What causes hearing loss?
Hearing loss develops from different causes, depending on whether you have conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, or both, which is called mixed hearing loss.
Conductive hearing loss
This type of hearing loss develops when a problem in your outer or middle ear prevents sound waves from reaching your inner ear. Conductive hearing loss most often occurs due to:
- Impacted earwax
- Perforated eardrum
- Excess fluid in the middle ear
- Outer or middle ear infections
- Bone damage in the middle ear
Most people regain their hearing after treating the underlying problem.
Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs with damage to the sensory cells or the auditory nerve. Specialized cells in your inner ear turn sound waves into electrical signals, then the signals travel through the auditory nerve to your brain.
When damaged, these structures stop functioning, which results in permanent hearing loss. The following problems cause sensorineural hearing loss:
- Aging
- Loud sounds
- Genetics
- Certain illnesses
- Medications
- Autoimmune inner ear disease
- Meniere’s disease
- Otosclerosis
The top causes of hearing loss are aging and exposure to loud sounds.
How is hearing loss diagnosed?
The team at South Bay Hearing and Balance diagnoses hearing loss through a comprehensive hearing evaluation called an audiological exam. Your provider examines your ear and conducts a hearing test that includes one or more of the following:
- Pure tone test
- Bone conduction test
- Tuning fork test
- Speech and word recognition
- Tympanometry test
- Auditory brainstem response test
- Acoustic reflex measures
Your provider only performs the tests you need based on the severity of your hearing loss and the underlying cause.
How is hearing loss treated?
Your treatment depends on the type and cause of your hearing loss. If you have conductive hearing loss, your provider treats the problem. For example, they can easily resolve impacted earwax with an ear cleaning or treat an ear infection.
If you have permanent hearing loss, they prescribe an assistive listening device such as an amplified phone or hearing aid. An earmold can also help prevent further hearing loss if loud noises contribute to the problem.
The team at South Bay Hearing and Balance offers all the different brands and styles of hearing aids and helps you choose the one that works for your hearing needs.
If you notice any change in your hearing, no matter how small it seems, don’t wait to schedule an appointment for a hearing test. Call the office or use the online booking feature today.