Wang was scared his hearing damage was permanent, so he went straight to the hospital. He was prescribed medicine to bring the swelling down and told to avoid loud noises for a few weeks. After the swelling went down, he made a full recovery. “The hair cells in the cochlea can develop oedema due to the irritation from loud noises for a relatively short duration. The resulting hearing impairment is permanent and irreversible, forcing the patient to rely on hearing aids for auditory assistance.”