Key takeaway
- Hearing aids are often the first step for treating mild to moderate hearing loss, amplifying sounds the ear can still detect.
- When hearing aids aren’t sufficient, various implantable devices like cochlear implants or bone-anchored systems can bypass damaged areas and directly stimulate the auditory nerve or inner ear.
- Beyond medical interventions, assistive devices and technologies such as personal amplifiers, alerting systems, and speech-to-text apps can significantly improve access to sound for specific needs and environments.
If you’re experiencing hearing loss, several treatments might help, depending on the underlying cause.
In this article, we’ll walk through the main treatment categories, describe how they work, who might benefit most, and what trade‑offs or practical considerations might come with each.
Here’s a quick look at the main
- hearing aids
- implantable devices such as cochlear implants or bone‑anchored devices
- medications for certain types of sudden or treatable hearing loss
- ear surgery for structural or conductive problems
- assistive hearing devices and technologies beyond standard aids
What’s right for you depends on factors such as:
- the type of hearing loss you’re experiencing
- how severe it is
- how much benefit hearing aids provide
- your medical history, age, lifestyle, and personal preferences
Hearing loss can be sensorineural, conductive, or mixed. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs due to damage to the hairs inside the ear, the nerve that carries sound information to the brain, or the brain itself.
In contrast, conductive hearing loss occurs when sound can’t travel efficiently to the inner ear. People with mixed hearing loss have features of both types.
Below, we’ll dive into each option so you have a clearer sense of what to discuss with a hearing‑care professional.
Hearing aids are a potential treatment for some types of hearing loss. They amplify sounds that your ears can still detect. There are several styles:
- behind-the-ear
- in-the-ear
- canal
- extended-wear
Some hearing aids are especially suited for different needs — for instance, devices geared toward background‑noise environments, or for people who prefer discreet, inside‑ear options.
How they work
Hearing aids pick up sound from the environment via a microphone, amplify it, and deliver it into your ear canal, making speech and ambient sounds louder so that your ears can detect them more clearly.
They rely on at least some functioning parts of your inner ear.
Who is eligible for hearing aids?
Hearing aids
Effectiveness
For many, hearing aids significantly improve hearing clarity and comprehension, especially in quiet environments. But they may become less helpful in noisy or busy environments, or if you have significant hearing loss.
Cost considerations
Hearing aids vary widely in price, depending on features like noise filtering, rechargeable batteries, or specialty molds.
Insurance coverage also varies: some plans may cover part of the cost, but many require payment out-of-pocket.
There are numerous implant options for hearing loss, including:
- Cochlear implant: This is a small electronic device — partly implanted under the skin, partly external — that
bypasses the damaged sensory hair cells of the inner ear and sends electrical signals directly to the auditory nerve. - Bone‑anchored hearing systems: These transmit sound via vibrations through the skull to the inner ear, bypassing problematic outer or middle ear structures.
- Middle‑ear implants: These mechanically stimulate middle‑ear bones.
- Auditory brainstem implants: These bypass the inner ear to send auditory signals to your brainstem.
These surgically placed implants can be useful when hearing aids offer little to no benefit.
Who can use implants?
Implants may be an option when severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss means hearing aids aren’t helpful.
Both children and adults may be candidates. For Deaf children, early implantation can support the development of speech and language.
Effectiveness
Many people with implants regain the ability to detect sounds, understand speech, and hear environmental sounds, like alarms or phones ringing.
Some individuals also report improvement in related symptoms, such as a reduction in tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Cost considerations and caveats
Implantation involves surgery, follow‑up care, and ongoing support, like device “mapping” and possibly speech therapy.
The results can also vary. Not everyone gains typical sound perception. The outcome depends on several factors, including the duration of the hearing loss and the individual’s level of engagement with rehabilitation.
For certain types of hearing loss, medication can be a first-line treatment. For example, doctors may use this approach for sudden hearing loss that results from inflammation, infection, or fluid buildup.
