Hearing loss can be categorized into two main types – conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss. It’s important to understand the differences between these two types of hearing loss, so you can seek out the proper treatment if necessary. This blog post will explain the basics behind why you may experience conductive hearing loss and how to seek medical assistance for it.
What is Conductive Hearing Loss?
Conductive hearing loss is caused by an obstruction or problem in the outer ear, middle ear, or Eustachian tube. Obstructions prevent sound from traveling to the inner ear efficiently and can be caused by damage from foreign objects, fluid build-up due to otitis media (middle ear infection), changes to the middle ear structures, or a combination of these factors. Conductive hearing loss affects your ability to hear soft sounds and causes difficulty in understanding speech. It is often accompanied by a feeling of fullness or discomfort in one or both ears.
Symptoms of Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss often feels like having cotton in your ears. Hearing is muffled due to an obstruction of sound reaching the inner ear. In the case of acute otitis media, there may also be ear pain, pressure, or fullness. While conductive hearing loss can affect both ears, it is most common for only one ear to be affected.
Diagnosing Conductive Hearing Loss
To diagnose conductive hearing loss, your doctor or audiologist will likely perform a physical examination of your ears to look for signs of infection or foreign objects in your external auditory canal (ear canal) and external ear (outer ear).
An audiogram (hearing test) is an important test to diagnose conductive hearing loss. A hearing test will determine the softest sounds you can hear, how well you understand speech, and which part of the ear is causing the hearing loss. Depending on the results of the hearing test and exam, your doctor will potentially also imaging tests such as CT scans to further investigate any underlying causes. If necessary, they may refer you to an ENT specialist who can assess your condition more thoroughly and provide treatment options.
Is conductive hearing loss permanent hearing loss?
Conductive hearing loss can be permanent, but in many cases it is temporary. For example, temporary causes of conductive hearing loss can come from impacted wax in the ear or middle ear fluid from an ear infection. In the case of “swimmer’s ear” or otitis externa, the ear canal is swollen and causes a conductive hearing loss. Once the swelling and infection in the external ear canal subsides, hearing will improve.
Can conductive hearing loss be permanent?
In some cases, ear infections are chronic (chronic otitis media). Some tympanic membrane (ear drum) perforations don’t heal and can cause long term mild hearing loss or moderate hearing loss. Aural atresia is another condition that causes a long term conductive component of hearing loss due to an inherited condition, which means that the ear canal does not develop normally.
Who is most likely to get conductive hearing loss?
Conductive hearing loss due to ear infections occurs most commonly in children. Some children have frequent ear infections and need to have PE tubes placed in their ears to help prevent fluid buildup in the middle ear and aerate the middle ear space.
However, older adults can also experience conductive hearing loss due to ear wax impaction or an ear infection. Another cause of conductive hearing loss is from otosclerosis, which is a bony growth of the stapes bone in the middle ear. As we age, age related hearing loss is more common and impacts the inner ear. This type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss. When someone has both conductive hearing loss, for example from an ear infection, and sensorineural hearing loss, this is called mixed hearing loss.
Treatment Options for Conductive Hearing Loss
The type of treatment you receive for conductive hearing loss depends on what is causing it. In many cases, medications such as antibiotics may be prescribed to treat infections that are causing fluid build up in the middle ear space. Surgery may be needed if there is a blockage due to a foreign object or if there has been significant damage to the middle ear structures or bony growth of the ossicles (middle ear bones).
Hearing Aids
A hearing aid is a great option for conductive hearing loss. Imagine wearing an earplug in your ear. Once sound is loud enough, it overcomes the barrier and sound comes through clearly. Why is that? Conductive hearing loss only dampens the sound, unlike sensorineural hearing loss that can affect the clarity of sound due to an impact on the auditory nerve. Therefore, a hearing aid works well for those with conductive loss.
Bone Anchored Hearing Aids
Another option for long-term conductive hearing loss is something called a bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA). This is a hearing aid with a piece that is surgically implanted and integrated in the temporal bone (behind the ear). Another piece attaches to the surgical portion and sends sound to the inner ear, creating a ‘cleaner’ sound.
Conclusion:
Conductive hearing loss can cause hearing difficulty and may need proper medical management, depending on its cause. If you think you may have this type of hearing loss, it’s important to seek medical assistance so that you can get an accurate diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment as soon as possible. With prompt diagnosis and treatment, many people with conductive hearing feel much better and can improve their hearing with one of several solutions.
