Know the treatments for hearing loss

There are some treatments to decrease the ability to hear, such as washing the ear, performing surgery or putting on a hearing aid to recover part or all of the hearing loss, for example.

However, in some cases, it is not possible to treat hearing loss and, in the case of deafness, the individual has to adapt to live without listening, communicating through sign language.

In addition, the treatment of hearing loss depends on its cause, which can be very variable, such as the presence of wax or water in the ear canal, otitis or otosclerosis, for example. Find out what leads to hearing loss at: Find out what are the main causes of deafness.

Observation of the ear with otoscope

Audiometry examination

Thus, in order to treat hearing loss, it is necessary to go to the otorhinolaryngologist so that he can assess the degree of hearing loss by observing the ear with an otoscope or taking tests such as audiometry or impedanciometry and thus adjust the treatment to the cause. Find out what the audiometry exam is.

Hearing Loss Treatments

Some of the treatments for hearing loss include:

1. Wash the ear

In the case of earwax accumulated inside the ear, it is important to go to the ear canal to wash the ear with specific instruments, such as tweezers, which help to remove the earwax without pushing it in and without causing injury inside the ear.

However, the accumulation of earwax in the ear can be avoided and to do this it is necessary to clean the outside of the ear with warm water or sterile saline daily and to clean the outside with a towel, avoiding the use of cotton swabs or other thin objects, as these help to push the wax into the ear or lead to perforation of the eardrum. Learn more at: How to get ear wax.

2. Aspirate the ear

When there is water in the ear or there is a small object inside the ear that causes, in addition to hearing loss, the sensation of a plugged ear, you should go to the otolaryngus so that it can suck up the water with a small needle or remove the object with tweezers.

It is usually a more common situation in young children, swimmers or divers. Read more at: How to get water out of your ear.

3. Taking medicine

In the case of an ear infection, scientifically known as otitis, which can be caused by the presence of viruses or bacteria, there is the sensation of hearing loss, pain with a throbbing sensation and fever and, to treat it, it is necessary to take an antibiotic, as cephalexin and an analgesic as acetaminophen indicated by the doctor.

The drugs prescribed by the ENT or general practitioner, can be in tablets or in some cases, application of drops or ointment to put in the ear.

4. Perform ear surgery

Generally, when the hearing loss reaches the outer ear or the middle ear, treatment includes performing surgery, such as tympanoplasty or mastoidectomy, for example, which is done under general anesthesia, requiring hospitalization for 2 to 4 days.

Most ear surgeries are performed through the ear canal using a microscope or making a small cut on the back of the ear and aim to improve the ability to hear.

Some of the most common surgeries include:

Tympanoplasty: it is made to restore the eardrum membrane when it is perforated; Mastoidectomy: performed when an infection of the temporal bone occurs where the structures of the ear are contained; Stapedectomy: is the replacement of the stapes, which is a small bone in the ear, with a plastic or metal prosthesis.

Any surgery can bring complications, such as infection, feeling of tinnitus or dizziness, alteration of the taste, with sensation of metallic taste or even, non-recovery of hearing, however, the consequences are rare.

5. Put on hearing aid

The hearing aid, also known as acoustic prosthesis, is used in patients who progressively lose their hearing, as in the case of the elderly, and is normally used when hearing loss reaches the middle ear.

The use of a hearing aid is a small device that is placed in the ear and increases the volume of sounds, making it easier to hear. See more details in: Hearing Aid.