Types of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can improve at any age and can be caused by many different causes. But did you know that only 5% of hearing loss in adults can be improved medically or surgically?
While hearing loss is unique to the specific, it can be classified into 3 different types of hearing loss depending on which part of the ear is precious:
Types of hearing loss:
- Sensorineural
- Conductive
- Mixed
Sensorineural:
Sensorineural hearing loss is the common type of hearing loss and happens when the inner ear concerns (and hair cells) are impaired and do not appropriately transmit hearing indications to the brain. Sound and speech may be uncertain or muffled even when the volume is loud enough to hear. Most of the time, SNHL cannot be corrected medically or surgically. This enduring type of hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids.
Promising causes:
- Illness
- Ototoxic drugs
- Genetic or traditional hearing loss
- Aging
- Head pain
- Defect of the inner ear
- Coverage to loud noise
Conductive:
Conductive hearing loss is usually the result of obstacles in the outer or middle ear. Sound does not well conduct through the outer ear to the middle ear. Those experiencing conductive hearing loss may sense a decrease in sound level or the capability to hear indistinct sounds. Possible treatment decisions include operation, treatment and hearing aids.
Promising causes:
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Ear infection
- Allergies
- Poor Eustachian tube function
- Make a hole in eardrum
- Benign tumors
- Impacted earwax
- Infection in the ear canal
- Swimmer’s ear
- Presence of a foreign body
- Defect of the outer ear, ear canal or middle ear.
Mixed:
A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. Possible treatment decisions include surgery, medicine and hearing aids.
If you think you may be feeling hearing loss, take our online hearing test simulator or visit a hearing professional in your nearby area for a complete hearing assessment.