Two common types of hearing loss are sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss.
These two types represent fundamental differences in the part of the auditory system that's affected, leading to different causes and treatment approaches. Here's a breakdown of each:
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Sensorineural Hearing Loss: This type of hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve, which transmits sound information from the inner ear to the brain. It's often permanent and can be caused by:
- Aging (presbycusis)
- Exposure to loud noise
- Genetic factors
- Certain medications (ototoxic drugs)
- Illnesses
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Conductive Hearing Loss: This type of hearing loss happens when sound waves are unable to travel efficiently through the outer ear or middle ear to reach the inner ear. This can be due to:
- Earwax buildup
- Middle ear infections (otitis media)
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Damage to the eardrum
- Problems with the small bones (ossicles) in the middle ear
- Foreign objects in the ear canal
While these are the two most common, a third type exists: Mixed hearing loss, which, as the name implies, is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. This occurs when there is damage in both the inner ear/auditory nerve and the outer or middle ear.
