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The Four Common Types of Hearing Loss


We need to take the hearing loss on a serious note.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Services, about one-third of Americans aged between 65 and 75 suffer from some kind of hearing problem. For people older than 75 years, this ratio turns out to be 1:2.  Audiologists divide hearing disorder into four main categories that include-

•   Conductive hearing loss
•   Sensorineural hearing loss
•   Mixed hearing loss and
•   Auditory Neuropathy




Conductive Hearing Loss
Do you feel that your outer or middle ear is being obstructed?  You aren’t able to hear properly due to faint or distorted sound. Just get your ears examined because you may be suffering from Conductive hearing loss. The sound fails to travel to the inner ear from the eardrum. During an ear examination, the hearing professionals can find any of these following concerns.  

●       Increased accumulation of earwax
●       Perforated eardrum
●       Ear infections and allergies
●       Abnormal bone growth in the middle ear

Parents, please pay attention! Children can become the victims of conductive hearing loss more easily in comparison to the adults.  If your child is suffering from this hearing disorder, he might need surgery. Doctors may also suggest using technological devices such as Bone Anchored Hearing Aids and Middle Ear Implants.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural Hearing Loss can lead to permanent deafness. This may be shocking but it’s the truth. Often a traumatic injury to the ear can cause this type of hearing loss. The hearing professionals say that it damages the tiny hair-like cells of the inner ear.

 Sensorineural Hearing Loss is common in elderly people. But diabetic patients and people taking ototoxic medications, be alert! You can even fall prey to this hearing impairment. So, start taking precautions accordingly.

According to Doctors Of Audiology, this disorder is either passed genetically in children or it occurs due to an infection. But in adults, there may be several problems such as aging, autoimmune diseases, traumatic injuries, injections, acoustic pneumonia, and others. It’s just that you need to be careful and check if you are experiencing any issues with hearing.

I am sorry to inform you that there is no medical treatment to treat this hearing loss. You need to depend on hearing aids or cochlear implants to improve your hearing experience. In addition, devices like vibrating alarms and captioned phones can also help in understanding signals.

Mixed Hearing Loss
If you ask me for a simple definition of Mixed Hearing Loss, it’s a combination of Conductive and Sensorineural hearing disorder. Upon visiting the audiologists nearby, they would first diagnose the problem to identify the actual cause of the hearing deficiency.  If they find that the problem is conductive in nature, they will recommend surgery. On the other hand, if they discover the symptoms of sensorineural, they can suggest using a hearing aid. 

Auditory Neuropathy
Also known as Auditory Processing Disorders (APD), it affects the brain’s hearing and listening processing abilities. If you find that you are facing a problem in understanding the speech or the background noise, take guard. These are the first signs of auditory neuropathy. It occurs if your brain lacks oxygen, nerve impairment or a newborn had suffered from jaundice at birth, 

A person suffering from this problem undergoes several therapies and training programs for the treatment.

Hearing loss is a common ailment that requires immediate attention. If you think you have a problem listening clearly, consult a specialist without any further delay before it complicates further. 

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