
Symptoms
Types of hearing loss
- Sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss. ...
- Conductive hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is typically the result of obstructions in the outer or middle ear — perhaps due to fluid, tumors, earwax or even ear formation.
- Mixed hearing loss. ...
Causes
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) results from some form of damage to the sensory organs of the inner ear. SSHL comes on all at once or over the span of a few days, typically affecting just one ear.
Prevention
Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing loss. It is caused by a problem with the tiny bones (ossicles) which transmit vibrations through the middle ear so we can hear sound. Usually both ears are affected in otosclerosis but sometimes only one ear is affected. Otosclerosis affects about 1 or 2 in 100 people in the UK.
Complications
Mostly occur in one ear and its affects the inner ear. Ear infection, high noise, disruption in eardrum, viral infection, and various other causes are responsible for acute sensorineural hearing loss. Many diagnosis tools are available to identify or ...
What are the common causes of hearing loss?
Why does sudden sensoneural hearing loss occur?
Is my hearing loss due to otosclerosis or a virus?
What causes sensory hearing loss?

What are the causes of sensorineural hearing loss?
Causes of Sensorineural Hearing LossIllnesses.Drugs that are toxic to hearing.Hearing loss that runs in the family.Aging.A blow to the head.A problem in the way the inner ear is formed.Listening to loud noises or explosions.
What are the two most common causes of sensorineural hear loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is caused by damage to the structures in your inner ear or your auditory nerve. It is the cause of more than 90 percentof hearing loss in adults. Common causes of SNHL include exposure to loud noises, genetic factors, or the natural aging process.
How do you fix sensorineural hearing loss?
SNHL can be treated with the use of conventional hearing aids or an implantable hearing device. Again, your ENT specialist and/or audiologist can help you decide which device may work best for you depending on your hearing test results and your lifestyle.
What is damaged in sensorineural hearing loss?
Sensorineural deafness is a type of hearing loss. It occurs from damage to the inner ear, the nerve that runs from the ear to the brain (auditory nerve), or the brain.
Can sensorineural hearing loss be restored?
Reversing sensorineural hearing loss Once damaged, your auditory nerve and cilia cannot be repaired. But, depending on the severity of the damage, sensorineural hearing loss has been successfully treated with hearing aids or cochlear implants. There is, however, the possibility that your hearing loss isn't reversible.
Does sensorineural hearing loss get worse?
Yes, a sensorineural hearing loss can get worse. Some types of sensorineural hearing loss develop over time such as an age-related hearing loss, where people typically lose more and more of their hearing ability over time.
Can stress cause sensorineural hearing loss?
To answer the question – yes, stress can cause hearing loss. According to Hearing Consultants, “When your body responds to stress, the overproduction of adrenaline reduces blood flow to the ears, affecting hearing.
Can sensorineural hearing loss be progressive?
Abstract. Progressive sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is defined as hearing loss of unknown etiology with fairly high-speed progression. Its diagnostic criteria consist of the following: that it is 1) progressive, 2) with bilateral involvement, and 3) of unknown etiology.
Is sensorineural hearing loss a disability?
Severe hearing loss is a qualified disability under the Social Security Disability Act, but you must prove to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that you meet all eligibility requirements in order to receive Social Security Disability (SSD).
What parts of the ear are affected by sensorineural hearing loss?
Sensorineural deafness is a type of hearing loss. It occurs from damage to the inner ear, the nerve that runs from the ear to the brain (auditory nerve), or the brain. The ear consists of external, middle, and inner structures. The eardrum and the 3 tiny bones conduct sound from the eardrum to the cochlea.
What factors can lead to sensorineural hearing loss Select all that apply?
Sensorineural loss is the most common type of hearing loss. It can be a result of aging, exposure to loud noise, injury, disease, certain drugs or an inherited condition.
What is SNHL hearing loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) results from damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Causes of sensorineural hearing loss can be age, noise and diseases. The symptoms may vary and depend on the degree of the sensorineural hearing loss and which frequencies are affected by the hearing loss. In this article, you will find detailed ...
Can hair cells be damaged by noise?
However, the hair cells can also be damaged by excessive noise. As a result of prolonged exposure to high intensity noise for example from the work environment or from listening to loud music, sensorineural hearing impairment is becoming more common.
Is sensorineural hearing loss permanent?
Yes, unfortunately a sensorineural hearing loss is permanent as the hair cell in the inner ear cannot be repaired or replaced. And – regardless of whether it is a bilateral or unilateral hearing loss – the hearing does not recover fully or partly over time or by itself. The hearing that is lost is lost permanently.
