01 Nov Hearing Loss and The Brain

Life is already tough enough for those that suffer from hearing loss, but a recent study shows how difficult it is in another area of the body: the brain. In 2015, The University of Colorado’s Department of Speech Language and Hearing Science looked at neuroplasty to understand the neurological processes after hearing loss. Neuroplasticity is how the brain reorganizes itself by forming new neural connections through life. Many people believe that the brain is static and unable to change, but scientists now know this is not the case. In the case of hearing loss, the part of the brain that controls hearing becomes reorganized and reassigned to other functions.

The neurologists found that when hearing loss occurs, areas of the brain devoted to other senses like sight and touch will take over the areas of the brain that normally process hearing. This is a phenomenon called cross-modal cortical reorganization. In simpler terms, the brain undergoes a total makeover. Even the earliest stages of hearing loss can lead to cognitive decline. Many times, hearing loss is a result of unsafe conditions during a job. More than 22 million Americans will be exposed to damaging levels of noise as a result of their occupation this year alone. Manufacturers, Construction, Entertainment, Military, and Agriculture fields are the most common professions that cause hearing loss.

Hearing loss is also a common outcome of auto accidents as well. A blow to the head suffered in an automobile accident may cause the three bones of the middle ear to change the position that results in sound not being sent to the inner ear. Even though airbags are deployed to keep you safe in an auto accident, a faulty airbag can cause serious damage to your hearing. In worse cases, a head injury may cause a completely ruptured eardrum. The hearing loss lawyers at Baggett McCall know that traumatic hearing loss can occur as a result of carelessness or a defective product and the lawsuits involving hearing loss can bring substantial verdicts or settlements.

Hearing loss may be temporary, but in many cases, it is a permanent condition that requires surgery or long-term treatment. The medical expenses of hearing loss can be profound and the potential loss of income or wage-earning potential. Baggett McCall has a highly professional and hard-working team of hearing loss lawyers that will fight to ensure that you are fairly compensated for any losses that may occur as a result of hearing loss after an accident.