Thursday, March 14, 2019

Can Modern Treatments And New Technology Really Help Hearing Loss

Hearing is an important sensory organ because it helps us interact more easily with the environment. Loss of hearing can be challenging when it happens, and especially when you do not know the treatment alternatives that you are open to. Here is what you need to know about types of hearing loss and how modern treatments and technology can help in the rehabilitation process.

Types Of Hearing Loss

There are two major types of hearing loss:
· Conductive hearing loss
· Sensorineural hearing loss

Conductive Hearing Loss

The first affects the outer ear, the eardrum and the middle of the ear. This hearing loss type happens when sound dissipates as it travels through the outer year and to the middle of the ear and the eardrum. There are a number of issues that can lead to it. These include tumors in the ear, holes in the eardrum or trauma to the ear.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

The second type of hearing loss is caused by damages to the nerve pathways which facilitate hearing. Most of the times, this is the kind of loss of hearing which happens as you grow older. When you have a sensorineural hearing loss, the hearing signal that will be getting to the inner ear will be strong but becomes weak when being converted into a signal by the brain. In most cases, people with sensorineural hearing loss will hear something, but it will be muffled or incoherent.

How To Treat Hearing Loss

treat hearing loss with hearing aids
The modern treatments and rehabilitation offered for loss of hearing are dependent on the type of hearing loss that you are suffering from. If you have a conductive hearing loss, surgery is one of the treatment alternatives that can help you make a full recovery. One of the main reasons why sound distortion occurs in the outer to the middle of the ear is when the bones that transmit sound between your ear canal and the inner ear no longer line up. In this case, a simple surgery to correct the bones will help restore hearing ability.
On the other hand, when you have sensorineural loss of hearing, you will need a hearing aid to help amplify the sound that gets muffled as it is getting converted into signals. When the hearing aids technology started, it was simple and the devices used to hang outside the earlobe. However, the gadgets have now been refined and are smaller and very effective. There is also the cochlear implants technology where the implants which are currently the most effective way for people with hearing loss to effectively have the sound waves transmitted into electrical signals for the brain.
The technology that is used in treating both types of hearing loss has evolved a lot over the years, and currently, even kids who are born with hearing impairment can get implants and benefit from having a replacement of their missing auditory sense. The most important step in getting treatment is a proper diagnosis of the condition. A competent ear doctor will help correctly diagnose the condition and offer options on how to treat hearing loss.

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