Can you get inherited hearing loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss can be inherited ( genetic hearing loss) and finally you may lose your hearing ability due to head/ear injuries. A ski slope hearing loss and a cookie bite hearing loss are two classical types of a sensorineural hearing loss. A ski slope hearing loss mostly affects the high frequencies, ...
Can age cause sensorineural hearing loss?
But a sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by other causes as well. Everybody loses some of the tiny hair cells in the cochlea throughout life, while their hearing gradually becomes less precise. This is a natural part of aging. Ageing is one of the major causes of a sensorineural hearing loss. A sensorineural hearing loss caused by age is ...
Can you regain hearing with hearing aids?
People with sensorineural hearing loss cannot regain their hearing, but most people can benefit from hearing aids. A more severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss can be treated with hearing implants. A few cases of sensorineural hearing loss can be (partly) treated by means of surgery.
What is sensorineural hearing loss?
Sensorineural Hearing Loss. A sensorineural hearing loss happens when there is damage in your inner ear. Audiologists can help if you have this type of hearing loss.
Can hearing aids help with SNHL?
This is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. Most of the time, medicine or surgery cannot fix SNHL. Hearing aids may help you hear.
What causes sensorineural hearing loss?
Sometimes, sensorineural hearing loss is not just a result of aging. Some other causes include: 1 Noise exposure 2 Genetic mutations 3 Side effects from cancer treatment 4 Illness
What is the most common form of hearing loss?
Sensorineural Hearing Loss ( SNHL) is the most common form of permanent hearing loss. SNHL results from damage to the hair cells in the inner ear or to the nerve pathways between the inner ear and the brain. Never Miss A Moment.
Can viruses cause hearing loss?
Many viruses are thought to cause inflammation in the inner ear, which can lead to hearing loss. With minor hearing loss, you can take steps to protect your ears from further damage. “If we’re talking about more severe losses, then you need amplification, and the devices today are phenomenal,” Kohan says.
Does cisplatin cause hearing loss?
Side Effects from Cancer Treatment — According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, hearing loss occurs in cancers that are treated with cisplatin, a common cancer therapy medication.
Can noise affect hearing?
Side effects from cancer treatment. Illness. Noise Exposure — Long-term exposure to loud noises damages your ears. This is the most common preventable cause of hearing loss. Cochlear damage can also cause tinnitus or ringing in the ear.
Can you pick your genes for hearing loss?
Genetic Mutations — According to a 2019 article in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, half of all newborns with hearing loss carry a specific gene for deafness. You can’t pick your genes. But, soon it may be possible to fix these genes in the womb.
Does WebMD have a hearing specialist?
Please provide your contact information to allow us to connect you with a hearing loss specialist in your area (all fields are required). WebMD is not affiliated with and does not endorse any particular provider, service, or practice. WedMD also does not provide any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
What does it mean when you have sensorineural hearing loss?
Having sensorineural hearing loss means there is damage either to the tiny hair cells in your inner ear (known as stereocilia), or to the nerve pathways that lead from your inner ear to the brain. It normally affects both ears. Once you develop sensorineural hearing loss, you have it for the rest of your life.
Why do babies have hearing loss?
Some causes include prematurity, maternal diabetes, lack of oxygen during birth, genetics, and infectious diseases passed from the mother to child in the womb, such as rubella.
Why do veterans lose their hearing?
Head or acoustic trauma: Damage to your inner ear also can be caused by a blow to the head or exposure to extremely loud noise, such as an explosion. Many veterans suffer from sensorineural hearing loss due to time they spent around firearms, artillery and jet engines.
What is SNHL hearing loss?
What causes sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)? When it comes to hearing loss, there are three main types: sensorineural, conductive and mixed . Sensorineural is the far more common type of hearing loss, affecting roughly 9 out of 10 people with hearing loss. conversations a struggle to understand.
What are the different types of hearing loss?
When it comes to hearing loss, there are three main types: sensorineural, conductive and mixed . Sensorineural is the far more common type of hearing loss, affecting roughly 9 out of 10 people with hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss can make. conversations a struggle to understand.
How to get better hearing?
If you suspect you may have sensorineural hearing loss, the first step to better hearing is to have a thorough hearing examination from a qualified hearing healthcare professional. They can work with you to determine the cause and extent of your hearing loss, as well as develop an individualized plan to treat it.
Can you get deafness in one ear?
