Echo Audiology: Hearing & Audiology Clinic Orléans

Learn the 3 Types of Hearing Loss and How You Can Address It

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss typically produces a decrease in the perception and understanding of sound, particularly under challenging listening conditions such as background noise. The perception of both simple and complex sounds (ie: speech and music) is usually affected. Hearing loss may also be associated with different types of health problems. Essentially, there are 3 types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing losses occur when sound is not conducted efficiently though the ear canal, ear drum or middle ear. People usually experience a decrease in volume, due to the disruption of the transmission of the sound. This type of loss can be temporary or permanent, depending on its cause. Some examples of these are: foreign object in the ear canal (wax or other), perforation or damage to the eardrum, middle ear infections, injury or disease of the small bones in the middle ear, etc. Regardless of the cause, further medical investigation is often required to determine the best course of treatment.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing losses occur due to damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the hearing nerve. People typically notice a reduction in volume, a distortion in clarity and sometimes a greater sensitivity to loud noises. Some examples of causes of SNHL are aging, exposure to loud noise, viral or bacterial infections and medication. Since this type of hearing loss is typically permanent, the best solution is often amplification or in other words, hearing aids. It is also important to treat it sooner rather than later, to keep stimulating the hearing structures and the brain. Simply put, the sooner it is treated, the better!

Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing losses occur when someone has a combination of a conductive hearing loss and a sensorineural hearing loss. As an example, someone who has a disorder of the middle ear bones and an age-related hearing loss may have a mixed hearing loss. For some, further medical investigation is needed. For others, it can be treated as if it was a permanent hearing loss, therefore hearing aids can be recommended as part of the rehabilitative solution.

Unilateral Hearing Loss (hearing is normal in one ear only)

A unilateral hearing loss is not classified as a type of hearing loss. However, it is not something to dismiss! A lot of people who have hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the other, can experience many hearing difficulties in their daily life (speech at a distance, background noise, localizing sounds, detecting speech in the “bad” ear, etc.) It is also common for these people not to report it, which is unfortunate as the loss often requires further medical investigation. It is also common for people to believe that nothing can be done to improve this type of hearing situation. This is false. There is almost always something that can be done to help better one’s hearing.

If You Have Hearing Loss…

Understanding hearing loss can be complicated but receiving help from our Audiologist at Echo Audiology is not. If you’re having trouble hearing – or if people are telling you that you are – contact Echo Audiology, your Orléans hearing clinic. We will simplify the science and supply you with recommendations and solutions.
Hearing loss is serious. At Echo Audiology, your Orléans hearing clinic, we take your hearing loss seriously too, but we also make it fun, easy & simple for you. Contact our Audiologist today to schedule an appointment so you can start addressing your hearing loss now.

Our Audiologist and her team at Echo Audiology are always happy to talk science with you. Better yet, we will help you improve your ability to hear and guide you along the way.

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