can be amended and alleviated in many instances, and even be restored with medical and surgical intervention. Here are the most common ways by which one may restore lost hearing—

1. Cochlear Implants - Possibly the most popular method of restoring hearing, cochlear implants are responsible for the direct stimulation of the auditory nerve in cases where parts of the auditory system are damaged. Their high rate of effectiveness makes them a common choice for patients with partial or severe deafness.

2. Pressure Equilization (PE) Tubes - Commonly referred to as Middle Ear Tubes, this minor surgical procedure usually takes little time and resources. Since this procedure is mostly adopted in instances of ear infections or to remedy fluid accumulation by releasing the build-up of pressure behind the eardrum, PE Tubes can reverse temporary deafness only.

3. Bone-Anchored Hearing Systems (BAHAs) - BAHAs are devices, which are surgically implanted behind the ear where the mastoid bone is located. Another device—like a hearing aid—is later fit over the patient’s bone implant. People with problems in the ear canal or the outer ear, as well as those who have lost their hearing in one ear usually opt for BAHAs. The device system works by converting sound to vibrations and these vibrations are received in the inner ear to stimulate sound waves that are enhanced by the implant.

4. Antibiotic and Antifungal Medications - Medications can help restore partial deafness, but they work only when hearing loss is of a temporary nature, and is a product of excessive wax or fluid build-ups. Doctors prescribe medications to treat discomfiture from chronic middle fluid and ear infections. Hearing loss is generally restored after the medication has worked successfully. However, in some cases like tumour formations, surgery might be inevitable for restoring lost hearing.

5. Stapedectomy - In this surgical method, conductive hearing loss is corrected by replacing the middle ear’s innermost bone—generally called “staples”—with a prosthesis. Only specific medical conditions relating to deafness can be corrected by this measure, and one needs to undergo a series of tests before opting for surgery.

Don’t let hearing loss intimidate you; seek help when there’s still time!