Contact Appalachian Audiology | Information for Physicians

Types of Hearing Loss

There are eight types of hearing loss,
seven of which are categorized according
to the part affected along the auditory
pathway.

The eighth type (pseudohypacusis) is not connected specifically to a part of the auditory anatomy.

The eight types of hearing loss are:

1. Conductive – occurs either in the outer or middle ear – common to children and often correctable with medication or surgery.
   
2. Sensory – involves damage in the cochlea, typically the inner and outer hair cells or the stria vascularis in the scala media. Typical causes are presbycusis, noise exposure, ototoxic medications, inner ear infections, and heredity.
3. Neural – affects the auditory branch of Cranial Nerve VIII. Causes include presbycusis, tumors, multiple sclerosis and infection.
4. Sensorineural – this term identifies hearing loss resulting from both sensory and neural sites, even including the brainstem and cortical pathways. In addition to causes previously described, vascular lesions may cause this.
5. Mixed – a combination of conductive plus the others.
6. Brainstem – lesions detected only when the auditory system is affected beyond the cochlea. Hearing tests may indicate normal conductive and cochlear hearing. Causes include vascular accidents, space occupying masses, infection, and demyelinating disease.
7. Cortical – the lesion is in the temporal lobe or the corpus callosum. Causes may include head trauma, vascular accidents, tumors, and infections.
8. Pseudohypacusis – hearing loss is exaggerated by the person. More typically than not, a hearing loss is present in one or both ears, but the responses are exaggerated in severity.

Indications You May Need to See an Audiologist

• Difficulty hearing conversations, especially in the presence of background noise
  
• Frequently asking others to repeat themselves
  
• Misunderstanding what people say
  
• Difficulty hearing on the telephone
  
• Requiring the TV/radio to be louder than others in the room prefer
  
• Feeling that people are mumbling when they are talking
  
• Difficulty hearing certain environmental sounds
  
• Agreeing or nodding your head when you’re unsure what’s been said in conversation
  
• Removing yourself from conversations because it’s too difficult to hear
  
• Reading lips so you can try to follow what people are saying
  
• Straining to hear or keep up with conversations
  
• Experiencing “Ringing In the Ears” (Tinnitus)

You should have your hearing tested by an Audiologist if you are dealing with any of problems.