Main Causes of Hearing Loss by Type
Causes and risk factors of hearing loss
There are three different types of hearing loss, and each can have different causes.
Types of Hearing Loss and Their Causes
Hearing loss is not a singular condition. Instead, it is a complex spectrum of conditions with various causes, types, and degrees of severity. It can range from mild to profound, affecting one or both ears, and can be either temporary or permanent.
Below, let’s examine what contributes to hearing loss and explore the varying degrees of hearing loss that you can experience.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) occurs when there is damage to the inner ear and/or the nerves that connect your inner ear to your brain. With this type of hearing loss, sound cannot reach your brain and, therefore, is not perceived or processed.
Sensorineural hearing loss causes include:
- Aging
- Exposure to excessive or loud noise
- Medications that are toxic to your hearing
- Bacterial infections such as meningitis
- Viral infections such as measles or mumps
- Acoustic nerve tumors
- Congenital disorder (being born with SNHL)
Unfortunately, damaged receptors in your inner ear cannot heal themselves, so SNHL is usually permanent. [1] However, hearing aids and cochlear implants can improve your hearing and your quality of life.
While some people with sensorineural hearing loss are born with their condition or develop it gradually, others may experience a sudden onset of hearing loss. Sudden deafness is a medical emergency. You should seek treatment right away, as medical interventions for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) are less effective when treatment is delayed. [2]
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound cannot pass through the outer ear or middle ear to the inner ear. Many times, this is caused by some form of blockage, including:
- Earwax build-up
- Foreign object in the ear canal
- Infections in the ear canal or middle ear
- Perforation or scarring of the eardrum
- Abnormal tumors or growths
Conductive hearing loss, unlike SNHL, may not be permanent. The treatment for conductive hearing loss depends on the underlying condition. If hearing is impacted by earwax or a foreign object, removing it can restore hearing. Damage to the eardrum can heal on its own over time, but abnormalities, such as tumors or growths, typically require surgery. [3]
Mixed Hearing Loss
It is possible to have both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. This is called mixed hearing loss. Causes of mixed loss include any combination of factors that contribute to hearing loss:
- Earwax
- Eardrum damage
- Infections
- Aging
- Exposure to loud noises
- Congenital disorders. [4]
The outlook and treatment depend on the conditions contributing to mixed hearing loss. Resolving issues such as earwax buildup or infections can improve hearing. However, keep in mind that problems contributing to sensorineural hearing loss are usually not reversible and may require the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder
Auditory neuropathy is a rare, congenital disorder that affects hearing. Sound can enter the ear normally, but the inner ear disrupts the nerve impulses that reach the brain. As a result, the brain has trouble interpreting sounds.
Auditory neuropathy has no known cure, but cochlear implants or frequency-modulating listening devices can help some people living with the condition. [5]
Hearing Loss Risk Factors
While aging, loud noises, infections, and injuries can all directly cause hearing loss, several risk factors also increase the likelihood of developing hearing loss. They include:
- Heredity. Approximately 60% of people with congenital hearing loss have a genetic disorder that contributes to their condition. [6]
- Diabetes. 54% of diabetics have hearing loss and over 30% of those with prediabetes have hearing loss. [7]
- Smoking. Hearing loss is more likely if you smoke, but the risk can decrease over time after you quit. [8]
- Hypertension. Because the inner ear is sensitive to blood pressure, hypertension is associated with a greater risk for hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. [9]
Hearing Loss FAQs
Hearing loss is closely linked to numerous other health concerns and serves as an important indicator of overall health. Certain diseases, illnesses, and lifestyle factors can contribute to hearing loss or increase your risk of developing it.
Diseases that Cause Hearing Loss
Other Conditions that Cause Hearing Loss
Lifestyle-Related Hearing Loss
Sources
1. Cleveland Clinic. “Sensorineural Hearing Loss.” Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/sensorineural-hearing-loss
2. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. “Sudden Deafness.” Retrieved from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/sudden-deafness
3. National Library of Medicine. “Conductive Hearing Loss.” Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563267/
4. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. “Mixed Hearing Loss.” Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/mixed-hearing-loss/
5. Better Health Channel. “Hearing loss – auditory neuropathy.” Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/hearing-loss-auditory-neuropathy
6. Boston Medical Center. “Genetic Hearing Loss.” Retrieved from https://www.bmc.org/patient-care/conditions-we-treat/db/genetic-hearing-loss
7. American Diabetes Association. “Diabetes and Hearing Loss.” Retrieved from https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/complications/hearing-loss/diabetes-and-hearing-loss
8. National Library of Medicine. “Cigarette Smoking, Smoking Cessation and Risk of Hearing Loss in Women.” Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7541613/
9. Healthline. “How Hypertension Can Affect Your Ears.” Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension/hypertension-ears
10. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. “Hearing Loss and Multiple Sclerosis.” Retrieved from https://www.nationalmssociety.org/understanding-ms/what-is-ms/ms-symptoms/hearing-loss
11. National Library of Medicine. “Sensorineural Hearing Loss as a Complication of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 Vaccine.” Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10665765/
Good hearing matters
