FAQs Common Causes of Hearing Loss
The causes are many and varied and, therefore, so are the recommended treatments. In general, one may think of the ear in three parts: the outer ear (earlobe), the middle ear (behind the eardrum and communicating with the throat by way of the eustachian tube), and the inner ear (in the temporal portion of the skull.
Outer ear - injury, infection, foreign body and/or wax blockage may all cause a loss of hearing.
Middle ear - fluid behind the eardrum, whether from infection or not, may cause a conductive hearing loss.
Inner ear - any damage to the "ear nerve," whether it be from hereditary factors, trauma (physical or acoustic), infection, tumor or aging, may cause a "nerve" hearing loss.
Outer and middle ear hearing loss usually are of the conductive type, and when the sound is made louder, usually hear very well.
In contrast, inner ear "nerve loss" hearing loss does not do as well with amplification of sound, and the hearing usually shows some perceptible loss to the individual.
Treatment, of course, consists of attending to the medical problem first, if possible, and then recommending something to amplify the sound, as well. It is important to state that the younger the individual, the more urgent it is to correct the hearing loss in order to prevent more permanent problems.
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