New cures are constantly being discovered. That could be a positive or a negative. You might think that you really don’t need to be all that vigilant about your hearing because you saw some promising research about potential future cures for deafness. You’ll feel like they will probably have a cure for deafness by the time you will notice any symptoms of hearing loss.
That’s not a smart idea. Without a doubt, it’s better to protect your hearing while you have it. Scientists are making some phenomenal advances on the subject of treating hearing loss though, and that includes some possible cures in the future.
Hearing loss stinks
Hearing loss is just a fact of life. It doesn’t mean you’re a negative person or you did something wrong or you’re being punished. It just… is. But there are some distinct disadvantages to dealing with hearing loss. Not only do you hear less, but the condition can impact your social life, your mental health, and your long term health. You will even raise your risk of developing dementia and depression with untreated hearing loss. There’s lots of evidence to link neglected hearing loss to problems like social isolation.
Hearing loss is, generally speaking, a degenerative and chronic situation. So, as time passes, it will continue to get worse and there isn’t any cure. That’s not accurate for every kind of hearing loss, but more on that in a bit. Even though there is no cure, though, that doesn’t mean it can’t be managed.
If you come see us, we can help slow the progression of your hearing loss and preserve your current levels of hearing. Often, this comes in the form of a hearing aid, which is often the optimal treatment for most types of hearing loss. So there are treatments for most people but there’s no cure. And those treatments can do a world of good when it comes to improving your quality of life.
Two kinds of hearing loss
There are differences in types of hearing loss. There are two primary categories of hearing loss. One can be cured, the other can be treated. Here’s what you need to know:
- Conductive hearing loss: This type of hearing loss takes place because something gets in the way and obstructs your ear canal. It may be caused by a buildup of earwax. Perhaps it’s swelling from an ear infection. Whatever the cause, there’s something physically stopping sound waves from traveling up to your inner ear. This type of hearing loss can certainly be cured, typically by removing the blockage (or treating whatever is creating the obstruction in the first place).
- Sensorineural hearing loss: This is the more permanent form of hearing loss. There are tiny hairs in your ear (known as stereocilia) that sense minute vibrations in the air. These vibrations can be interpreted as sound by your brain. As you go through life, these hairs become damaged, by loud sound usually. And once they are damaged, the hairs no longer function. And when this happens your ability to hear becomes impaired. There’s currently no way to restore these hairs, and your body doesn’t grow new ones naturally. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Treatments for sensorineural hearing loss
Just because sensorineural hearing loss is permanent doesn’t mean it can’t be managed. Given your loss of hearing, allowing you to hear as much as you can is the goal of treatment. The goal is to help you hear discussions, increase your situational awareness, and keep you functioning independently through life.
So, what are these treatment methods? Here are some common treatments.
Hearing aids
Hearing aids are probably the single most prevalent way of managing hearing loss. Hearing aids can be specially calibrated to your particular hearing needs, so they’re especially useful. Using a hearing aid will allow you to better understand conversations and communicate with others during your daily life. Hearing aids can even delay many symptoms of social solitude (and the danger of depression and dementia as a result).
Having your own pair of hearing aids is extremely common, and there are many styles to choose from. In order to figure out which model is suited to your taste and level of hearing loss, you’ll have to come see us for a consultation.
Cochlear implants
When hearing loss is complete, it often makes sense to bypass the ears entirely. That’s what a cochlear implant does. This device is surgically inserted into the ear. This device directly transfers sound, which it has converted into electrical energy, to your cochlear nerve. Your brain then interprets those signals as sound.
When a person has a condition known as deafness, or complete hearing loss, cochlear implants are sometimes used. So there will still be treatment solutions even if you have completely lost your hearing.
Novel advances
Scientists are always working on new ways to treat hearing loss.
These new advances are often geared towards “curing” hearing loss in ways that have previously proven impossible. Here are some of those advances:
- Stem cell therapies: These therapies utilize stem cells from your own body. The idea is that these stem cells can then transform into new stereocilia (those tiny hairs in your ears). It isn’t likely that we will see prescription gene therapy for a while, but for now, studies with animals are promising.
- Progenitor cell activation: So the stereocilia in your ear are being created by your body’s stem cells. The stem cells become inactive after they create stereocilia and are then referred to as progenitor cells. New therapies aim to reactivate these progenitor cells, stimulating them to once more create new stereocilia. Encouraging outcomes for these new therapies have come from early human trials. Most people noticed a significant improvement in their ability to hear and comprehend speech. It isn’t really known how long it will be before these therapies will be widely available.
- GFI1 Protein: There’s a protein which has been identified by researchers that is essential for the regrowth of stereocilia. Researchers are hoping that they can get a clearer concept of how to get these stereocilia to grow back by recognizing this protein. This treatment is very much still on the drawing board and isn’t widely available yet.
Live in the moment – deal with your hearing loss now
Some of these innovations are encouraging. But it’s important to stress that none of them are ready yet. Which means that it’s smart to live in the here and now. Be proactive about protecting your hearing.
Don’t try to hold out for that miracle cure, call us today to schedule a hearing exam.
Call Today to Set Up an Appointment
References
https://hsci.harvard.edu/major-step-toward-treatment-leading-form-hearing-loss
https://news.mit.edu/2022/frequency-therapeutics-hearing-regeneration-0329
