Types of hearing loss
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Occurs due to damage to the inner ear or the hearing nerve.
- Conductive Hearing Loss: Caused by blockages or damage in the outer or middle ear.
- Mixed Hearing Loss: A combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
Treatment options depend on the type of hearing loss you have, which may include earwax removal, hearing aids, or medical intervention.
Visit a hearing clinic near you to diagnose your hearing loss and receive personalized treatment.
What are the main types of hearing loss?
The main types are differentiated based on which part of the ear is damaged:
- Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner ear or hearing nerve. This prevents the damaged area from properly transmitting sound to the brain.
- Conductive hearing loss is caused by damage in the external and/or middle ear and, in most cases, it is medically treatable.
- Mixed hearing loss - In some cases, both aspects of sensorineural and conductive are present; this is referred to as mixed hearing loss.
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Your answers indicate that you experience symptoms of hearing loss. We strongly recommend booking a hearing test at one of our clinics.
The result is an indication. An in-person hearing test can determine if you have a hearing loss.
Your Result:
We recommend a hearing test
Your answers indicate that you experience some symptoms of hearing loss. We recommend booking a hearing test at one of our clinics.
The result is an indication. An in-person hearing test can determine if you have a hearing loss.
Your Result:
We could not determine whether you need a hearing test
Your answers do not indicate that you experience symptoms of hearing loss. However, if you experience trouble hearing, we recommend booking a hearing test at one of our clinics.
The result is an indication. An in-person hearing test can determine if you have a hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss (or sensorineural deafness) is the most common type. When experiencing sensorineural hearing loss, sounds may be unclear or difficult to hear. Voices in conversation may be distorted, and it may seem like others are mumbling.
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss
- The natural aging process (age-related hearing loss / presbycusis)
- Excessive exposure to noise (noise-induced hearing loss).
Treating sensorineural hearing loss
This type is often treated with hearing aids.
Conductive hearing loss
This type is usually a result of a disruption to the sound's path as it travels from the outer/middle ear to the inner ear.
Causes of conductive hearing loss
This type of hearing loss can also be caused by an obstruction in the ear canal, such as ear wax or liquid preventing sound from reaching the ear drum.
Treating conductive hearing loss
Treatment for conductive hearing loss includes: ear wax removal, medical treatments, and surgical treatments.
Other types of hearing loss
There are other ways to describe hearing loss types. For example:
- High or low-frequency: Indicates whether you are unable to hear high or low-pitched sounds (i.e. high frequency hearing loss means you cannot hear high-pitched sounds)
High frequency hearing loss
Low frequency hearing loss
- Unilateral or bilateral: Indicates whether one (unilateral) or both (bilateral) ears are affected by hearing loss.
Bilateral
Unilateral
- Progressive or sudden hearing loss: Indicates whether the it happens quickly or gradually over time.
- Acquired or congenital: Indicates whether your hearing was present at birth or acquired at a later stage in life.
Ear Infections and Hearing Loss
Ear infections can result in hearing loss as they can cause harm to the delicate structures within the ear. This hearing loss is most often temporary but can be permanent in some cases. Ear infections can affect either the outer, middle or inner ear or any combination of the three. One important component affected by severe infections or loud noises is the auditory nerve, responsible for transmitting sound signals to the brain. Disruption of this transmission can lead to impaired hearing. Moreover, prolonged exposure to loud sounds has the potential to cause irreversible noise-induced hearing loss by damaging the sensitive hair cells in the inner ear. To address hearing loss caused by ear infections, nerve damage, or loud sounds, it is crucial to select the appropriate hearing aids.
Tinnitus: ringing in the ears
Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing, whistling, roaring, hissing sound in the ear that only you can hear. Tinnitus affects 15-20% of people, and it is very often one of the first signs of hearing loss.
The most common cause is exposure to excessive noise, which damages the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. The sound of tinnitus is the result of your brain trying to compensate for the loss of hair cells. The brain misinterprets the reduced signals from the ear, resulting in a perception of sound, or tinnitus.
Katie graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Degree, with Distinction, from the University of Western Ontario in 2006, followed by a Master's degree in Audiology from the same institution in 2008. Upon completing her studies, she began providing hearing healthcare as an Audiologist at various HearingLife clinics in the Waterloo Region, eventually settling at the Cambridge HearingLife clinic, where she has helped her clients experience better hearing for over 13 years.
Alongside her role as Senior Manager, Audiology at HearingLife, she has been a Part-Time Professor at Conestoga College in the Hearing Instrument Specialist program since 2019, teaching both Clinical Principles 1 and 2 courses.
Last reviewed 2024-12-16
Sources
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes
2. David M Baguley, Mechanisms of tinnitus, British Medical Bulletin, Volume 63, Issue 1, October 2002, Pages 195–212, https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/63.1.195
