Types of Hearing Loss
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Cause: Results from damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve, often due to aging, exposure to loud noise, genetics, head trauma, certain medications, or diseases.
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Symptoms: Difficulty hearing speech clearly, particularly in noisy environments, and reduced ability to hear high-frequency sounds.
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Treatment: Typically permanent, managed with hearing aids or cochlear implants to amplify sound or bypass damaged parts of the inner ear.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Cause: Occurs when sound waves are blocked from reaching the inner ear due to issues in the outer or middle ear, such as earwax buildup, fluid in the middle ear (often due to infections), or abnormalities in the ear structure.
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Symptoms: Sounds may be muffled or faint, difficulty hearing faint sounds, and often temporary if caused by conditions like ear infections.
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​Treatment: Can often be medically or surgically managed, such as through earwax removal or treating infections. Hearing aids may be used if the hearing loss is permanent or cannot be fully corrected.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Cause: Combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, where both the outer/middle ear and inner ear or auditory nerve are affected.
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Symptoms: Combined symptoms of both types of hearing loss, including difficulty hearing faint sounds and speech clarity issues.
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Treatment: Treatment depends on the specific combination of factors causing the mixed hearing loss. May involve medical/surgical interventions for the conductive component and hearing aids or cochlear implants for the sensorineural component.
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