Types of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can develop when any part of the ear or auditory (hearing) system is not working correctly.
FOUR TYPES OF HEARING LOSS
Conductive Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is caused by something that prevents sounds from getting through the outer or middle ear. This type of hearing loss can often be treated with medicine or surgery. Common causes of conductive hearing loss include:
- Fluid in the middle ear from colds
- Ear infections
- Allergies
- Perforated ear drum
- Benign tumors
- Impacted earwax
- A foreign object is present (something stuck in the ear)
- The outer ear is malformed
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is caused when there is a problem in the way the inner ear or hearing nerve works. Most of the time, this type of hearing loss cannot be medically or surgically corrected. This is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss reduces a person's ability to hear faint sounds. When speech is loud enough to hear, it may still sound muffled or unclear. Common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:
- Illness
- Drugs that are toxic to hearing
- Hearing loss that runs in the family (genetic or hereditary)
- Aging
- Head trauma
- Exposure to loud noise
Mixed Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is caused by both a conductive and a sensorineural hearing loss.
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder
Hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner ear or the hearing nerve. Sound enters the ear normally but is not organized in a way that the brain can understand. When someone describes their hearing loss as "fluctuating" or "changing", it usually means they have this type of hearing loss.
