Will Hearing Loss Return After an Ear Infection?

If you’ve ever had an ear infection, you know how irritating it can be. Your ears play an important role in your life, so even a minor ear infection can leave a person with ear pain, loss of balance, sleeping difficulties, and hearing problems.

You may also notice that hearing loss from an ear infection may linger for longer than the infection.

Is the hearing loss from your ear infection permanent?

When will your hearing return after an ear infection?

The answer isn’t a one-size-fits-all for every patient, which is why it’s important to keep reading as El Dorado Hearing explores the ins and outs of ear infections and how they impact a person’s hearing.

What is an ear infection?

An ear infection, also referred to as otitis media, is an infection that occurs in the middle ear most commonly caused by bacteria. The location of the infection determines what the condition is called — otitis externa refers to an infection in front of the eardrum, and labyrinthitis refers to an infection in the inner ear.

When the infection occurs in the middle ear, the individual is more likely to experience a painful infection due to the pressure put on the eardrum and eventually causes the eardrum to break. The excessive pressure in the middle ear results in pain and can lead to hearing loss as the bacteria accumulates and prevents the movement of sound waves in the ear canal.

To determine if the ear infection is occurring in the middle ear, look for these symptoms:

• Drainage
• Sharp pain
• Hearing loss

In most cases, hearing loss caused by otitis media is temporary once the pressure dissipates and the eardrum heals. Once the bacteria and fluid buildup drain from the ear, it will no longer block the sound waves from moving through the ear canal.

The individual may experience hearing loss until this fluid is completely gone, ranging from 48 hours to a few months.

How chronic ear infections impact hearing

When individuals suffer from an ear infection now and then, they aren’t likely to experience anything more than temporary hearing loss. However, those affected by chronic ear infections may suffer from permanent hearing loss due to the scarring in the middle ear if the ear infections go untreated.

The bacteria in the ear causing the infection prevents the sound waves from getting through the ear canal while simultaneously damaging the fragile little bones in the middle ear and the eardrum. Once these bones are destroyed, they are permanently gone, which causes your hearing to be permanently damaged.

Depending on the individual’s specific case, an audiologist may recommend surgery to install prosthetic bones within the ear or opt for hearing aids to amplify sounds instead.

El Dorado Hearing is here to help

Whether you deal with hearing loss from an ear infection or suffer from chronic ear infections, it’s important to loop in an audiologist immediately. The longer you go with an untreated ear infection, the more likely you will experience damage to your middle ear. The sooner you get treatment, the better chance you have of restoring your hearing naturally without the help of surgery or hearing aids.

If your hearing loss is determined to be permanent, the team at El Dorado Hearing can help you determine the best treatment plan to restore your hearing, such as hearing aids. Contact our team to schedule an appointment.