Types of Hearing Loss
There are 3 main types of hearing loss:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (Nerve Damage)
The inner ear is unable to properly transmit sound to the brain. The hair cells inside the inner ear (especially those for high frequency hearing) have withered due to age, noise exposure or ototoxic reactions to medications, and no longer pick up sounds properly.
- Conductive Hearing Loss
Sound is partially obstructed in the outer or middle ear, before being transferred to the inner ear. Sometimes this can happen from something as simple as a little wax in the ear canal and sometimes it can be caused by medical pathology.
- Mixed Hearing Loss
This is a combination of conductive loss and a sensorineural loss.