The Various Causes and Types of Hearing Loss

There are three main types of hearing loss, each with various causes. Awareness is the first step in getting your hearing back on track. Here you can learn more about hearing loss.
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Hearing loss affects one in three people over the age of 65.

There Are Three Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is divided into three different categories; conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss is caused by outer or middle ear obstruction that happens due to a variety of reasons, such as fluid, ear wax, ear formation, and tumors. The obstruction in the ear prevents sound from reaching the inner ear. This type of hearing loss can be treated using medicine or surgery

Sensorineural hearing loss

The most common type of hearing loss, sensorineural, is caused by damage to the inner ear nerves and hair cells. This damage happens due to age, loud noises, genetics, and more.

The damage that is caused negatively impacts the paths that lead from the inner ear to the brain. While medicine and surgery are not common treatments for sensorineural hearing loss, hearing aids work to provide the relief that sufferers need. Shea Hearing Solutions provides top hearing aids for those who have sensorineural hearing loss.

Mixed hearing loss

A combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, mixed hearing loss impacts a number of people. Treatments for mixed hearing loss tend to include a combination of surgery, medicine, and hearing aids.

You’ll need to visit a hearing physician in order to determine the type of hearing loss you are suffering from and to set upon the appropriate course of treatment. Your life doesn’t have to be impacted by hearing loss, help is available. Contact a hearing practitioner today.

The Four Degrees of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is designated into four clinical degrees, which can help to determine the treatment that you need:

1. Mild

Mild hearing loss is the lightest degree of hearing loss. If you have mild hearing loss, you can hear many sounds in speech, but may have difficulty hearing softer sounds.

2. Moderate

With moderate hearing loss, you will sometimes have difficulty hearing people talking at a regular volume.

3. Severe

Severe hearing loss causes you the inability to hear speakers when they are talking at a normal volume. If you have severe hearing loss, you will only hear some loud sounds.

4. Profound

Hearing Loss Causes

There are a number of factors that contribute to hearing loss. The most common factors are age, exposure to loud noises, virus, genetics, head trauma, and ototoxicity. Each type of hearing loss also has specific factors that typically contribute to it. These include:

Conductive hearing loss causes

Conductive hearing loss is caused by ear infections that have fluid or pus buildup, eardrum scarring, wax buildup, a foreign object in the ears, dislocation of middle ear bones, and growths or tumors.

Sensorineural hearing loss causes

Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by aging, noise exposure, injury, shingles, viral infections, medications, diabetes, stroke, meningitis, fever, genetics, obesity, smoking, and hypertension.

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