Will a Hearing Aid Restore My Hearing to Normal?

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Will a Hearing Aid Restore My Hearing to Normal

Hearing aids are one of the most popular forms of treatment for hearing loss. Many people find that hearing aids drastically improve their hearing and quality of life.

However, can they restore hearing completely? In most cases, NO. Think of hearing aids as glasses – not a cure but a correction technique.

Why Can’t A Hearing Aid Restore My Hearing Completely?

Hearing aids can enhance hearing but cannot wholly replicate ‘normal’ hearing. It all comes down to how our brain processes sound. Someone with healthy hearing can quickly tune in to various exchanges in a crowded room.

Some advanced hearing aids can help to tune into various sounds, but they cannot do it as accurately as our healthy ears. Some sounds will always be distorted when received through a hearing aid, such as wind.

So don’t expect your hearing to be restored entirely. Hearing aids can improve hearing, but they have their limitations. Think of them the same way as glasses – they can get fogged up or experience glare, but they may help many people see much more clearly.

Getting Used To Your Hearing Aid

In most cases, it takes time to adjust. At first, they may feel unnatural – especially if you’ve never worn earbuds or earplugs. You may have to get used to the controls and how hearing aids pick up sounds. However, once your ears have adjusted to these devices, you will likely notice a significant improvement in your everyday hearing.

It’s necessary to persevere with a hearing aid. If, after several weeks, you feel that your hearing has not improved enough, you should book an appointment with your audiologist – your prescription may need to be adjusted.

You must maintain hearing aids to perform at their best. Many issues with hearing aids are caused by them getting damaged by moisture or earwax. If you regularly clean your hearing aid and keep it dry, you’ll get better hearing quality for extended periods.

Recommended reading: Getting used to your hearing aids

When hearing aids can no longer help manage your hearing loss problem

A cochlear implant may enable many patients with severe to profound hearing loss. It gives a way to hear when a hearing aid is not enough. Although, unlike some hearing aid, cochlear implants do not make the sounds louder. A cochlear implant transmits sound signals directly to the nerve.

However, some individuals with severe to profound hearing loss due to a missing or very tiny hearing nerve or severely abnormal inner ear (cochlea) may not profit from a hearing aid or cochlear implant. An auditory brainstem implant may provide some hearing in this case. An auditory brainstem implant directly promotes the hearing pathways in the brainstem, bypassing the inner ear and hearing nerve.

Both cochlear and brainstem implants have two main parts. Some parts are placed inside the inner ear, the cochlea, or base of the brain, the brainstem during surgery; and the parts outside the ear that send sounds to the parts inside the ear. Implants are helpful for those whose hearing cannot be satisfied by hearing aids.

Booking an Appointment

If you (or anyone you know) are experiencing hearing loss, there could be many causes. Sometimes it may be our lifestyle. So, having them check with an audiologist to confirm the hearing loss is essential.

Your doctor can prescribe the most appropriate hearing aid for your needs. You may immediately inquire through The Listening Lab Malaysia and book an appointment with our audiologist. You may also contact us through WhatsApp @ 03 7725 9334.