If Sensorineural Hearing Loss Is Permanent, What Can Be Done? — Transcript

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1. 0:00If sensorineural hearing loss is
2. 0:01permanent, what can actually be done
3. 0:03about it? And this is one of the most
4. 0:05common and important follow-up questions
5. 0:07that I hear every day in my clinic.
6. 0:10Hi, I'm Dr. Nancy Duncan from Duncan
7. 0:12Hearing Health Care, and this is Nancy
8. 0:14Knows Hearing.
9. 0:15In my last video, you may remember, we
10. 0:18talked about what sensorineural hearing
11. 0:20loss is and why it matters. And today
12. 0:22we're going to focus on the next steps.
13. 0:25What are the real treatment options for
14. 0:26sensorineural hearing loss?
15. 0:28And more importantly, how do you choose
16. 0:31which one's right for you?
17. 0:33So first, what does treatment actually
18. 0:35mean?
19. 0:36Well, it can mean a lot of things to
20. 0:37different people, but before we talk
21. 0:39about devices, it's important to clarify
22. 0:42something.
23. 0:43Sensorineural hearing loss usually
24. 0:45cannot be cured or reversed. So that
25. 0:48means there's no pill, drop, or surgery
26. 0:51that restores the damaged inner ear hair
27. 0:53cells in most cases.
28. 0:55So when we talk about treatment, what
29. 0:57we're really talking about is
30. 0:59management, improving clarity, reducing
31. 1:02listening effort, and supporting the
32. 1:05brain and brain health,
33. 1:07and making everyday communication easier
34. 1:09for you and those talking with you.
35. 1:12The goal is not perfect hearing. That's
36. 1:15next to impossible to achieve.
37. 1:17The goal is better hearing and better
38. 1:19quality of life. And for most people
39. 1:21with sensorineural hearing loss, hearing
40. 1:23aids are the main treatment option, and
41. 1:25modern hearing aids do so much more than
42. 1:28simply make things louder.
43. 1:30They're designed to do the following: to
44. 1:32improve speech clarity, reduce
45. 1:34background noise, and adjust
46. 1:36automatically to the different
47. 1:37environments that you may find yourself
48. 1:39in day-to-day.
49. 1:41And they also will support the brain's
50. 1:43ability to process sound, which will
51. 1:45affect its long-term health.
52. 1:47Each hearing aid is programmed
53. 1:48specifically for your hearing loss
54. 1:50pattern,
55. 1:52your listening needs, your lifestyle,
56. 1:55and this customization is critical
57. 1:57because sensorineural hearing loss can
58. 1:59affect people differently and in many
59. 2:01different ways.
60. 2:02Early treatment does matter here. The
61. 2:05longer the brain goes without clear
62. 2:06sound, the harder it can be to adapt
63. 2:09later.
64. 2:10Hearing aids are often the foundation,
65. 2:12but they're not the only tool. They're
66. 2:14just part of the puzzle.
67. 2:16Also available are assistive listening
68. 2:17devices. And these devices can provide
69. 2:20extra support in challenging situations.
70. 2:23Such as maybe hearing somebody across a
71. 2:25room, which we all do when we live
72. 2:27together. Watching TV.
73. 2:30Talking in noisy environments. And
74. 2:32participating in meetings or lectures
75. 2:34where hearing can be challenging.
76. 2:37These devices work alongside hearing
77. 2:39aids or in some cases independently
78. 2:41depending on what you go with.
79. 2:43They are especially helpful for people
80. 2:45who feel they hear pretty well in most
81. 2:47quiet, but struggle in specific
82. 2:49situations such as background noise.
83. 2:52For those individuals with more
84. 2:53sensorineural hearing loss. Hearing aids
85. 2:56may long no longer provide enough
86. 2:58benefit. In those cases cochlear
87. 3:00implants may be an option for
88. 3:02individuals.
89. 3:03And cochlear implants work differently
90. 3:05from hearing aids. Instead of amplifying
91. 3:08sound, they bypass the damaged inner ear
92. 3:10hair cells and directly stimulate the
93. 3:13hearing nerve. So not everyone is a
94. 3:15candidate though. An evaluation is
95. 3:17essential. But for the right person, a
96. 3:19cochlear implant can be life-changing.
97. 3:22Technology alone is not the whole
98. 3:23solution.
99. 3:25Communication strategies play a huge
100. 3:27role in successful hearing loss
101. 3:29management.
102. 3:30And these include maybe positioning
103. 3:32yourself to see people's clearly so you
104. 3:35can help with lip reading and facial
105. 3:36expressions.
106. 3:38Reducing background noise when possible.
107. 3:40And advocating for your hearing needs,
108. 3:42asking for help.
109. 3:44Asking for clarification instead of just
110. 3:46nodding, smiling, and pretending that
111. 3:48you heard.
112. 3:49So when technology and strategy work
113. 3:51together, outcomes can be much, much
114. 3:53better.
115. 3:55Also, you should be aware that
116. 3:56sensorineural hearing loss can change
117. 3:58over time. So, regular hearing
118. 4:00evaluations can help ensure that hearing
119. 4:03aids stay properly adjusted for you and
120. 4:05your changing hearing.
121. 4:07That changes are caught early so they
122. 4:09can be addressed. And that treatment
123. 4:11remains effective.
124. 4:12Hearing care is not a one-time decision.
125. 4:15It's an ongoing process that if done
126. 4:17correctly, can provide you with easier
127. 4:20communication for the rest of your life.
128. 4:22So, what are the treatment options for
129. 4:24sensorineural hearing loss? Well, they
130. 4:26include things like hearing aids as a
131. 4:29primary tool,
132. 4:31assistive listening devices for
133. 4:32additional support along with your
134. 4:34hearing devices, or in some cases,
135. 4:37cochlear implants may be appropriate.
136. 4:39And also just using good communication
137. 4:41strategies and ongoing hearing care.
138. 4:44The most important step is not waiting.
139. 4:47Finding out and knowledge is powerful.
140. 4:49The earlier hearing loss is managed, the
141. 4:51better the long-term outcomes will be.
142. 4:54So, if you found this helpful, please
143. 4:56understand your options. And please like
144. 4:59this video, subscribe to Nancy Knows
145. 5:01Hearing, and leave a comment with a
146. 5:03question or topic you'd like me to cover
147. 5:04next because understanding your hearing
148. 5:07options puts you back in control. And
149. 5:09remember, Nancy Knows Hearing and so do
150. 5:12you.