If you are unaware of the cause of your hearing loss, knowing this information may help you address the problem more effectively. There are many types of hearing loss, so read on to see which one you may have.
Types of Hearing Loss
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- Conductive hearing loss
- Mixed hearing loss
Let us go through all of these one by one.
Sensorineural hearing loss
This is the most common type of hearing loss. It involves damage to either the hair cells of the inner ear or the auditory nerves that are responsible for the transfer of nerve signals to the brain. If you experience this, it can result in permanent loss of hearing.
Causes of Sensorineural hearing loss
- Side effects of medications
- Traumatic injuries
- Exposure to excessive noise
Symptoms of Sensorineural hearing loss
- Nerve tingling or issues while in noisy environments
- Continuously buzzing in ears
Treatments of Sensorineural hearing loss
If you experience damage to hair cells of the inner ear or auditory nerve, it should be treated right away. Unfortunately, there is no medication available to reverse this condition, but hearing aids or cochlear implants are the best options for treatment depending on the degree of hearing loss.
Conductive Hearing Loss
The conductive hearing loss is a very rare type of hearing loss. It damages the outer or middle ear that is responsible for preventing sound from getting into the inner ear. It is not always permanent.
Causes of conductive hearing loss
- Narrowed ear canal
- Wax impaction
- Tumors that get formed within middle ear
- Blockage in the Eustachian tube which is responsible for connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat.
Symptoms of conductive hearing loss
- Pain in one or both ears
- A tingling sensation in your ears
- Perceiving your voice as louder than it is
Treatments of conductive hearing loss
Sometimes, with the help of the medical or surgical treatments, a person with this condition can improve their hearing ability. It can be cured by some medical treatments like the extraction of earwax or surgical procedures.
Mixed hearing loss
It can be caused either due to sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, or both.
Causes of mixed hearing loss
- When one experience trauma to the ears
- A person who has conductive hearing loss may have to deal with presbycusis as they age
- A person who has sensorineural hearing loss can also have the mixed hearing loss only because of the impacted earwax
Symptoms of mixed hearing loss
One can experience a combination of signs of the two types of hearing loss, including nerve issues or warped volume perception.
Treatment of hearing loss
If one has experienced a significant amount of conductive hearing loss, then the more effective treatment will be surgical procedures. If the person is experiencing sensorineural hearing loss, the best option is using hearing aids or implantable devices. It all depends on the degree of hearing loss.
It is best to see your doctor right away if you sense any issues, so that the most effective treatment method can be determined as soon as possible.