However, in rare cases, people can develop sudden sensorineural hearing loss, leading to sudden deafness in one ear. If this happens to you, it's important to seek medical care right away.
What is conductive hearing loss?
Hearing loss can be broadly separated into two categories: conductive (problems in delivering sound to the inner ear) and sensorineural (problems of the inner ear, or cochlea, and/or the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain). Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) happens when there is damage to tiny hair cells in ...
What is the condition called when the inner ear is snhl?
Congenital inner ear malformation —genetic or environmental abnormalities (very common cause in children) Benign tumor —called “ vestibular schwannoma ,” this is a noncancerous tumor on the adjacent balance nerve that compresses the hearing nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain, causing SNHL. css id:
What causes SNHL?
Sound energy reaches the cochlea, but damaged hair cells are unable to convert sound waves into neural signals that pass through the auditory nerve to the brain. Auditory nerve abnormalities will also cause SNHL.
What is the test for hearing loss?
Once a diagnosis is made, your physician will be able to talk to you about all treatment options. A critical part of the evaluation will be a hearing test (audiogram) performed by an audiologist to determine the severity of your hearing loss, as well as whether it is conductive, sensorineural, or a combination of both.
How to treat Ménière's disease?
Treatment options can include: Continuing observation with repeated hearing tests. Medical therapy — corticosteroids (oral or injection through the eardrum) may be used to reduce cochlear hair cell swelling and inflammation after exposure to loud noises; diuretics may be used for Ménière’s disease. Low-sodium diet.
What is the name of the condition that causes ringing in the ears?
Ménière’s disease —a condition characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, dizziness, ear fullness, or ringing in the ears (called tinnitus) Central nervous disease —damage caused by a condition such as multiple sclerosis. Cochlear otosclerosis —abnormal bone growth in the inner ear.
What causes a ruptured inner ear?
Head trauma or abrupt changes in air pressure —this can cause the space that contains inner ear fluid to rupture. Autoimmune inner ear disease —the body’s immune system attacks the inner ear and causes progressive hearing loss in both ears.
What is sensorineural hearing loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common of the three types of hearing loss (with the other two being conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss).
Book a complimentary assessment for sensorineural hearing loss
Schedule a complimentary hearing assessment to find out if you have sensorineural hearing loss. We can help you understand your condition better and suggest treatment options.
What causes sensorineural hearing loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs by damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear or the auditory nerve. This can happen due to several causes, including:
6 common signs of sensorinerual hearing loss
It can be difficult to identify the signs and symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss. To help you in the process, below are 6 common signs of sensorineural hearing loss:
How is sensorineural hearing loss treated?
Sensorineural hearing loss can most often be treated with hearing aids.
Prevent hearing loss before it impacts you or a loved one
Even if you don't currently have symptoms of hearing loss, you can still be proactive in preventing it. Using hearing protection, such as ear plugs, molds or earmuffs, is one effective way to prevent hearing loss. Wearing this protective gear will help to protect your ears from especially loud sounds, such as :
Oticon Siya
The Oticon Siya hearing aids are equipped with a powerful chip that processes sound 50 times faster than the previous generation.
How to treat sudden deafness?
The most common treatment for sudden deafness, especially when the cause is unknown, is corticosteroids. Steroids can treat many disorders and usually work by reducing inflammation, decreasing swelling, and helping the body fight illness. Previously, steroids were given in pill form.
What tests are needed for sudden deafness?
These tests may include blood tests, imaging (usually magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI), and balance tests.
How long does it take to recover from sudden deafness?
Although about half of people with SSHL recover some or all their hearing spontaneously, usually within one to two weeks from onset, delaying SSHL diagnosis and treatment (when warranted) can decrease treatment effectiveness.
What causes SSHL?
Since so little is known about the causes of most cases of SSHL, researchers are considering different types, risk factors, and causes of SSHL. For instance, researchers are studying how changes in the inner ear, such as disrupted blood flow or inflammation, may contribute to hearing loss. Researchers are also testing new ways to use imaging ...
Can hearing loss occur in one ear?
Another factor to consider is whether hearing loss happens in one or both ears. For example, if sudden hearing loss occurs only in one ear, tumors on the auditor y nerve should be ruled out as the cause. Autoimmune disease may cause SSHL in one or both ears.
Can steroids be administered through the eardrum?
In 2011, a clinical trial supported by the NIDCD showed that intratympanic (through the eardrum) injection of steroids was as effective as oral steroids. After this study, doctors started prescribing direct intratympanic injection of steroids into the middle ear; the medication then flows into the inner ear.
