Remember that a comprehensive hearing test is the first step in determining why you are experiencing hearing difficulties. An audiologist is the only professional licensed to diagnose hearing disorders. Once hearing is correctly assessed, options for treatment or management can be discussed.
This type of hearing loss is due to a problem in the outer or middle ear space, which includes the ear canal, the eardrum, or the space behind the eardrum which contains three tiny bones. This type of hearing loss can often be medically treated or corrected, and the patient is referred back to either their primary care provider, or to an ENT (otolaryngologist) for further explanation about treatment. Conductive type hearing loss occurs in approximately 20% of persons with hearing loss.
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The most common type of hearing loss, occurring in nearly 80% of persons, is due to damage of the tiny hair cells in the cochlea. In rare cases, this type of hearing loss is due to a problem on the auditory nerve itself. This type of hearing loss cannot be repaired but can very effectively be treated through the use of a hearing aid, or cochlear implant.
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When both conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss are present at the same time and in the same ear, it is referred to as mixed hearing loss or “combined-type” hearing loss. In this case, there is likely to be damage to the outer or middle ear as well as to the inner ear or auditory nerve.
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