When you think of hearing loss, most likely the first thing to come to mind is someone who has lost their hearing ability through the natural process of aging. Indeed, this is the most common type of hearing loss alongside noise-induced hearing loss. These two form the bulk of cases, and they are two different types of the general category of sensorineural hearing loss.
Let’s take a look at how to define that type of hearing loss, other common forms it can take, and finally what treatment options are available.
Two Main Types of Hearing Loss
Although there are many varieties of hearing loss, as well as congenital hearing impairment that is not considered “loss” in a technical sense, there are two general categories to consider, and they are defined by the location in the ear where the loss takes place. The first is called conductive hearing loss, and it occurs in the outer or middle ear where sound is conducted to the sensitive cells of the inner ear.
Common forms of conductive hearing loss stem from illness or injury, and many of these have remedies. The other major type of hearing loss we’re considering today is sensorineural hearing loss. This form occurs in the inner ear or the auditory neural pathway to the brain. In simplest terms, sound vibrations are able to make their way to the inner ear, but something happens at that location to keep hearing from registering in the brain. Technically, there is a third form of “mixed” hearing loss that is a combination of the two other types.
Common Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss
As we said, the two main causes of sensorineural hearing loss are age-related and noise-induced loss. These two work somewhat differently, but they have much in common. Both occur when the tiny hairlike cells of the inner ear, called stereocilia, are damaged, bent, or broken.
These cells do not regenerate on their own, and it is remarkable how resilient they are to sound given how sensitive they are to subtle differences. These hairlike organelles detect slight changes in vibration and convert that sensation into an electrical impulse that can be detected by the auditory cortex of the brain.
Many factors can get in the way of this process, and the causes are not limited to the natural process of aging or noise exposure. Other common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include disease or infection, head trauma, tumors, or even some medications.
In the last case, these medications are known as ototoxic chemicals, because they are able to cause hearing damage at the same time as having a healing function in another regard. Common ototoxic medications include chemotherapy, and doctors balance the potential benefits against the probability of hearing loss and other serious side effects.
Treatment for Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Given the nature of this condition, researchers have not yet discovered a way to restore the cells of the stereocilia after they have been damaged. Some promising developments have been made in the worlds of drug, gene, and stem cell therapies, but none are known to be effective in humans at this time.
Fortunately, we have amazing technology available to us. We rely on treatment in the form of hearing aids to fill in the gaps in hearing left behind by sensorineural damage. Hearing aids are the most common and effective form of assistance for this type of loss. These devices generally work to turn up the volume on the world, but they are much more nuanced in their approach.
Remarkably, they are able to analyze the sonic environment and use that analysis to customize a hearing profile suited to the needs of the wearer. Some people struggle with speech identification, and hearing aid developers have developed technology to do just that. Others find that raising the volume of background noise actually gets in the way of the hearing process, so these devices can isolate the sound of a speaker standing right in front of a person or even in the periphery.
Other assistive devices exist for sensorineural hearing loss, but hearing aids are the most common and tend to be effective for the broadest range of the population. If you are concerned about sensorineural hearing loss, don’t delay contacting us for a hearing assessment!