Hearing Loss

Nonsurgical treatments for hearing loss 

Nonsurgical options to help restore your hearing include: 

• Medication. If your hearing loss is caused by a medical problem such as chronic ear infections, certain drugs may improve or cure the underlying condition. 

• Earwax removal. We offer several nonsurgical procedures to safely remove earwax that is blocking your ear canal. 

• Hearing aids. Traditional hearing aids are wearable devices that you can easily take off or remove. They help you hear better by amplifying the sounds around you. 

• Assistive listening devices (ALDs). These are hearing devices that can be used alone or in conjunction with your hearing aid. For example, some ALDs amplify the sound of your phone, TV, or doorbell.

Surgical treatments for hearing loss 

For some people with hearing loss, surgery is the most effective treatment option.  

UI Health Care otologists and neurotologists perform many types of surgery. These include procedures to remove tumors, fix structural problems, or implant hearing devices.  

Our areas of expertise include: 

• Ear tube surgery: This procedure is often used to treat chronic ear infections. Small plastic or metal tubes placed inside your eardrum allow fluid to drain from (and air to flow through) your middle ear.  

• Stapedectomy: This procedure treats abnormal bone growth in the middle ear (otosclerosis). Your surgeon replaces a tiny bone called the stapes with an artificial device.  

• Bone conduction implants: These devices are also known as bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA). They painlessly send sound waves through your skull and directly to your inner ear. 

• Cochlear implants are electronic devices that send sound signals to your brain via your auditory nerve. They’re reserved for people whose severe hearing loss cannot be improved with hearing aids.