Learn about all the different types of hearing loss, the different degrees, and solutions for hearing loss. Explore everything about hearing health.

1. HEARING LOSS 101:
TYPES, CAUSES AND
TREATMENTS
presented by QUALITY HEARING CARE

2. CONTENT
WHAT IS HEARING LOSS?
DEGREE OF HEARING LOSS
TYPES OF HEARING LOSS
DIFFERENT CAUSES
SYMPTOMS OF HEARING LOSS
TREATMENTS
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3. 03
F
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What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss is a state where you are
unable to hear whole or partial
sounds. Several triggers may cause
hearing loss such as lifestyle factors,
constant exposure to Loud Noise
and neurotic issues in the body.

4. 04
PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS WAIT AN AVERAGE OF
7 YEARS BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT.
REF: HEALTHY HEARING ARTICLE

5. 05
DEGREES OF
HEARING LOSS
MILD MODERATE
PROFOUND
SEVERE
YOU MAY HEAR SOME
SPEECH AND SOUND BUT
WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY
WITH SOFT TONED SOUNDS.
Difficulty in hearing from a
distance, noisy space, or in a
group.
YOU MAY STRUGGLE TO
HEAR AND UNDERSTAND
SPEECH WHEN SPEAKING
TO SOMEONE.
Difficulty in hearing on a
regaular basis, difficulty in
hearing phone conversations.
YOU’LL HEAR LITTLE-TO-NO
SPEECH WHEN SPOKEN TO
AT NORMAL SOUND LEVELS
AND CAN ONLY HEAR LOUD
SOUNDS.
Difficulty in hearing all kind of
sound, noise and speech.
COMPLETE LACK OF
HEARING. MIGHT HEAR
EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE.
Communication is done in the
form of lip-reading, sign
language, reading/writing.

6. 06
TYPES OF HEARING LOSS

7. SENSORINEURAL
HEARING LOSS (SNHL)
OCCURS DUE TO DAMAGE IN YOUR INNER
EAR OR AUDITORY NERVE
ALSO KNOWN AS NERVE-RELATED HEARING
LOSS
OCCURS DUE TO MISSING OR DAMAGED
COCHLEA’S HAIR CELLS
CAUSED DUE TO GENETIC CONDITION, HEAD
TRAUMA, EXPOSURE TO LOUD NOISE,
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
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8. 08
CAUSES SYMPTOMS
GENETIC ISSUE OR MAYBE AN INFECTION PASSED FROM
MOTHER TO FETUS WHILE INSIDE THE WOMB
TYPICAL AGING (ALSO KNOWN AS AGE-RELATED HEARING
LOSS)
EXPOSURE TO LOUD NOISES ACQUIRED ON THE JOB OR
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
HEART DISEASE
DIABETES
EAR INFECTIONS
MENIERE’S DISEASEA
SIDE EFFECT OF ANY MEDICINES
CANCEROUS GROWTHS IN THE INNER EAR LIKE ACOUSTIC
NEUROMA
TRAUMATIC INJURIES THAT MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE
INNER EAR OR AUDITORY NERVE
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
SPEECH MAY SEEM SLURRED OR MUMBLED
CAN BE CHALLENGING TO FOLLOW A CONVERSATION WHEN MORE THAN
ONE PERSON IS SPEAKING
CONSISTENT RINGING OR BUZZING SOUND IN THE EARS (KNOWN AS
TINNITUS
DIABETES
UNABLE TO HEAR IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS (E.G., TRAIN STATIONS,
CONSTRUCTION SITES, SPORTS ARENAS, ETC.)
DIFFICULTY IN HEARING HIGH-PITCHED SOUNDS
SPECIFIC SPEECH SOUNDS ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND DURING
CONVERSATIONS (E.G., THE “S” OR “TH” SOUND)
THE FEELING OF BEING OFF-BALANCE OR DIZZY

9. 09
COCHLEAR IMPLANT OR USE OF HEARING AIDS
NO MEDICAL OR SURGICAL METHODS TO REPAIR THE HAIR
CELLS OF THE INNER EAR OR THE AUDITORY NERVE
CAN USE ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES SUCH AS ALERTING
DEVICES, VIBRATING ALARM CLOCKS, AND CAPTIONED
PHONES
TREATMENT

10. CONDUCTIVE
HEARING LOSS (CHL)
CAUSED DUE TO BLOCKAGE IN THE MIDDLE
EAR OR THE EAR CANAL
CAUSED DUE TO BONE DEFECT, EARWAX,
FLUIDS, TUMORS
CAN BE CORRECTED WITH SIMPLE PROCEDURES
10

