What Are The Causes Of Loss Of Hearing?

There are about 9 million people who have suffered some sort of hearing loss. It mostly happens gradually as a natural part of the ageing process. According to BUPA, over half of people over 60 have some form of hearing loss.

The ear is able to pick up sound in the form of waves and converts them into electrical signals which are then sent to the brain. These are then translated into meaningful information.

There are many different causes of hearing loss, and these can be divided into two categories - conductive and sensorineural.

Conductive hearing loss is caused by anything that interferes with the transmission of sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. Causes include middle ear infections, collection of fluid in the middle ear (glue ear), blockage of the outer ear (ear wax) and damage to the ear drum through infection or injury.

Sensorineural hearing loss is due to damage to the pathway for sound impulses from the hair cells of the inner ear to the auditory nerve and the brain.

This type of hearing loss incurs due to natural age-related hearing loss, injury to the hair cells caused by loud noise, inner ear viral infections, some drugs that can affect the hair cells, a brain tumour, a stroke, viral infections of the auditory nerve.

Hearing loss can be very gradual, but there are tests that can be done to establish the cause and thus the treatment available.

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