Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Hearing loss arising in the cochlea or the hearing nerve
Overview
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. It results from damage to the hair cells of the cochlea or to the auditory nerve and its pathways. Causes include ageing, noise exposure, genetic variants, certain infections, ototoxic medications, head injury, and conditions such as Meniere disease. Beyond making sounds quieter, it reduces clarity, so speech can be heard but not understood, especially in noise. Air and bone conduction thresholds are equally reduced on the audiogram. It is usually managed with hearing aids or, when severe, cochlear implants.
Related Topics
Presbycusis
Presbycusis is the most common form of hearing loss and the gradual, usually symmetrical decline in hearing that accompanies agein...
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Noise induced hearing loss is permanent sensorineural hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sound, either a single intense impul...
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a rapid loss of hearing, usually in one ear, that develops over hours to a few days. Common c...
Congenital CMV Hearing Loss
Cytomegalovirus, a common herpesvirus, can pass from mother to fetus during pregnancy, and congenital CMV is the leading non genet...