Understanding Types of Hearing Disorders
Hearing is an important part of your everyday life, and hearing loss can significantly impact it in numerous ways. Hearing problems don’t discriminate and can affect people at any stage of life.
Hearing loss can be temporary, but many people have hearing loss that doesn’t go away. Hearing loss may make you feel as if you’re missing out on life. You may feel uncomfortable trying to carry on telephone conversations or frustrated because you can’t enjoy your favorite movies or shows. You may feel isolated or depressed. If you think you have hearing loss, talk to a healthcare provider or audiologist. They’ll determine the best way to improve your hearing.
Hearing loss affects people of all ages and can be caused by many different factors. The three basic categories of hearing loss are sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Hearing testing is critical for discovering exactly what type of hearing loss you have, and will help determine the hearing care solution that is right for you.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural loss is the most common type of hearing loss. This type of hearing loss occurs when the inner ear or the actual hearing nerve itself becomes damaged. It can be a result of aging, exposure to loud noise, injury, disease, certain drugs or an inherited condition.
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss may occur very suddenly or over the course of a few days. It is imperative to see an otologist (a doctor specializing in diseases of the ear) immediately.
Anatomy of the Ear - source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Conductive Hearing Loss
This type of hearing loss occurs in the outer or middle ear where sound waves are not able to carry all the way through to the inner ear. In some people, conductive hearing loss may be reversed through medical or surgical intervention.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Sometimes people can have a combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
Age-Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis)
People over age 50 may experience gradual hearing loss over the years due to age-related changes in the ear or auditory nerve. The medical term for age-related hearing loss is presbycusis.
Most adults received their last hearing test when they were in grade school. It is a good idea to have your hearing checked when you are an adult at least once during your annual physical.
Hearing Aids
If you are considering a hearing aid, you are bound to have questions. There are many kinds of over-the-counter hearing aids on the market, ranging from inexpensive hand-held amplifiers to self-fit devices that can be calibrated to your amplification needs with a smartphone app.
Different types of hearing aids - source: HealthyHearing.com
Our center’s physicians are among the finest and most highly skilled otologists and neurotologists (ear, nose and throat doctors) in the world.
| Type of Hearing Loss | Location of Issue | Potential Causes | Potential Treatments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensorineural | Inner ear or auditory nerve | Aging, noise exposure, injury, disease, certain drugs, inherited conditions | Hearing aids, cochlear implants |
| Conductive | Outer or middle ear | Blockage, infection, structural abnormalities | Medical or surgical intervention |
| Mixed | Combination of inner/outer or middle ear issues | Combination of causes from sensorineural and conductive loss | Combination of treatments for sensorineural and conductive loss |