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What’s Causing Your Hearing Loss?

Types of Hearing Loss

Whether you have experienced a sudden change in your hearing or gradually noticed that you can no longer hear the clock ticking, the key to proper treatment of any hearing loss is determining what caused it in the first place. Sometimes all you need is a little earwax removed. Sometimes the issue is more complex.

The different parts of our ear come together like a complex orchestra, each part playing a vital role in the symphony of sound. Hearing loss can disrupt this delicate balance, but the good news is it can often be restored.

There are two distinct types of hearing loss, each with its own unique way of affecting your hearing experience. Conductive hearing loss results when there is a physical interruption or blockage of the sounds that cause your eardrum and tiny ear bones to vibrate. Sensorineural hearing loss comes when the inner ear fails to translate these vibrations into a nerve signal for the brain. Mixed hearing loss, as the name suggests, is a combination of both of these problems.

Identifying the type of hearing loss you have is the first step towards regaining control and rediscovering the joy of clear sound.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Treatments for Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Conductive Hearing Loss
Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss
Treatments for Conductive Hearing Loss
Combination Hearing Loss
When Should You Worry About Hearing Loss?

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is fairly common and perhaps explains why you can hear a pin drop but not be able to understand what your friend is saying. Inside the inner ear are tiny cells nicknamed “hair cells.” The so-called hair on these cells is actually tiny filaments called cilia that translate sound vibrations into nerve signals. The cochlear nerve transmits these signals to your brain where they get interpreted into distinct sounds and frequencies.

The better the vibrations are interpreted, the more easily you are able to hear distinctions between sounds such as “D” and “T” or letters like “S”, “H” and “F”. Unfortunately, cilia are extremely delicate and can be harmed by loud noise or other trauma.

Cilia also help your brain determine how loud a sound is, and when both ears are working well, you can determine both where a sound is coming from and how far away it is.

The Most Common Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss happens when the tiny cilia of the inner ear “hair cell” are damaged. Often, this type of hearing loss is gradual, which is why many people associate it with aging. Some animals may be able to regrow these cilia and regain their hearing if the “hair cells” are damaged, but humans do not typically have this ability.

Common causes of sensorineural hearing loss are:

Loud sounds
Head injuries or other trauma
Diseases like diabetes or autoimmune disease
High blood pressure
Some medications

Treatments for Sensorineural Hearing Loss

While there are no current medical treatments to heal cilia, you can successfully treat sensorineural hearing loss with hearing technology such as hearing aids.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Woman getting her ear examined by a doctor

Conductive hearing loss is caused when there is interruption of the vibrating sounds waves in reaching the inner ear and the cilia of the hair cells. One of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss is impacted earwax in the ear canal.

The Most Common Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss

You can get conductive hearing loss from:

Obstructions in the ear canal
Ear infections
Abnormalities in the ear structure, including congenital conditions
Tumors or other growths
Fluid

Treatments for Conductive Hearing Loss

Depending on what’s causing the issue, your hearing specialist might suggest:

Removing earwax or other obstructions
Surgery
Medicine to eliminate inflammation, fluids or infection

Combination Hearing Loss

You may also have a mix of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. For example, you may have some damage to the cilia in your ear and have an obstruction in the canal. A hearing test can help your hearing specialist determine how to best treat your hearing loss and regain your quality of life.

When Should You Worry About Hearing Loss?

If you experience a sudden hearing loss, particularly in one ear, this may represent infection or inflammation. Some causes of sudden hearing loss are treatable if diagnosed early. The longer these are ignored, the greater the chance of permanent damage to the hearing.

If you have any kind of sudden hearing loss, see a hearing specialist or doctor immediately. Even if your hearing loss is caused by a sudden loud noise, your doctor may be able to limit the damage by controlling inflammation.

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