Hearing Problems: Know the Types of Hearing Problems
December 05, 2021
Hearing loss is of different types. It can be caused by age, trauma, loud sounds and a host of hearing problems. The treatment for hearing loss depends on the patient and the cause of hearing loss.
The three most common types of hearing loss are sensorineural hearing loss, conductive loss and mixed loss.
Here is a peek into each of these hearing losses:
Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the inner ear or the actual hearing nerve itself becomes damaged. It is the most common type of hearing loss. It can be a result of aging, exposure to loud noise, injury, disease, certain drugs or congenital conditions. This type of hearing loss is typically not medically or surgically treatable; however, many people with this type of loss find that hearing aids can be beneficial.
Conductive Hearing Loss: This type of hearing loss occurs in the outer or middle ear where sound waves are not able to traverse the way through to the inner ear. Sound may be blocked by earwax or a foreign object located in the ear canal; the middle ear space may be impacted with fluid, infection or a bone abnormality; or the eardrum may have been injured.
Temporary conductive hearing loss caused by the impaction of wax can be cleared through intervention. Conductive hearing loss is most common in children who may have recurrent ear infections or who insert foreign objects into their ear canal.
Mixed Hearing Loss: This is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. This implies that there is damage to multiple portions of the ear. While treatment can help, it can not restore hearing to normal.
If you or a loved one has hearing loss, reach out to an ENT specialist at the earliest. Early action can considerably help in alleviating the problem