Has your hearing clarity been fading, even amid seemingly loud conversations? Or perhaps certain voices and frequencies now confuse your ears? Many people encounter hearing difficulties as years accrue, but take heart: advanced audiology services such as testing and treatment diagnose and treat the root causes behind your hearing loss.

Read on to learn more about the various forms of hearing impairment and how compassionate audiologists can help you hear clearly again soon.

Three Common Types of Hearing Impairment

1. Sensorineural Loss
This hearing loss type arises from damage within the delicate nerves of the inner ear, which can hinder the appropriate transmission of sound signals to the auditory cortex. Contributing factors include aging, noise overexposure, infections, trauma, and lesions. The resultant hearing distortion often manifests as difficulty detecting faint sounds and tracking speech, especially with background noise.

Audiologists can fit advanced hearing aids to amplify and clarify remaining sound information. They may recommend cochlear implants to bypass damaged hair cells for severe cases.

2. Conductive Hearing Loss
This category points to obstruction or injury along the physical pathways funneling sound vibrations from the outer to the inner ear. Culprits include earwax blockages, otitis media, punctured eardrums, bone growths, congenital ear deformities, and similar mechanical barriers. Individuals with conductive loss commonly experience muffled audio reception and abnormal loudness perception.

Audiologists can remove obstructions like earwax buildup. They may refer to ENT specialists to treat the underlying cause of recurring issues like ear infections.

3. Mixed Hearing Loss
As implied, this refers to combined conduction defects and sensorineural damage. For example, aging-related inner ear decline coupled with occluded external auditory canals.

Audiologists customize treatment to address both components, which may include:

  • Hearing aids to amplify sound
  • Removing obstructions
  • Collaborating with specialists
  • Communication strategies
  • Ongoing monitoring

The goal is to restore hearing function as much as possible by treating the sensorineural and conductive deficits uniquely compromising each patient’s audio clarity. Audiologists tailor mixed loss intervention to individual needs.

Take Charge of Your Hearing Health
Hearing loss, however gradual, undermines workplace productivity, social connections, and safety. It affects more than just the physical ear mechanisms; it also takes a toll on emotional and psychological health.

If you notice a potential auditory decline in yourself or your loved ones, the wise first step is contacting audiologists or a hearing doctor for a comprehensive exam. Contact the specialists at Central Texas Sinus & Allergy today to schedule an appointment.