Hearing loss is a frequent problem that can happen at any age, making verbal communication complicated. The ear is divided anatomically into 3 parts i.e. external, middle, and inner, and pathology donating to hearing loss may hit one or more parts. Hearing loss can be classified as conductive, sensorineural, or both. Leading reasons of conductive hearing loss takes in cerumen impaction, otitis media, in addition to otosclerosis. Leading causes of sensorineural hearing loss takes in inherited disorders, noise exposure, in addition to presbycusis. Understandings of the signs for medical management, surgical treatment, as well as amplification can facilitate the family physician offer more efficient care for these patients.
More than twenty-eight million Americans have some amount of hearing injury. The degree of difference diagnosis of hearing loss can be made simpler by bearing in mind the 3 main categories of loss. Conductive hearing loss takes place when sound conduction is obstructed through the external ear, the middle ear, or both. Sensorineural hearing loss comes about when there is a problem within the cochlea or the neural path to the auditory cortex. Mixed hearing loss is associated conductive as well as sensorineural loss.
Conductive Loss
A conductive loss denotes a decline in sound caused by a problem in the outer or middle ear. Such a loss specifies normal inner ear activity. Possible outcomes of a conductive loss may be: wax in the ear canal, a perforation in the eardrum, or fluid in the middle ear. This sort of loss is typically curable with either medical or surgical interference (Raz & Lustig, 2002)
Sensorineural Loss
A sensorineural loss relates to a problem positioned in the inner ear or alongside the nerve path between the inner ear and the brain. This sort of loss possibly may have been caused by aging, illness or other disease, noise exposure, or it may be linked to a genetic disorder.......