11. Narrowing of the ear canal (Stenosis)
Exostoses (bone-like protrusions developing inside the ear canal
which may cause potential cause blockages)
Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear)
Obstructions by foreign bodies inserted into the ear
Microtia
Injury breach in the tympanic membrane (eardrum) cause
Ear infections or rapid air pressure change
Tympanosclerosis (thickening of the tympanic membrane)
Otitis media (ear infection) or a buildup of fluid in the middle ear
Blockages in the Eustachian tube (connects the middle ear with
the back of the nose and the throat)
Otosclerosis(affects the tiny middle ear bone known as the stapes)
Abnormal growths or tumors forming within the middle ear (e.g.,
cholesteatoma, glomus tumors)
Ossicular chain discontinuity (connection breaks between the
middle ear’s bones caused by injury or substantial trauma)
CAUSES
SYMPTOMS
11
Difficulty in hearing and understanding in one ear
than the other
One or both the ears paining
The sensation of pressure in one or both the ears
Difficult in understanding conversation on the
telephone
A foul odor from the ear canal
Experiencing difference in noises and sounds

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Medical or surgical procedures like extraction of
earwax, antibiotics, or surgical procedures for
hearing loss due to foreign objects, abnormal
growths, wax impaction, or ear infections
Treatable by using standard hearing aid
CHL caused by bnormalities(e.g., exostoses,
otosclerosis, stenosis of the ear canal, and
ossicular chain discontinuity) can be more
difficult to treat medically or surgically and
considered as permanent hearing loss
TREATMENT

13. 13
MIXED HEARING LOSS
CONDUCTIVE DAMAGE IN YOUR OUTER OR
MIDDLE EAR AND SENSORINEURAL DAMAGE
IN YOUR INNER EAR (COCHLEA) OR
AUDITORY NERVE
COMBINATION OF BOTH SENSORINEURAL
AND CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS
CAUSE DUE TO PROBLEMS IN BOTH THE INNER
AND THE OUTER OR MIDDLE EAR

14. 14
CAUSES SYMPTOMS
CAN BE CAUSED DUE TO OLD AGE
GENETIC FACTORS
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
BIRTH CONDITIONS
TUMORS AND OTHER DISEASES
HEAD TRAUMA
EAR WAX
EAR INFECTION
SPEECH MAY SEEM SLURRED OR MUMBLED
CAN BE CHALLENGING TO FOLLOW A CONVERSATION WHEN MORE THAN
ONE PERSON IS SPEAKING
CONSISTENT RINGING OR BUZZING SOUND IN THE EARS (KNOWN AS
TINNITUS)
REDUCED HEARING IN ONE OR BOTH EARS
UNABLE TO HEAR IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS (E.G., TRAIN STATIONS,
CONSTRUCTION SITES, SPORTS ARENAS, ETC.)
COMBINED SYMPTOMS OF SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS (SNHL) AND
CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS (CHL)

15. 15
MAINLY DEPEND ON WHETHER THE DAMAGE IS MORE
SENSORINEURAL OR CONDUCTIVE
SURGICAL PROCEDURE WITH OTHER MEDICAL TREATMENTS
HEARING AIDS OR IMPLANTABLE DEVICES
TREATMENT

16. 16
AUDITORY
NEUROPATHY
SPECTRUM DISORDER
OCCURS TO AN INDIVIDUAL ONLY WHEN THE
AUDITORY NERVE IN THE HEARING SYSTEM
IS EITHER DAMAGED OR MISSING
THE INNER EAR/ COCHLEA WOULD RECEIVE
THE SOUNDS BUT THE BRAIN WOULDN'T
PROCESS THE SOUND DUE TO NEURAL/NERVE
DAMAGE
RARE TYPE OF HEARING LOSS
A.K.A. NEURAL HEARING LOSS

17. Missing auditory nerves in the hearing system of an individual
Damaged hair cells in the inner ear
Damaged Cochlear Nerve
Damged eighth cranial nerve (the combination of the cochlear
and vestibular nerves)
Auditory pathways in the brain stem
CAUSES
SYMPTOMS
17
Mild to severe level hearing loss
Sounds keep fading in and out
Difficult to understand spoken words
Normal hearing with poor speech perception
Unable to perceive speech in noisy environments

18. 18
In some cases, Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI)
may be an option
ABI combined with Lip reading can improve the
communication
Hearing aids or cochlear implants cannot help because
the nerve cannot pass on sound information to the
brain.
TREATMENT
IMAGE CREDIT: UC SAN DIEGO NEWS CENTER

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CONTACT INFO:
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www.qualityhearingcare.com
info@qualityhearingcare.com