Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss falls into two broad categories, depending on the part of the ear that’s affected. You can have a hearing loss in one ear only, or more commonly, the loss may be binaural, or in both ears.

Conductive Hearing Loss
When the structures of the outer or middle ear fail to conduct sound waves to the inner ear properly, the result is conductive hearing loss. This type of loss is usually temporary and may be reversed through surgery or other medical means. Causes include ear infections, injury to the ear, such as a punctured eardrum, or even a build-up of wax in the ear canal. Because children are prone to ear infections, it’s important to have their hearing checked frequently and to be aware of the signs of hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss describes what happens when the inner ear doesn’t process sound normally. It can result from a variety of causes, but the most typical scenario is damage done to hair cells in the cochlea from exposure to loud noise and/or the natural aging process. When hair cells are unresponsive, sounds are not properly transmitted to the auditory nerve in the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss accounts for about 90% of all hearing losses.

While sensorineural hearing loss is irreversible, you can help prevent further damage from noise by wearing earplugs in noisy environments and listening to music at lower, more comfortable levels.