Ruptured eardrums usually heal in about two weeks, but only your doctor can tell you whether you're ready to fly. Most people can return to work and normal activities after they've healed from ear surgery. It's best to leave flying until at least several days after your operation because you need to allow time for the wound to heal. The surgeon will usually tell you when it is safe to fly again. Even if you have no trouble with your other ears, most people are glad to have their hearing back after they've had surgery on an infected ear. If your infection isn't too severe, then you should be able to hear with a hearing aid while you recover from the surgery. Hearing aids make it easier to hear at a loud place like a concert or movie theater. Hearing loss due to aging affects nearly everyone over 70 years old. But there are treatments available that can restore some of your hearing loss. Hearing aids can help by amplifying sound so you can better understand conversations at home and at work. Cochlear implants use electrical signals to directly stimulate the inner ear, allowing deaf people to perceive sound. They can also help people who have hearing loss avoid using voice recognition software.