Types & Effects of Deafness
| Contents |
[Edit]1 What Is Conductive Hearing Loss?
Conductive Hearing Loss is any loss of sound that is due to interference of sound waves making it through the outer and middle ear sections to the inner ear area. This is the type of hearing loss that can be most successfully treated since greater amplification of sound is usually all that is necessary to return the person's hearing to satisfactory levels.
Conductive Hearing Loss is different from Sensorineural Hearing Loss, which affects the inner ear itself and the nerves found there.
The areas effected by conductive hearing loss are the external ear canal and the middle ear. While the inner ear may be working fine, the sound transmitted is receiving some sort of blockage or obstruction before reaching the delicate mechanisms of the ear drum.
[Edit]2 Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss
The buildup of earwax or other obstructions can interfere with the transmission of sound. Regular cleaning of the ears can avoid such buildups.
Sometimes the buildup of fluid in the Eustachian tube can result in a blockage that keeps sound from being transmitted. This small tube connects the middle ear to the person's throat; it's purpose is to equalize the air pressure inside the ear.
Another common cause of Conductive Hearing Loss is Otitis Externa, commonly called "swimmer's ear". This is when an infection causes the outer ear and the ear canal to swell. This malady usually starts with an inflammation of the skin of the ear canal, sometimes caused by a bacterial or fungal infection.
How Is Conductive Hearing Loss Diagnosed?
There are two main tests that are done to figure out if the hearing loss a person is experiencing is Conductive (outer ear) or Sensorineural (inner ear). These are the Weber and the Rinne tests.
The Weber test involves the use of a tuning fork that is struck as various places hear the patient's ears in an attempt to discover which hear hears the sound of the fork loudest.
The Rinne test determines whether the patient is hearing more through sound waves traveling on the air or through vibrations transmitted through the mastoid bone at the side and base of the skull.
[Edit]3 How is Conductive Hearing Loss Treated?
Conductive Hearing Loss not due to temporary illness or infections can be successfully treated. Medical advances make it possible to either outrightly cure most conductive hearing loss cases involving the middle ear, or at least greatly improve the level of hearing. Since people with conductive hearing loss need amplification of sound more than anything, they benefit greatly from well fitted hearing aids.
