Types of hearing loss
To understand hearing loss requires a basic understanding of how we hear
Your outer ear acts like
a dish that collects sound waves. These sound waves travel along the ear canal and vibrate against the
ear drum.
Middle ear
In the middle
ear, three tiny bones (the smallest in the body) transfer vibrations to the fluid-filled cochlea in
the inner ear. This creates ripples in the fluid, which bend the hair cells in the cochlea.
This
movement, in turn, is converted into electrical impulses that are carried through the auditory nerve
to the brain, where they are translated into meaningful information.
As
you can see, hearing is a complex process. As with any such process, things can go wrong.
The
most common types of hearing loss are:
Sensorineural loss the most common type
of hearing loss, occurs when the nerve endings in the inner ear are not transmitting sound properly,
often as a result of damage to the hair cells in the cochlea. This damage can by caused by a number
of things, including noise, or a natural withering of the cells (presbyacusis) that comes with age.
Sensorineural loss cannot be cured medically, but it can usually be improved through the use of hearing
instruments.
Conductive loss occurs when sound is not being sent properly
to the inner ear due to some “mechanical” problem. Conductive loss is often the result of damage or
blockage in the middle ear. In most cases, conductive hearing problems can be corrected medically.
