Your Hearing

Types of Hearing Loss

There are different kinds of hearing loss. Listed below are four of the more common types. It’s important to get evaluated by a professional Audiologist to determine what kind of hearing loss you have in order to get the right treatment so you can start hearing better.

Sensorineural (Inner Ear) Hearing Loss 

The most common type of hearing loss is Sensorineural or more commonly known as inner ear loss. Age and exposure to loud noise are common causes of Sensorineural hearing loss. Other causes of Sensorineural hearing loss include disturbance of inner ear circulation, increased inner ear fluid pressure as well as disturbances within the hearing nerve.

Conductive Hearing Loss
 
Conductive hearing loss is a result of sound waves not being conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the middle ear. Conductive hearing loss is a reduction of sound level or inability to hear faint sounds.

Conductive hearing loss possible causes:

• Ear infections
• Foreign body in the ear canal
• Fluid in the middle ear
• Allergies with fluid buildup in middle ear
• Poor eustachian tube function
• Earwax buildup
• Perforated eardrum
• Benign tumors
• Infection in the ear canal

Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both a conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.  The inner and middle ear are involved.  An example of this happening could be someone who is already experiencing a sensorineural hearing loss and gets an infection in the middle ear which results in a much greater hearing loss.

Central Hearing Loss

Central hearing loss is a rare form of hearing impairment that lies in the central nervous system.Some people can hear perfectly well but have trouble understanding what is being said.