Types of Hearing Loss

The most common cause of hearing loss is age. Hearing loss typically affects both ears, and it develops so gradually that many are unaware of it occurring. An estimated one third of adults aged 65 or older experience presbycusis, age-related hearing loss. 

However, many other factors can contribute to hearing loss, including constant, cumulative daily noise exposure; hereditary factors; changes in the blood supply to the ear due to heart disease, high blood pressure, vascular conditions and circulatory problems; ear infections; excessive ear wax; otosclerosis; ear or head trauma; and side effects of some medications.   

Hearing loss is divided into three separate categories:

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss 
  • Sensorineural is the result of damage to the inner ear nerves.  
    • Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), noise-induced hearing loss, and single sided deafness (SSD) fall into this category.  
    • Additional causes of sensorineural hearing loss include viruses or disease, malformation of the inner ear, Meniere’s disease and benign tumors called acoustic schwannomas.  
• Conductive Hearing Loss 
  • Conductive is the result of obstructions in the outer or middle ear.  
    • Conductive hearing loss can be caused by ear infections, colds, allergies, impacted earwax, foreign objects in the ear canal, perforated eardrums, poor Eustachian tube function and malformation of the outer ear or middle ear, including the ear canal.  
• Mixed Hearing Loss 
  • Mixed hearing loss is a combination of the other two types; this means that in one ear you have an issue with the outer or middle ear and the inner ear. 
    • Individuals with this type of hearing loss have damage to their outer or middle ear as well as their inner ear or auditory nerve.  

Call Chelmsford Hearing Group at (978) 256-3219 or Nashua Hearing Group at (603) 594-3024 for more information or to schedule an appointment.