We’ve written before about conductive hearing loss, which is treatable, and sensorineural hearing loss, which is not.

What happens when you have both?

The result is a condition known as “mixed hearing loss.”

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds are not properly conducted from the outer ear drum to the ear canal and ossicles (tiny bones of the middle ear).  This can be caused by foreign object, an excess of wax, infection or malformation. Generally, some faint hearing is retained.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or the nerve pathways from there to the brain. It is irreversible. Causes include trauma, viruses, prolonged noise exposure, and, of course, aging.

Sometimes both types of hearing loss occur in conjunction. This condition is known as “mixed hearing loss.” In mixed hearing loss, there is damage to the outer ear or canal and the inner ear or nerve pathways. The conductive hearing loss may still respond to treatment.

What is it like to have deafness in only one ear?

When one ear has deafness, it can be very difficult to balance hearing – resulting in difficulty measuring localized sound. The unaffected ear sometimes needs to work harder, which can be extremely dangerous in urban environments–background noises like when crossing the street could be disastrous.

To understand how one feels with unilateral deafness, you can perform a simple test. Take a cup and cover one ear with the open end, and as the ear is covered to try to have a conversation with someone or try to listen to a conversation. It will be much harder to understand just about everything that people are saying and it will only help slightly to turn your head towards the person.

Unilateral hearing loss can occur as a result of either conductive or sensorineural hearing loss. If the former, then it may be medically curable and most of the hearing loss may be restored. If it is sensorineural hearing loss, then it will not be so simple to solve the hearing problem. The best option would be to see the audiologist to diagnose the hearing loss and determine the best options to help combat it.

The question now we all have to ask is, how this hearing loss affects individuals who have it and what can be done to treat this hearing loss?

Thanks to our improvements in technology, now sensorineural loss can be treated more properly. Patients can still lead excellent lives and not have to worry about being at a disadvantage when it comes to their hearing.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the auditory nerves are damaged or weakened. This can be the result of a trauma such as a sudden loud noise. It can also be caused by continual loud noises. Many people who work in loud environments such as airport and construction sites are in relative danger of such hearing loss.

However sometimes it is a genetic or inherited problem. Before hearing aid technology or any technology used to combat hearing loss, it was very difficult to assist this type of hearing problem. Fortunately, thanks to drastic improvements, it can now be combated more readily.

Since this is a non-reversible hearing loss, the loss will unfortunately be permanent. However, with the advancement in hearing aid technology the digital hearing aid is rather useful. It would be able to amplify sound strong enough for the nerves to react. The other option is the cochlear implant which can give electric stimulation to the nerves helping improve hearing in those with profound or severe hearing loss. So while this may be a horrible loss, audiologists, ENT’s and anyone else in the audiology field alike will assure you that you have many options to help combat your hearing loss.

» Does your child not respond to your voice if you speak at a normal level?

» Does your child react less to noise and more to movements?

» Around 18 months old, was your child unable to say basic words such as, “mama,” and “dada?”

Again, if you answer yes take them to see an audiologist as soon as possible. Most people do not realize how critical hearing is to the process of learning and proper development in children. It is critical for the parents to take them to see an audiologist at the earliest sign and to describe the situation as clearly as possible to an audiologist. If not diagnosed, the child may suffer from hearing loss affecting them physically, but also hindering their abilities in future. So if anyone ever tells you audiologists are only for the elderly you let them know the truth.