To understand the different types of hearing loss, it’s essential to know the components of the ear and how they work together to help us hear. Let’s examine that process.
The Outer Ear
The outer ear is comprised of your pinna, which is the part of your ear you can see on the side of your head, and the ear canal. It is composed of cartilage and tissue, allowing it to retain its shape while remaining flexible. The pinna collects and funnels sound waves, like those created by speech or squirrels in Dove Park, into the ear canal. It also helps you localize sounds and determine their direction of origin.
The Middle Ear
The middle ear begins at the eardrum, a thin membrane that vibrates in response to sound waves striking it. Different pitches of sound affect how the membrane moves. Next, the soundwaves travel through the ossicles—three tiny bones called the malleus, stapes and incus. These bones form a chain that connects the eardrum to the inner ear, channeling sound waves through it.
The Inner Ear
The inner ear houses hearing and balance organs, including the cochlea, which enables you to hear, and the semicircular canals, which allow you to balance. The cochlea is a snail-shaped structure filled with fluid and lined with tiny hair cells. When vibrations pass through the fluid, it stimulates the hair cells, which convert them into electrical impulses. Different hair cells convert different pitches. The electrical impulses then travel along the auditory nerve to the auditory centers of the brain, which interprets them as sound.
Types of Hearing Loss
There are three types of hearing loss, each of which affects a different part of the auditory system.
- Conductive hearing loss. A problem with the outer or middle ear causes conductive hearing loss. Potential issues include a congenital deformity of the pinna or an ear infection that causes fluid buildup in the middle ear.
- Sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss arises from damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. Possible causes include exposure to loud noises, taking ototoxic medications or cardiovascular problems that affect the blood supply to the inner ear.
- Mixed hearing loss. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural issues.
For more information on how hearing loss arises or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Heard It Through The Grapevine Audiology, PC today.