What Is Hearing Loss?

We hear that a lot. The term ‘hearing loss’ is used to describe people who can’t hear as well as others. We also hear that there are different types of hearing loss, and we are told that the only way to treat it is through surgery. This article will discuss some of the causes of hearing loss and what treatments are available.

Hearing loss can be caused by many things. It could be because of age, or a side effect from a drug. If you think that you have been exposed to loud noises, or if you have had a recent ear infection, then you may have experienced temporary hearing loss. This is often referred to as tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

In some cases, a person can lose their hearing without any cause being known. This is called sudden deafness. In this case, the hearing loss is usually temporary, but it can occur at any time. It is not something that is inherited, and it is not caused by exposure to loud noises.

There are many different types of hearing loss. These include:

• · Conductive hearing loss
• · Sensorineural hearing loss
• · Mixed hearing loss
• · Neurogenic hearing loss
• · Otosclerosis

Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is an obstruction in the middle ear, or in the outer ear canal. This type of hearing loss can be caused by a build up of wax in the ear canal, or by earwax that has hardened.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the inner ear is damaged. There are several different causes for this type of hearing loss. Some of them include:

• · Infection
• · Noise
• · Cancer
• · Trauma
• · Birth defects
• · Head injury

Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Neurogenic hearing loss is caused by damage to the nerve that carries sound information to the brain. This type of hearing loss is often caused by diseases such as diabetes, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, or Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Otosclerosis is a bone disease that affects the bones around the middle ear. It causes the bones to thicken and harden, and they can sometimes become infected.

There are other types of hearing loss that do not fit into one of these categories. These include:

• berrant auditory feedback
• denoid hypertrophy
• uditory neuropathy
• hronic otitis media
• ongenital
• evelopmental
• rug induced
• ustachian tube dysfunction
• ibrous dysplasia
• lue ear
• mmune mediated
• nduced
• eningitis
• totoxic
• ernicious anemia
• heumatoid arthritis
• estibular schwannoma

Treatments for hearing loss depend on the cause. Some are more successful than others, and some are not very effective at all. Surgery is one option that is sometimes used, but it does not always work. Hearing aids are another option, but they can be expensive, and they are not always effective.