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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
If you have hearing problems, help is available. Treatment depends on the cause and severity of your hearing loss.
Options include:
- Removing wax blockage. Earwax blockage is a common reversible cause of hearing loss. Your doctor may remove earwax by loosening it with oil and then flushing, scooping or suctioning the softened wax out.
- Hearing aids. If your hearing loss is due to damage to your inner ear, a hearing aid can be helpful by making sounds stronger and easier for you to hear. An audiologist can discuss with you the potential benefits of using a hearing aid, recommend a device and fit you with it. In some cases, you may be satisfied with an inexpensive, over-the-ear microphone device available at electronic stores. You may need to try more than one device to find one that works well for you.
- Cochlear implants. If you have severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be an option for you. Unlike a hearing aid that amplifies sound and directs it into your ear canal, a cochlear implant compensates for damaged or nonworking parts of your inner ear. If you're considering a cochlear implant, your audiologist, along with a medical doctor who specializes in disorders of the ears, nose and throat (ENT), will likely discuss the risks and benefits with you.
References
- Hearing loss. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://nihseniorhealth.gov/hearingloss/hearinglossdefined/01.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Weber PC. Evaluation of hearing loss in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Medwetsky L. Hearing loss. In: Duthie EH, et al. Practice of Geriatrics. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/146634551-3/0/1532/189.html?tocnode=53845996&fromURL=189.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2261-9..50026-4_447. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Kozak AT, et al. Hearing loss. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2009; 42:79.
- Weber PC. Etiology of hearing loss in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Drug-induced ototoxicity. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch086/ch086d.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Occupational noise exposure — 1910.95. U.S. Department of Labor. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9735. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Hidalgo JL, et al. The hearing-dependent daily activities scale to evaluate impact of hearing loss in older people. Annals of Family Medicine. 2008;6:441.
- Katbamna B, et al. Acquired hearing loss in adolescents. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2008:55;1391.
- Common sounds. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/education/teachers/common_sounds.asp. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Takahashi PY (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 1, 2009.
- Learn more about hearing loss prevention: Noise meter. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Accessed July 15, 2009.
- How loud is too loud? American Tinnitus Association. http://www.ata.org/about-tinnitus/how-loud-too-loud. Accessed July 15, 2009.
