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Causes of Hearing Loss

There are two main types of hearing loss; these are conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.

Causes of conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds cannot pass from the outer ear to the inner ear, thus weakening audiology. This may happen for several reasons, including:

  • Infection
  • Glue ear: glue ear is a condition that is common amongst young children and occurs when fluid collects in the middle ear
  • Excess ear wax
  • Ruptured eardrum
  • Otoscelorosis: this is a condition that occurs when bone starts to develop in the middle ear

Causes of sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the auditory nerve is damaged or the sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea are damaged. Possible causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:

Ageing

There are many possible causes of hearing and audiology loss; the most common cause of hearing loss is ageing. Most people have their hearing capacity decrease slightly from the age of 30-40. Hearing loss then increases as the individual ages and by the age of 80 years old, the majority will experience a significant loss of hearing. Age-related hearing impairment is known as presbycusis. Presbycusis occurs when sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea incur trauma or expire. Most people tend to struggle with soft and high-pitched noises and consonants including s, k, t, p and f.

Acoustic trauma

Acoustic trauma is the name given to hearing or audiology loss that is associated with long-lasting contact with loud noises and sounds. Prolonged exposure to loud noises can damage the fragile structures inside the ear and the cells inside the cochlea become inflamed. The degree of loudness and duration of exposure to noise are key factors in hearing loss. People who are exposed to loud noises for long periods of time have a higher chance of suffering from hearing loss than those who only come into contact with loud noises for short intervals now and again. Individuals who are prone to acoustic trauma include:

  • People who work in noisy environments, including those who operate in bars and nightclubs, constructions workers and musicians
  • People who listen to very loud music on a regular basis through their earphones
  • People who work with noisy equipment, such as pneumatic drills and heavy machinery

Other causes include:

  • Meniere’s disease: this is a condition that affects a part of the inner ear known as the labyrinth
  • Viral infections of the inner ear (such as measles and mumps) and auditory nerve (such as mumps or rubella)
  • Meningitis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Encephalitis
  • Certain types of medication, such as cytotoxic medication, which is a treatment for cancer, is also able to result in sensorineural hearing loss because they can damaged the auditory nerve or the cochlea.
  • Stroke