As you age, especially if you have been exposed to loud noises, you might lose your ability to perceive surrounding sounds and voices. Even though the inner hair cells work for the time being, they will weaken and ultimately the spiral ganglion neurons will cease to deliver the sound representation from the cochlea to the brain. The signs of hearing loss are subtle and emerge slowly, so you might not realize that you have a problem. To know for sure if you have auditory problems, make an appointment to go see an audiologist in Colorado Springs. A health care professional will look into your inner ear for possible causes of hearing impairment. If you have discovered that you have hearing loss, there is no need to fear of despair. There are many solutions for hearing problems. Some of the treatment options include:
Hearing Aids
According to the Better Hearing Institute, hearing aids significantly improve a person’s quality of life. What sound-amplifying devices do is improve the ability to perceive sound, making it more accessible. The main benefits of wearing a hearing aid include improved communication, reduced listening effort and mental fatigue, decrease of the risk of developing dementia and succumbing to depression, the ability to increase social contacts, diminished annoyance related to tinnitus, and improvement of physical well-being. The medical devices help you to hear a lot better. You will feel like you have your natural hearing ability.
Hearing aids make sounds and voices stronger and easier for you to perceive. If your health problem is the result of damage to the inner ear, you are a good candidate for Colorado Springs hearing aids. It is important not to have unrealistic expectations, though. Communication issues will not disappear the moment you put on the sound-amplifying devices. It will take some time to get used to the electronic devices and to get the most out of them.
Assistive Listening Devices (ALS)
Assistive listening devices – hearing assistance technology – help facilitate numerous forms of communication, including telephones and smart media. They are amplifiers that bring sounds in your ear and eliminate background noise. What assistive listening devices do is improve speech to noise ratio. The ALS is applied directly to your personal devices. Situations with an abundance of ambient noise require the use of assistive listening devices. Due to the development of digital and wireless technologies, more and more ALSs are made available to people with hearing problems.
Surgical Solutions
Sometimes, hearing loss can only be treated with surgery. If you have suffered a traumatic ear injury or repeated infections, you will need to undergo surgery. There are various medical procedures, each one reliant on the cause.
- Stapedectomy. This type of ear surgery is performed on people suffering from otosclerosis, which leads to a build-up of bones around the stapes. Stapedectomy corrects conductive hearing loss.
- Cochlear Implants. They are for people who suffer from sensorineural perceptive hearing loss. A cochlear implant is a medical device that is implanted surgically to provide a better sense of sound. Essentially, it does the work of the damaged parts of the inner ear. As opposed to sound-amplifying devices and assistive listening devices, cochlear implants recreate the sensation of sound. At present, thousands of people in Colorado Springs have cochlear implants. Adults as well as children can benefit from cochlear implantation.
- Myringotomy. This is a surgical procedure of the eardrum. A tiny incision is made to the tympanic membrane to relieve pressure and pain and decrease infections. And to improve hearing. To determine if you do need this operation, speak to a health care professional.
- Tympanoplasty. Tympanoplasty is a basic surgical procedure performed to reconstruct a perforated eardrum. Although it improves the ability to perceive sound, you will have to wait a couple of weeks to see if the treatment option was indeed successful.
The Benefits of Treating Hearing Loss
Getting treatment for hearing problems has many benefits. Those who use hearing aids or undergo surgical procedures preserve their brain function. Their brains do not lose their high functioning ability, so there is no risk of atrophy. People who get treatment are less depressed because they do not avoid social situations. What is more, they earn more money. Good hearers are able to understand their boss’s requests, to make conference calls, and they do not have trouble making themselves understood.
If you suffer from a mild or severe hearing loss, do not delay seeking treatment. Getting treatment for your auditory problems will improve your quality of life. Addressing hearing loss will also protect you against health consequences. There are many places in Colorado Springs where you can get help. So, what are you waiting for?
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