When most of us think about hearing loss, we may think it’s natural and comes with age. The truth is that hearing loss can affect people of all ages. It also has many different causes. While aging is a main cause, physical damage to the ear or eardrum can cause hearing damage. Understanding the different types of hearing loss that can occur is vital. By doing this, you can better understand how to reverse certain types of hearing loss.
The Three Categories Of Hearing Loss
Audiologists classify hearing loss into one of three different categories. These include:
- Conductive Hearing Loss. Conductive hearing issues are a result of a middle or outer ear problem. Some likely culprits are bone abnormalities, eardrum damage, or blockage. The middle and outer ear is less complex than the inner ear. Because of this, these conditions are simple to treat. They also have a high likelihood of damage reversal.
- Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Sensorineural hearing issues tend to be the most common. This results from unnecessary damage to the auditory nerve located in the inner ear. This area of the ear is very complex and delicate. This makes it more difficult to treat. In general, we cannot reverse sensorineural hearing loss. It’s caused by genetics, loud noises, diseases, and the natural process of aging.
- Mixed Hearing Loss. Mixed hearing loss is when you have both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Those with this type of hearing loss can have damage to all parts of the ear. You can also experience the symptoms of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
Reversing Hearing Loss
As you’ve learned above, you can reverse conductive hearing loss. You can treat most patients with a non-invasive procedure to fix the issue. For example, they may need an ear cleaning. This is to remove the unwanted blockage of ear wax or something similar. We can treat those with sensorineural hearing loss with hearing aids. These individuals will always need to rely on hearing devices. These help people to regain their sense of hearing. There is no permanent fix for sensorineural hearing loss.
A Touch On Tinnitus
Some individuals who experience hearing loss may also experience the symptom of tinnitus. This is a constant ringing noise in the ears. Some may describe the noise as buzzing, chirping, whistling, or even hissing. For some, this may be continuous throughout the day. For others, it may be intermittent. When it comes to treating tinnitus, hearing care professionals can use non-invasive procedures. One of the most popular is sound therapy treatment.
Call Us Today
If you’re experiencing hearing problems, then it’s time to give our office a call. Our knowledgeable staff will diagnose the cause of your hearing loss. We can recommend treatments to get your hearing level back to normal.
