How to Get Better Hearing

Hearing loss affects everyone sooner or later in life, and most of the time this condition is temporary. Whether it is the ringing in your ears after attending a particularly loud concert, or the natural effects of an infection in your nose/throat or ears which causes a blockage of your Eustachian tube. Hearing loss tends to be insidious in how slowly it comes about for most Americans, so they don't realize they have it, but here are some tips to correct it once you do.

Things You'll Need

• Over the counter decongestant (optional)
• Antibiotics (optional)
• Surgery (optional)

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Instructions

Improvements with Medicine

• 1

  Hearing loss is either nerve damage (irreparable), or, more commonly caused by the blocking of your Eustachian tube. You can un-block this tube, often by forcing it open with pressure. If you are capable of "popping" your ears you should try that first. One method is to pinch your nose shut and then try to blow air through your nose. If possible, the increased pressure, seeking a way out, will force itself through your Eustachian tube into your ears creating the "popping" sound.

• 2

  If you cannot pop your ears, try an over the counter decongestant like Sudafed. This may cause a drainage of any mucous that is blocking your Eustachian tube and allow it to open again, relieving pressure and fluid-buildup behind your eardrums.

• 3

  If popping your ears, and/or over the counter medication does not work, you may need to turn to your doctor for something a little stronger - antibiotics, which can help clear up any infection that is causing your Eustachian tube to be blocked and help relieve pressure. Your doctor will examine your ears briefly to verify that this is the problem before prescribing medication.

Surgery

• 4

  If you have repeated infections (usually in children) in your ears, your doctor may eventually recommend that you have tubes placed in your eardrums in order to drain away excess fluid and pus. . This is called myringotomy and tube placement and it is a fairly common procedure. The tubes are not permanent, cannot be felt, and they will fall out by themselves after about a year.

• 5

  Your Doctor will follow up with you over the period of time that you have tubes in your ears to make sure that they are functioning properly. You will want to keep water out of your ears (no swimming without ear plugs) as long as they are in place because the water can get behind your eardrums and cause a painful infection.

• 6

  If you have a permanent problem with your Eustachian tube being blocked, as an older child or an adult, your doctor may recommend that you have permanent tubes put in. For those used to a lifetime of hearing loss due to permanently closed Eustachian tube, this procedure can be a Godsend, permanently restoring your hearing to a level of normalcy.