There are many types of hearing loss, and each type affects individuals in different ways.
At Harbor Audiology and Hearing Services, we prescribe treatment based on the type and severity of your hearing loss. We serve patients in Gig Harbor, Tacoma and the surrounding Washington communities.
Your type of hearing loss can be separated into three different classifications: conductive, sensorineural and mixed.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
This type of hearing loss most frequently occurs within the inner ear rather than the hearing nerve. Some causes of acquired sensorineural hearing loss are:
- Noise exposure
- Head trauma
- Autoimmune inner ear disease
- Hereditary hearing loss
- Aging (presbycusis)
- Malformation of the inner ear
- Meniere’s Disease
Conductive Hearing Loss
This occurs when the outer or middle section of the ear prevents sound from being transferred to the inner ear. The most common causes of conductive hearing loss are:
- Allergies
- Impacted ear wax
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Poor Eustachian tube function
- Benign tumors
- The presence of a foreign body
- Perforated eardrums
- The malformation of the outer or middle ear or ear canal
Mixed Hearing Loss
The combination of both conductive and sensorineural factors, mixed hearing loss usually occurs when a person has permanent sensorineural hearing loss and then develops temporary conductive hearing loss.
During your visit to Harbor Audiology, one of our professionals will perform a complete hearing evaluation to diagnose the type and severity of your hearing loss. Call the Gig Harbor location at 253-203-6641, Tacoma location at 253-617-7160 Silverdale location at 360-692-6650 or contact us online to learn more.