Hearing loss is labeled in a variety of ways. The exact part of the auditory pathway affected determines the categorization. The hearing loss may be conductive, senorineural, central, functional or mixed. Certain forms of hearing impairment are more treatable than others, and a trained hearing care specialist will be able to show you your choices after an initial evaluation.

Conductive hearing loss – In situations where sound waves are not adequately conducted to the interior of the ear through the parts of the outer and middle ear, conductive hearing loss arises. This is very common and can be due to a buildup of ear wax, a buildup of moisture in the eustacian tube, which keeps the eardrum from moving properly, a middle ear infection, a perforated eardrum, disease of the tiny bones of the middle ear and other obstructions in the ear canal.

Most instances of this type of hearing loss are reversible, assuming there isn’t any irreversible damage to the structures of the middle ear, and with proper treatment the issue usually resolves fairly quickly. In some cases a surgical procedure can help to correct the condition or a hearing aid may be fitted.

Sensorineural hearing loss – This type of hearing loss accounts for more than 90% of the situations in which a hearing aid is worn. Sensorineural hearing loss is the result of damage in the interior of the ear or damage to the acoustic nerve, which keeps sound signals from being transmitted to the brain. Also known as nerve deafness or retrocochlear hearing loss, the damage is more often than not permanent, although improvements in modern technology have made it possible for some previously untreatable cases to see some improvement.

The most common reasons behind sensorineural hearing loss are the aging process, prolonged exposure to noise, complications with blood flow to the inner ear, fluid disturbance in the inner ear, drugs that cause injury to the ear, some diseases, genetics and issues with the auditory nerve.

Hearing aids are adequate for the majority of people that have this kind of hearing loss, but in more serious cases, a cochlear implant can help bring back hearing to those individuals for whom a typical hearing aid is not enough.

Functional hearing loss – An infrequent occurrence, functional hearing loss is not physical. This condition is due to an emotional or psychological condition in which the person’s physical hearing is normal, but they are not able to hear.Central hearing loss – This condition occurs when a problem in the CNS (central nervous system) keeps sound signals from being processed and interpreted by the brain. Affected individuals can seemingly hear just fine, but cannot decode or decipher what the speaker is saying. Numerous cases involve a problem with the person’s capacity to adequately filter rivaling sounds. For example, most of us can hold a conversation while there is traffic noise in the background, but people with central hearing loss have a difficult time doing so.

Mixed hearing loss – As suggested by the term, mixed hearing loss is a mixture of multiple types of hearing loss – conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Though there are a couple of other types of hearing loss, the combination of these two is most common.