Types of Hearing Loss
Do you feel like your hearing is deteriorating?
Hearing loss can be broadly classified into two main types: sensorineural and conductive. Understanding these types can help in identifying the best treatment options and improving quality of life.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the hearing nerve (cochlear nerve) or the brain. This type of hearing loss is often permanent and can result from various factors including ageing, exposure to loud noises, or certain medical conditions. The most common form of sensorineural hearing loss is age-related hearing loss, also known as presbyacusis.
With sensorineural hearing loss, the primary treatment involves the use of hearing aids. These devices amplify sound and help individuals hear better. Unfortunately, there are currently limited other treatment options for this type of hearing loss.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound waves from the external environment are unable to reach the inner ear. This blockage can be caused by various factors such as earwax buildup, infections, fluid in the middle ear, or structural problems. Conductive hearing loss can often be temporary and is sometimes reversible with proper medical intervention.
You can experience a mild form of conductive hearing loss by occluding your ear canals with your fingertips. It will sound as if you are underwater or distant from the source of the sound.
Conductive hearing loss is the type of hearing loss that can normally be repaired with help from an ENT consultant surgeon. Below is a list of the common causes of conductive hearing loss:
- Earwax blockage
- Infections blocking the ears with swelling or discharge debris (otitis externa or otitis media)
- Foreign body in the ear canal (like a cotton bud tip or something similar)
- Fluid in the middle ear (often due to colds or allergies) also called "Glue ear"
- Ear Drum Hole - (tympanic perforation)
- Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (a feeling like you need to pop your ears to hear properly)
- Damage to one of the bones of hearing (Dislocated ossicle from a head injury, damage from a previous operation, cholesteatoma).
- Otosclerosis (a bit like arthritis of one of the bones of hearing causing it to seize up and stop moving.)
- Cholesteatoma (a disease that causes recurrent infections and hearing loss – should be treated as soon as possible)
This is by no means a full list of causes, but it does highlight the more common ones. The good news is that most of these causes are treatable without the use of hearing aids afterwards (assuming that the nerve of hearing is good).
Tympanoplasty (Myringoplasty)
This is an operation to close a hole in the ear drum. There are many different ways of performing this operation, but generally Mr Vik Veer prefers to avoid any scars around the ear, keeping all the incisions within the ear canal. This seems to be less painful for patients and also avoids shaving any hair or leaving any scars.
Cholesteatoma Surgery – Mastoidectomy
Cholesteatoma is a mass which slowly damages the bones of hearing in most cases. Fixing the damage afterwards is difficult as normally reconstruction of these millimetre sized bones is required. Mr Vik Veer prefers to use techniques developed by Mr John Hamilton in Gloucester which aim to avoid removing the bones at all. The cholesteatoma is removed with a laser but the vital hearing structures are kept in place. This procedure is not possible in more advanced disease so a more standard operation is used in these cases.