Treatments for Hearing Loss Including Sudden Hearing Loss

When your body goes through changes you naturally have questions, concerns and even fears. This is true for any type of change, but even more so when referring to a loss. When the loss of one of the senses occurs, you may have a lot of anxiety about the adjustments you will need to make in your life. Sudden hearing loss comes on within a very short amount of time and may or may not disappear without intervention. Gradual hearing loss is not always as noticeable.

Sudden Hearing Loss 

The signs of sudden hearing loss include a diminished capacity of hearing that occurs over a very short period of time, such as 2 to 3 days. If it suddenly seems as if your spouse is speaking much lower tones, or you notice that you are missing sounds such as the phone ringing, you may be showing signs of sensorineural hearing loss. Other signs include:

• pain within the ear, sometimes caused by trauma
• a feeling of dizziness or nausea which can be associated with the cause of the sudden hearing loss
• avoidance of people due to embarrassment over not being able to understand the discussion at hand

Gradual Hearing Loss

Gradual hearing loss can have many of the same symptoms, but because it comes on slowly a person may not always notice that the hearing capacity has actually been reduced. Signs of gradual hearing loss include:

• inability to hear the television or radio program that others are comfortably listening to
• a tendency to ask people to repeat themselves
• trouble hearing a cashier over the background noise at a store

Thankfully, whether they hearing loss minor or severe, temporary or permanent, there are numerous treatments available to help people who have experienced hearing loss. There is no reason to assume that you must keep on living life without being able to adequately hear. Advances are being made every day to help the deaf and hard of hearing and develop new treatments for sudden hearing loss and a permanent hearing loss.

Current Treatments for Hearing Loss

Dizziness and Balance Steroids are used as a treatment for sudden hearing loss.

American Academy of Audiology An article explaining the necessity of aural rehabilitation for the hard of hearing.

Mayo Clinic Treatment for person experiencing loss of hearing depends on the severity condition.

USA Today Health Scout Hearing aids can significantly improve the amplification of sound.

Alexander Graham Bell Association For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing thorough guide to treating hearing loss with a battery operated hearing aid.

Cochlear Implants A cochlear implant is used when a person has severe hearing loss. This is surgically implanted and uses electric impulses to convert speech.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Hearing Disorders A guide to hearing loss signs, symptoms and treatments for seniors.

New Treatments for Hearing Loss on the Horizon

Science Daily Scientists focusing on re-growth of damaged auditory hair cells in the cochlea as a treatment for hearing loss.

Hear It New technology promises advanced sound and style in hearing aids.

National Association of the Deaf NAD is dedicated to keeping people up to date on the future of tech technology for the hard of hearing.

Healthy Hearing A resource page with information and links regarding current and upcoming science for the hard of hearing.

NPR National Public Radio reports on the basic, yet progressive, use of the magnetic hearing loop system.