Hearing loss is typically classified as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how much of your hearing has been lost. Mild means you can hear a little bit of sounds, moderate is when you can hear a lot of sounds, and severe is when you can’t hear at all. There are three basic types of hearing loss – conductive, sensorineural, and mixed. Each type of hearing loss is caused by a different underlying problem that affects the hearing nerve and/or the cochlea in the inner ear.
What causes hearing loss?
Exposure to loud noises can also cause hearing loss. These can be loud blasts of airborne particles, loud industrial machinery, gunshots, and other noises that pierce the outer and middle ear membranes, vibrating the eardrum.
Conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound waves cannot travel through the ear canal and eardrum to the tiny bones (ossicles) of your middle ear. This can happen for several reasons, such as earwax blockage or damage to the eardrum from fluid or infection.
The ossicles send vibrations to your eardrum, which in turn causes the ear drum to vibrate in response to the sound. This is how sound waves are converted into electrical signals that the auditory nerve transmits to the brain.
Talk to a doctor or audiologist about the best treatment if you’re having trouble with your hearing. You may need hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a type of permanent hearing loss that occurs due to damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the nerve pathways that carry sound signals from the inner ear to the brain.
This type of hearing loss is usually caused by aging, exposure to loud noises, genetics, or certain medical conditions such as Meniere’s disease, ototoxic drug exposure, and head injuries and can range from mild to severe and can affect one or both ears.
Mixed hearing loss
Mixed hearing loss is a type of hearing loss that combines both conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss. It can result from a combination of factors such as aging, exposure to loud noises, genetic factors, or certain medical conditions that affect both the outer or middle ear and the inner ear.
Diseases that can cause hearing loss
Other ear diseases can also cause hearing loss, such as Meniere’s disease, which involves an inner ear disorder resulting in repeated ear pain and balance problems. Some ear infections can result in scar tissue formation inside the ear canal, which interferes with the ability of the ossicles to function properly.
A ruptured eardrum (tympanic membrane perforation) can also cause hearing loss. This can happen when there is a sudden pressure change or when the eardrum is poked with an object.
This type of hearing loss isn’t permanent and can usually be treated with medication, surgery, or a hearing aid. If you have this kind of hearing loss, you may need to wear an earplug at night to help keep out noise.