Types of Hearing Loss

There are three main types of hearing

loss dependent on where the hearing

impairment originates.

Conductive

• Damage in the outer or middle ear. The damage or dysfunction

occurs in the outer visible ear, outer ear canal, ear drum, the

space behind the ear drum, or some combination of these

places.

• Symptoms: Sounds may seem muffled or soft. Ears may feel

plugged or stopped up – similar to the feeling of a head cold.

Sensorineural

• Damage in the inner ear, hearing nerve, or both.

• Symptoms: Hearing, but not understanding. Others appear to

mumble, speak without clarity, or speak too quickly.

Mixed

• Damage to a combination of conductive and sensorineural

areas (both outer/middle ear and inner ear/hearing nerve)

• Symptoms: A combination of conductive and sensorineural

symptoms. Both loudness and understanding will be a problem.

People may be difficult to hear and understand.

There are two other, less common, categories of hearing impairment.

Functional and central. Functional loss is not a true hearing

impairment in the sense of damage or dysfunction of the auditory

pathways. In persons with functional loss, normal hearing is present,

but some underlying psychological, emotional, or psychosocial issue is

to blame for the complaint of decreased hearing sensitivity.

With central loss, normal hearing may also be present, but sound

processing is affected. This interruption of normal sound processing

may lead to similar symptoms of hearing impairment. Treatment for

functional and central losses may be more therapy based than on

traditional hearing aids. Make sure your hearing healthcare

professional explains your hearing loss type, its consequences, and

your options!

For More Information Call Us at 304-933-4329 or Visit http://hearing-

aids-bridgeport-wv.com