Losing your hearing can be an inconvenience, sometimes a major inconvenience that you worry about.
Although some forms of hearing loss are not reversible, many forms are. But how does it stack up?
Earwax helps clean and protect the ears. Normally your ears will clear it up on their own. If you use cotton swabs to clean them, you may push the wax in deeper. This can cause it to collect and get stuck. That makes it hard for you to hear.
It is not difficult to treat that buildup and regain your hearing. Home treatments work well in most cases. Place a few drops of mineral oil or baby oil in the ear to help the earwax find its way out. You can also buy drops at the drugstore that soften the earwax. Avoid products containing hydrogen peroxide if your ear canal is dry.
See a doctor if home treatments don’t work or if you have diabetes. Medical devices allow them to remove the wax safely. Or they can rinse it away with water or saline.
If you have one, you may experience mild hearing loss, as if you were wearing earplugs. An infection usually occurs when fluid remains in your middle ear. That’s because the liquid makes it easier for bacteria to grow.
Some ear infections get better on their own. A doctor can prescribe antibiotics to help treat it. Viruses can also cause hearing loss.
If you or someone you know gets these infections often, ear tubes — small cylinders that hold the middle ear open — can help treat them, especially in children.
This happens when you lose all or part of your hearing all at once or over several days. About half of people with the condition regain hearing on their own. It usually gets better within a week or two.
It can be treated with corticosteroid pills or injections. Read more about the different treatment options for sudden hearing loss. if there is an identifiable cause, you will also receive treatments for that cause, along with the corticosteroids.
It is common for people to gradually lose their hearing as they age. Because it happens slowly, you may not notice a difference at first. You can answer the call first if you can’t hear someone clearly on the phone or if you need to ask people to repeat what they’re saying.
Usually it is caused by natural changes in the inner ear as you age. A lifetime of listening to loud noises, such as playing music through headphones, can also cause hearing problems.
Once noise damages the hairs in the ear that help you hear, they don’t grow back. But there are ways to work around age-related hearing loss, such as hearing aids.
They may be able to reverse the problem or prevent it from getting worse.
They can refer you to a specialist, such as:
- An audiologist who specializes in the treatment and testing of hearing loss
- An ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT specialist), also known as an ENT specialist
- A hearing aid expert who tests and adjusts the devices
Learn more about recovery from sudden hearing loss and what to expect.