Hearing loss is common; we mean really common. It is the third most prevalent physical condition in the country, behind only arthritis and heart disease. Conditions this common almost always have a number of potential causes.
Three Types of Hearing Loss
They are:
Conductive Hearing Loss. Conductive hearing loss occurs when there are problems with the ear canal, eardrum or middle ear. There are a variety of causes including:
- Structural deformities
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Ear infection
- Allergies
- Impacted earwax
- Perforated eardrum
- Foreign objects in the ear
- Otosclerosis
- Benign tumors.
This type of hearing loss is usually able to be treated with surgery or medication.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Sensorineural hearing loss, also called nerve deafness, involves problems with the inner ear. Causes include:
- Aging
- Noise exposure
- Trauma
- Viruses
- Autoimmune disorders
- Otosclerosis
- Meniere’s disease
- Malformations of the inner ear and tumors.
Hearing aids are the most common treatment recommended for this type of hearing loss.
Mixed Hearing Loss. This is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. That means that an individual with this type of hearing loss will have a problem with their inner ear as well as an issue with their middle or outer ear.
Your Katy audiologist will correct the conductive hearing loss before moving on to the sensorineural.
Degree of Hearing Loss
In addition to the different types of hearing loss, it is important to consider the degree of hearing loss, which can range from mile to profound. Your audiologist will also have to determine if hearing loss is monaural or binaural.
Unilateral hearing loss, also called single-sided deafness, affects one ear only, while bilateral hearing loss affects both ears.
As you can see, Katy audiologist does a lot more than simply determine if you do or do not have hearing loss. For more information, call Today’s Hearing at (281) 578-7500 today.