Types of hearing loss
The 3 main categories of hearing loss are Sensorineural, conductive and mixed.
Sensorineural: hearing loss where there is damage to the inner ear cells or hearing nerve.
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss
Age related hearing loss: due to the aging process. Also known as presbycusis.
Noise induced hearing loss: loss that is due to excessive noise exposure, such as working with heavy
machinery without hearing protection for extensive periods of time.
Sudden hearing loss: a sudden change in hearing threshold, may be due to a viral infection, this is a
medical emergency. With early medical intervention
3. Pure tone audiometry to obtain hearing threshold. The clinician will play beeps at
varying loudness and pitch, and map out the patient's response.
4. Speech test to measure how well the ear detect and differentiate speech sounds
5. Additional tests such as extended high frequency test, Threshold equalizing test if
needed.
Conductive hearing loss: A conductive hearing loss happens when sounds cannot get through the outer
and middle ear.
Medical intervention or surgery may fix this type of hearing loss.
Medical intervention or surgery may fix this type of hearing loss.
Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss
- Fluid in the middle ear from colds or allergies.
- Ear infection in the outer or middle ear. Also known as otitis external, or otitis media.
- Poor Eustachian tube function. The Eustachian tube connects your middle ear and your nose. Fluid in the middle ear can drain out through this tube. If the tube doesn’t work well the fluid cannot drain properly.
- A hole in your eardrum.
- Benign tumors. These tumors are not cancer but can block the outer or middle ear.
- Earwax , or cerumen, stuck in your ear canal.
- An object stuck in your outer ear. An example might be if your child put a pebble in his ear when playing outside.
- A problem with how the outer or middle ear is formed. Some people are born without an outer ear. Some may have a deformed ear canal or have a problem with the bones in their middle ear.
mixed hearing loss – hearing loss that has both sensorineural and conductive components.
If you suspect you have a hearing loss it is important to get a hearing test. We can help.