What happens when you use a hearing aid? What do you think happens?
You start hearing better. You have improved directional hearing. When you hear better, your nerves feel happy getting the sound energy.
Sound energy is like nutrition for your ears. When the amplified sound reaches the neurons, their disuse atrophy is stopped. The less you use the less you will be able to use.
When there is sensorineural hearing loss the first thing to do is find the cause but you also need to amplify hearing and protect the ears.
Check out my post on Hearing loss
Tests which your doctor may suggest are
PTA: Pure Tone audiometry
Tympanometry
BERA: Brain stem Evoked Response Audiometry
SISI: Short Increment sensitivity index
TDT: Tone Decay test
In case of asymmetrical hearing loss in one ear, we also need to do an MRI CPA(Cerebello Pontine Angle) to rule out a vestibular schwannoma
Routine blood tests to rule out DM /Hypothyroidism is important.
Recent reports suggest old age use of a hearing aid reduces dementia, depression in the elderly. Geriatric hearing loss is often multidimensional. While prevention is important, support and rehabilitation go a long way in improving quality of life.
Now, what happens when people don’t use a hearing aid or stop using one?
The hearing loss may deteriorate. A regular follow-up is needed to see if hearing loss is increasing with time.
There may be a sudden appearance of a ringing sound in the ear.
Can hearing aid improve balance?
Yes, they can. Disturbances of balance may occur depending on the severity of hearing loss and the hearing in another ear.
The direction of sound is difficult to understand in noisy surroundings.
People in occupations requiring good bilateral, hearing will need reassignment of responsibility.
When hearing loss is bilateral and affects the quality of life, a disability certificate helps in getting social and professional help. Disability certification requires a visit to a Government Medical College with a board giving such valid certificates.
All such people need help, treatment, and social support. If only one ear is affected, all possible care should be taken to avoid noise trauma to the other ear. Other than a hearing aid, a cochlear implant can also help in restoring hearing. But that’s part of another post.
Avoiding smoking, alcohol, and other addictive substances abuse is recommended for better nerve health. Are you taking care of your hearing?
This I wrote as apart of lessons from failures as a part of creating a cornerstone content challenge. Sometimes when you have a challenge somewhere, other doors open up. Hearing loss can be treated. But you need to take action on time.
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