A doctor may recommend:
- steroid injections into the ear, also known as
intratympanic therapy - oral steroids
- antibiotics for bacterial infections
- other anti-inflammatory medications
Who might benefit
People who experience a rapid loss of hearing may be candidates for medical treatment.
If doctors can identify a treatable cause early, medication may restore some or all of the lost hearing.
Effectiveness
Timely treatment improves the odds of recovery. For sudden sensorineural hearing loss, you’ll need to see a healthcare practitioner ASAP.
Not all cases respond to steroids or other medications. If the underlying damage is irreversible, medications may not help.
Cost and practical considerations
Medications, especially oral medications, tend to have lower upfront costs in comparison to surgery.
But having medications via injection
Beyond cochlear implants, surgery may be beneficial for certain types of conductive hearing loss or structural issues.
Examples of surgeries for ear loss include:
- Stapedectomy: Surgery on a small bone in the middle ear, known as the stapes, may treat hearing problems caused by conditions like otosclerosis.
- Middle-ear surgeries: These can include procedures to repair eardrum perforations and reconstruct ossicles.
- Bone‑anchored hearing systems: These and other implantable devices may be beneficial for people who cannot tolerate conventional hearing aids or have structural differences in the ear canal or middle ear.
Not everybody with hearing loss is a candidate for surgery, but it’s worth considering if a healthcare practitioner thinks it may help.
Who might benefit
Surgical options are often considered when hearing loss stems from a structural problem, like bone fixation, damage to the middle ear bones, or chronic ear disease.
They may also be a possibility when hearing aids don’t deliver sufficient benefit, or when conductive or mixed hearing loss does not respond to nonsurgical treatment.
Effectiveness
If you have conditions like otosclerosis, chronic middle ear infections, a perforated eardrum, or other treatable structural changes, surgery might offer substantial improvement.
For example, a
But as with all surgeries, there are risks, and outcomes vary depending on individual ear anatomy, the underlying cause, and postoperative care.
Cost and practical considerations
Surgery tends to be more involved than hearing aids or medications: it may requires evaluation by specialists, possible hospital or day‑surgery stay, and follow‑up care. Not all medical systems or insurance plans may cover every type of procedure.
Beyond hearing aids and implants, some devices and technologies assist in specific environments or address particular hearing challenges. These are sometimes known as hearing assistive technology (HATs).
These may include:
- Assistive listening devices (ALDs): These include personal amplifiers, FM systems, Bluetooth systems, and hearing loops.
- Alerting devices: These provide visual or tactile alerts, like flashing lights or vibrations, for doorbells, alarms, or baby monitors.
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids: These include speech-to-text apps, picture charts, and closed captioning on TV. AAC aids can also include low- and no-tech options, like hiring a note taker or using picture boards.
How they work
Each device works differently. For example, ALDs amplify sounds, reduce noise, and enhance clarity in specific situations, while AAC aids provide alternative means of communication or understanding speech.
Alerting devices deliver alternative signals for important sounds, such as baby cries, doorbells, or smoke alarms, that do not rely on hearing.
Depending on your specific needs, you might use one or multiple assistive devices.
Who might benefit
These assistive technologies may be particularly helpful for people:
- who cannot use conventional hearing aids
- who use hearing aids that might not meet their needs entirely, such as those who work in noisy environments
- with single-sided hearing loss
You can use these technologies with other treatments or on their own.
Effectiveness and practical considerations
These devices can significantly enhance access to sound and improve communication abilities. They do not discourage language development in children. In fact, they can enhance it.
Some devices, like ALDs and alerting devices, may require regular maintenance or incur additional fees. But many low-tech or no-tech options are inexpensive or free, require minimal maintenance, if any, and are adaptable for a wide range of ages and skill levels.
Costs and insurance coverage vary widely, and not all devices are suitable for all ear conditions.
When it comes to hearing loss, the “right” treatment depends a great deal on the type and severity of your symptoms, your overall ear health, lifestyle, and goals.
If you suspect hearing loss or notice changes in your hearing, the best first step is to see a qualified hearing‑care professional, like an audiologist or otolaryngologist. From there, you can discuss which treatment or combination of treatments is likely to work best for your individual needs.