Hearing Loss

There are multiple conditions that can lead to hearing loss.

Broadly speaking, hearing loss can be categorized into 2 types, sensorineural hearing loss or conductive hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss refers to hearing loss due to a problem with the transmission of nerve impulses in a variety of anatomic sites, such as the cochlea or the 8th cranial nerve.

Examples of sensorineural type hearing loss include hearing loss due to noise trauma, congenital dysfunction of the hearing nerves and hearing loss from a tumor on the hearing nerve (acoustic neuroma)

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is a failure of the sound impulse to get to the structures that contain the nerves involved in hearing.

Examples of conductive hearing loss include such things as a large clump of ear wax blocking the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear space from a middle ear infection or otosclerosis a disorder involving one of the ossicles (ear bones) of the hearing pathway.

Any sudden onset of hearing loss requires urgent evaluation since for certain types of hearing loss, the chance of recovery of hearing may partly depend on how quickly therapy is instituted. If you do have a sudden change in your sense of hearing, new ringing in the ear or new sense of your ear feeling clogged, please bring this to the attention of our staff when making your appointment.