Can Hearing Aids Restore Hearing Loss for Patients in St. Louis, MO?
“Will hearing aids restore my hearing?” is a common question we receive from patients. At Mid America Audiology Group, we understand that hearing loss can take the joy out of daily life and hinder the ability to connect with your loved ones. When you’re matched with a pair of top-tier hearing aids that are custom-prescribed to fit your needs, preferences, and lifestyle, you can maximize the benefits of your hearing loss treatment plan.
While technology within the industry continues to advance and evolve, complete hearing restoration is still only possible in rare situations. Rest assured, you’re in good hands with our full line of professional hearing care services, including tinnitus testing, hearing aid treatment, custom hearing protection, and more in St. Louis, MO, and the surrounding areas. Below, our experts discuss the effectiveness of hearing aids and other hearing loss solutions available for patients to improve their hearing and quality of life significantly. Contact Mid America Audiology Group today to regain control of your hearing health.
Surgical Options for Hearing Loss Restoration
While there’s no cure for sensorineural hearing loss or any medication that’s FDA-approved to treat it, new drugs are always being tested, and experimental surgical procedures are being developed. If your hearing loss is caused by a blockage or tumor, surgically removing it can restore your hearing. In some cases, patients can benefit from a surgically implanted device, including:
- Cochlear Implants – Used for patients with profound hearing loss, these devices directly feed inputs to the inner ear’s auditory nerve.
- Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids – These work best for patients with deafness in one ear or conductive hearing loss (obstruction in the ear caused by conditions such as ear canal abnormalities, chronic ear infections, ruptured eardrums, etc.). This procedure allows sound to be transmitted through the skull and jaw bones rather than the obstructed ear.
- Stapedectomy – This procedure is performed in the middle ear and replaces the original stapes bone with artificial pieces to improve hearing.
Do Hearing Aids Restore Hearing?
Although hearing aids can’t permanently restore a patient’s ability to hear or cure their hearing loss, devices that are professionally fit and used correctly can significantly improve hearing health and quality of life. It can help to think of hearing aids like eyeglasses. While they don’t fix your vision, they’re a helpful tool when properly prescribed, assembled, and worn. Hearing aid technology has come a long way over the past few decades. In addition to amplifying external sounds, they can connect to your smart devices, reduce background noise, enhance speech, combat tinnitus, and much more.
How Do Hearing Aids Work?
Hearing aids work by amplifying external sound through a three-step process. A microphone receives the sound, which then feeds it through an amplifier, making the sound louder and more precise. Finally, the sound is sent through a small speaker into the wearer’s ear. There are many different types and styles of hearing aids available to choose from. Discussing your hearing loss needs, personal preferences, and lifestyle with your hearing care provider can help them point you in the right direction.
Is It Hard to Adjust to Hearing Aids?
There is an adjustment period when you first start wearing hearing aids. Some patients say they’re uncomfortable and inconvenient and that the newly amplified sound is too intense. Over time, most patients are satisfied with their devices once their ears and brains adjust to the “new normal.” If you’re having trouble adjusting to your new hearing aids, your hearing care provider can help fine-tune your device and find the right solution for your needs and comfort level. In addition, they can show you how to properly care for your hearing aids, safely store them, and maintain them to ensure they’re fully functioning.
Take the First Step Towards Better Hearing Today
Hearing aids are life-changing devices for those with hearing loss. However, they’re not a cure-all and can’t restore permanent hearing loss or replicate “normal” hearing completely. There are many advanced hearing aids available for patients to help tune into specific sounds. Still, some sounds can’t be replicated as accurately as our ears and will always come out slightly distorted, such as wind. Eyeglasses might cause the occasional glare or get fogged up, but that doesn’t keep people from wearing them. Similarly, hearing aids can improve your ability to hear and enhance your overall quality of life.
For more information about hearing loss treatment, contact Mid America Audiology Group today or schedule an appointment online to get started. Our hearing care providers have years of experience taking a comprehensive yet individualized approach to hearing healthcare throughout St. Louis, MO, and the surrounding areas, including Creve Coeur and St. Charles.
