Hearing loss types and causes _{Hearing loss types and causes}

There are three types of hearing loss including sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss. Most people lose at least some degree of their hearing as they age, and by the time they reach age 65 and older, one in three people has some type of hearing impairment.

What is the most common type of hearing loss?

More than 90 percent of all hearing aid wearers have sensorineural hearing loss. The most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss are; age-related changes, noise exposure, inner ear blood circulation, inner ear fluid disturbances, and problems with the hearing nerve.

What are the two basic types of hearing loss?

The main types of hearing loss are sorted into three categories: Sensorineural, conductive, or mixed. Sensorineural means there is a problem occurring in either the inner ear or the auditory nerve, which delivers sound to the brain.

What causes different types of hearing loss?

Hearing loss can develop at any age and can be caused by many different factors.

Sensorineural: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common type of hearing loss and occurs when the inner ear nerves (and hair cells) are damaged and do not properly transmit auditory signals to the brain.

How do you check for hearing loss?

Tests to diagnose hearing loss may include:

Physical exam. Your doctor will look in your ear for possible causes of your hearing loss, such as earwax or inflammation from an infection.

General screening tests.

App-based hearing tests.

Tuning fork tests.

Audiometer tests.

What is 40 dB hearing loss?

Technically speaking, it's defined as having hearing loss between 26 and 40 dB in the speech frequencies. Moderate hearing loss: At this level, you are asking people to repeat themselves a lot during conversations – in person and on the telephone.

How do you deal with hearing loss in one ear?

Your doctor may recommend a hearing aid to help improve your hearing if there is no other treatment for your hearing loss. Other treatment options may include: surgery to repair the ear or remove a tumor. Antibiotics to treat the infection.

What is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss?

Disease and infections: Viral infections, such as measles, meningitis, and mumps can cause sensorineural hearing loss. Head or acoustic trauma: Damage to your inner ear can also be caused by a blow to the head or exposure to extremely loud noise, such as an explosion.

What virus can cause hearing loss?

Viral infections, in particular cytomegalovirus (CMV), cause up to 40% of all congenitally acquired hearing loss. Many viruses can be the cause of congenital or acquired hearing loss (Table 1). Typically, viruses cause sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL); however, a viral etiology has been proposed for otosclerosis.

Please visit to see our other services.