Hearing loss occurs in almost all diseases associated with impaired hearing. In the world, it affects about 7% of the population.
The most common cause of hearing loss is otitis media. In advanced cases, deafness may occur. The restoration of hearing after otitis media, unlike other diseases, is more dependent on alternative, rather than conservative, therapy. The cause of this disease can be both hypothermia, and an ordinary runny nose.
What are the types of hearing loss with hearing loss?
There are three types of deafness in a disease such as hearing loss.
- With damage to the auditory-perceiving and auditory-conduction organs, a mixed form occurs in a person.
- Inflammation of the auditory nerve (it is also called the vestibulo-cochlear organ), the auditory zone of the brain (the region of the temples), the cells of the Corti organ and the auditory organs of the analyzer indicate that a neurosensory form of pathology is developing.
- With conductive hearing loss, the auditory organs, in particular the external ear canal, eardrum, and auditory ossicles in the middle ear, are affected.
As you can see, the variety of forms of pathology is great. Hearing restoration in each case occurs in different ways.
Sensorineural hearing loss treatment
In order to recover from sensorineural hearing loss, you must be in special conditions. The treatment regimen is divided into three stages.
- The first 5 days apply emergency measures. A person is prescribed droppers, injections, and they also examine and diagnose auditory organs in order to prevent the development of complications. Thanks to a complete check of the patient’s body, the doctor is able to identify the exact cause of sensorineural hearing loss and draw conclusions about the treatment.
- The second stage lasts 2 weeks. As a rule, the patient is hospitalized during him and continues to receive intramuscular injections.
- The next, final, stage can be carried out up to 3 months. A person is treated on an outpatient basis, drugs can already be taken in pill form. Complete restoration of hearing with proper treatment will not take long.
Drugs prescribed for neurosensory (sensorineural) hearing loss
Different types of drugs are prescribed depending on the severity of the disease. A group of nootropic drugs was recognized as effective. Among these, first of all, one can name “Tanakan”, “Glycyrin”, “Semax”, “Vinpocetine”, “Cerebrolysin”, “Nootropil”. And this is not the whole list. The main property of these drugs is to improve the functioning of the circulatory system, accelerate the circulation of biological fluid in the brain and, of course, the hearing aid.
Due to the good blood flow to the ears, cells and tissues exposed to external factors come back to their original shape and hearing, the restoration of which depends on these conditions, appears.
Often, with hearing loss, doctors prescribe vitamin B. From this group, thiamine (B1), pyridoxine (B6), cyancobolamine (B12) are the main drugs for hearing impairment. This is due to the fact that they affect the central and peripheral nervous system, improving its work and normalizing cells. Vitamins are prescribed for almost all patients, regardless of the severity of the disease.
Milgamma (it contains the above substances), benfotiamine (“improved” B1, which can be absorbed faster and better in the intestines than pure vitamin) and Milgamma compositum (a mixture of the two previous drugs) - they all normalize hearing. Recovery occurs if you fully follow the doctor’s instructions and take the pills on time.
The most common treatment for hearing loss among the majority of the population is non-drug, or physiotherapeutic. It is preferred by both doctors and patients who do not like to seek help at hospitals.
The most effective methods among all methods of such treatment are phonoelectrophoresis (FEF), laser irradiation, and fluctuating currents.
FEF allows the drug to get into the inner ear for a minimum period of time and thereby allows it to act faster. It is also interesting that this procedure occurs in a certain way, as a result of which the drug stays in the body longer and produces a better effect. In addition, phonoelectrophoresis is able to increase the metabolism in the ear, raising it to a normal level.
Laser irradiation of blood is carried out if it is urgent to introduce antioxidants into the ear cavity.
In critical situations, when there is a risk of complete hearing loss, conduct a special procedure using current. Fluctuating currents help tissues and cells of the hearing aid to recover, get nutrients and increase blood circulation. Thanks to these properties, the restoration of hearing with sensorineural hearing loss occurs many times faster. As a rule, the treatment course includes 10-12 such procedures for 10 minutes.
Conductive hearing loss
The treatment for such a disease depends entirely on how badly the ear is damaged and what kind of damage is done. For example, if a patient has an external ear injury that leads to impaired sound perception and the passage of its waves to the middle section of the organ and membrane, the doctor prescribes adequate treatment.
At certain indicators, surgical intervention is indicated. An operation is performed if the eardrum has lost its integrity. The doctor replaces the natural organ with a synthetic prosthesis. Such surgical intervention in medicine is called myringoplasty. At the same time, doctors predict complete recovery of hearing after surgery.
Conductive hearing loss can occur with barotrauma. It is caused by a violation of pressure in the nasopharynx and middle ear. Politzer blowing is the most effective and efficient treatment.
The middle ear becomes inflamed with otitis media, both mild and severe purulent. The doctor prescribes antibiotics, drugs that affect the outflow of fluid from the ear, improve blood circulation to the damaged organ, and various anti-inflammatory drugs.
Sometimes hearing loss is so complicated that a person needs to replace the auditory ossicles. This occurs with severe forms of otitis media and otosclerosis. For prosthetics, an operation is performed during which the organ is replaced with a synthetic one.
Surgical treatment for severe forms of hearing loss
In those cases when the patient comes to the doctor late, the disease develops too quickly or the patient chose not to go to a medical institution, hearing loss acquires new qualities, and the ability to return the hearing practically disappears.
That is why, instead of conservative treatment, surgery is prescribed. With 3 and 4 degrees of hearing loss, complete deafness, the patient is prescribed hearing aids. Other treatments are completely ineffective.
Hearing loss with severe hearing loss is possible only if the nerve remains in a healthy state. Then cochlear implantation (surgery) is performed.
Otitis in children
Unfortunately, otitis media is much more common in children than in adults. This is due to the fact that the structure of cells and tissues at an early age is not yet fully developed.
Otitis is also able to occur with complications of the flu, colds and viral diseases, and a decrease in immunity. Hearing, the restoration of which is a consequence of the correct treatment, often with non-launched forms of the disease returns completely.
Pathology is of three types.
- Otitis externa. Occurs in violation of personal hygiene, injuries of the ear canal.
- SARS can cause a moderate form of the disease.
- Internal otitis media is less common than previous forms, but it is also the most dangerous.
Parents, trying to understand what is happening with the child, should study the symptoms in specialized literature, but do not self-medicate. As soon as the disease makes itself felt, you must immediately contact the otolaryngologist. And only in this case, the restoration of hearing in children will have a 100% guarantee.
Otitis media in adults
In adults, otitis media appears less frequently, as mentioned above, and mainly only from severe hypothermia. Less commonly, the disease appears from improper personal hygiene and viral colds.
Unlike a child, an adult is able to fully adequately describe his pain, which allows you to immediately diagnose otitis media not only in the doctor’s office, but also at home.
Symptoms:
- hearing loss;
- pain in the ears of varying severity;
- rarely rises in temperature;
- dizziness and headache;
- malaise, weakness, spleen;
- vomiting
As with children, with timely treatment, the hearing, the restoration of which will not cause any difficulties, will fully return.
Treatment of otitis media
In case of hearing loss as a result of otitis media, the doctor prescribes both drug and non-drug treatment. The best effect is given by conservative therapy in combination with folk, so-called "grandmother's" methods.
A common way is garlic tincture. You should take one clove and crush it. Add camphor oil to the resulting slurry , mix thoroughly, then put the mixture in gauze and insert into the ear cavity. You need to do this compress every night before bedtime.