It is common knowledge that the human ear is the sensory system organ that helps us interpret sound. The ear facilitates the sense of hearing by receiving sound waves from the outer, middle, and inner ear and then conveying those waves of sound to the brain. In a healthy and balanced body, the sense of hearing is second-nature – listening, interpreting, and communicating come with ease. However, unnatural hearing loss is a concern for more than fifteen percent of the world.
Hearing loss can be described as a decrease in hearing ability. While mild hearing loss can come naturally to seniors, unnatural hearing loss can come at any age. There are two different types of hearing loss – conductive and sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss means that there is a problem interpreting sound waves, and sensorineural hearing loss means damage to the brain’s central processors.
A decrease in hearing quality can come suddenly or gradually, and the effects can be temporary or lasting. There is no single reason for either type of hearing loss; in fact, many outward and inward entities can cause the organ to function inadequately. Below are the most common causes of hearing loss…
Common Causes of Hearing Loss:
- Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Noise is perhaps the most common cause of gradual hearing loss. Continual exposure to high-level sounds such as loud music, machinery, screaming, banging, and close-range gunshots can cause an imbalance to the components of the ear, which can result in damage and poor functionality.
- Trauma: Mild to moderate hearing loss can occur due to head trauma, skull fractures, or punctured eardrums.
- Ear Infection Hearing Loss: Ear infections can interfere with one’s ability to hear and interpret naturally. Hearing loss can become more acute if an infection is left untreated and cause the sufferer to speak inaudibly.
- Build up of Ear Wax: Earwax buildup can block out the traveling waves of sound, which can, in turn, interfere with the receiving and processing process.
- Medical Disorders: Poor circulation brought on by disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer is another common cause of hearing loss. The inadequate supply of blood flow can disrupt the function of the organ, which can result in mild to moderate hearing loss.
- Specific Medication: There are over two hundred different synthetic medications that can disturb the function of the sensory system. This side effect can cause a noticeable decrease in hearing and communicating.
- Genetics: Some people are born more vulnerable to hearing deterioration than others.
Common Symptoms of Hearing Loss:
The symptoms of sudden hearing loss are more noticeable than hearing loss that happens gradually over a long period. However, the telltale signs that there is some level of hearing loss are misunderstanding common words and sounds. Additionally, hearing a constant ringing in your ear, the continual appeal to ask people to repeat themselves, and to notice other people complain that you are speaking too loudly are also common symptoms of hearing loss also read AginginPlace.org.
6 Methods to Reverse Hearing Loss:
Who can successfully reverse hearing loss depending on the cause of the impairment and its severity? Below are six methods commonly used to help reverse signs of hearing loss…
- Deter Triggers: The first reversal method is to avoid triggers that may cause impairment, such as load noise and certain medications.
- Diet Changes: Healthy foods can enhance the function of all the organs within the body. Eating more foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can facilitate internal balance, resulting in hearing more fluently.
- Holistic Healing: Acupuncture is often an alternative treatment for tinnitus (continual ringing in the ear). Additionally, meditation, yoga poses, and deep breathing exercises are often recommended to create internal calm and balance.
- Regularly Cleaning: Hearing loss due to wax buildup can be reversed by regularly cleaning the ear. It is important to note that a certain wax level is beneficial to preventing germ invasion. Nevertheless, some people tend to produce more wax than necessary. The most common way to clean the ears is with cotton swabs; however, this method is usually ineffective and may cause damage to the eardrum. The correct way to clean the ears is with a washcloth drenched in warm water or gentle irrigation.
- Surgery: Ear surgery may reverse hearing loss due to an abnormality. Who can determine the possibility of this option with x-rays and doctor evaluations?
- Medication: Antibiotics can be prescribed to cure ear infections, restoring hearing to one hundred percent. Additionally, certain medications are available that help speeds up circulation that can encourage a healthy flow of blood traveling to and from the ears.
3 Ways to Prevent Hearing Loss:
As with everything else in life, the best treatment for hearing loss is prevention. By practicing prevention methods, you will be at higher risk for maintaining the complete functionality of your sense of hearing. Below are three easy ways to prevent it…
- Wear Earplugs: Invest in a pair of high-quality noise-canceling earplugs or headphones and wear them in heavy-noise situations such as construction sites, concerts, and hunting. If you do not have earplugs, use your fingers to deter the noise until it passes.
- Increase Antioxidant Intake: Increase your level of antioxidants by eating more fruits and vegetables. The surplus of antioxidants will deter free radicals that cause infection and disease.
- Regular Hearing Loss Test: Make it a priority to get your ears tested at least once a year. Testing will let you know the level at which you are hearing and help prevent further hearing loss.
Living with Hearing Loss:
For many people, hearing loss is too severe to reverse. Acute hearing loss can lead to total hearing loss in one ear or even becoming completely deaf. For such people, coping and learning live with their decreased sense of hearing may be a hard transition. However, some advanced technologies and therapies can help those with hearing loss live a more independent life.
- Hearing Aids: Hearing aids are the most common devices to help the hearing impaired. Hearing aids are medical devices designed to help amplify sound so that the wearer hears and speaks more fluently. With the aid of an ear, nose, and throat doctor as well as a hearing aid specialist, the wearer can find hearing aids that match their complexion perfectly and fit snugly so that no discomfort is felt.
- Cochlear Implant: A cochlear implant is a medical device implanted surgically underneath the skin. This device helps to convert sound and enhance hearing by stimulating the nerve in the auditory region. However, not all hard-of-hearing people qualify to receive this therapy as effective as the cochlear implant. An evaluation from a team of doctors and specialists will determine that factor.
- Hearing Assistive Technology Systems: Hearing assistive technology systems are aids that enhance the effectiveness of hearing aids and cochlear implants. They are precious in crowded environments and noisy places. Such devices are available for personal use via neck-loops, or they can be installed in public settings such as schools, movie theaters, and other such public places.
- Proofing the Home: For those learning to live with hearing loss, it is important to prove the home to be hearing-impaired friendly. Communication and independence will come more easily in proofed homes. Products such as vibrators and alarms are precious in emergencies. Vibrators can alert the sleeping as well as low-frequency sound alarms. Closed captioning on television sets and phones can enhance communication and make a living and communicating with the hearing more pleasurable.
- Seeking Help: For many people still trying to cope with decreased hearing, the feeling of being lost, depressed and confused is natural. It is important to seek outside help to find motivation and a new purpose for life. Getting involved in the hearing-impaired community and learning sign language are great ways to find comfort and strength. Additionally, learning how to manage stress through breathing and meditation exercises can aid in transitioning.
Hearing loss is the second most common body degradation after vision loss. However, as technology continues to grow, advances are continuing. More people have regained their sense of hearing and living more independently.
