Download This type of hearing loss is classified as when “the

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Maira Martinez
Mr. Garza
A.P. English Literature
05 January 2014
Types of Deafness
Deafness is partial or complete loss of hearing. There are various types of deafness.
There are also various ways one can categorize the types of deafness. The four main types of
deafness are conductive deafness, sensorineural deafness, mixed deafness, and unilateral
deafness. There is also congenital deafness and adventitious deafness. Congenital deafness is
deafness at birth, while adventitious deafness occurs after birth.
Conductive deafness occurs because of a mechanical problem in the ear. This
mechanical problem can occur either in the outer ear or in the middle ear. Conductive hearing
loss is the result of sounds not being able to pass freely to the inner ear (actionhearingloss.org).
The sounds may not reach the inner ear for many reasons. This may be due to a blockage in
either the inner ear or the middle ear. This blockage can be a build-up of excess ear wax or fluid
from an ear infection. Conductive deafness may also result from a ruptured eardrum. Another
reason conductive deafness may occur is because of an abnormality in the ear. An example of an
abnormality is a condition known as otosclerosis which is when there is “abnormal growth of
bone in the middle ear” (actionhearingloss.org).
This bone excess can cause severe conductive
hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss can either be temporary or permanent and can often be
corrected with medical treatment or minor surgery.
Sensorineural deafness can be referred as sensory, neural, cochlear, or inner ear hearing
loss. This type of deafness can be caused by many different things. Exposure to loud sounds,
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certain drugs, diseases, complications at birth, injuries, tumors, and simple genetics are all
possible causes of sensorineural hearing loss (actionhearingloss.org). This type of hearing loss is
classified as when “the hair cells within the cochlea or the hearing nerve, or both” area damaged
in the ear (actionhearingloss.org). This damage can occur naturally, or can be caused.
Sensorineural deafness reduces an individual’s hearing capacity and reduces the quality of the
sound being heard. Due to this, individuals with this type of deafness may struggle to understand
speech. Once the hairs in the cochlea have become damaged, they will remain damaged for the
rest of the person’s life. There is no current cure for sensorineural deafness.
Mixed deafness is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural deafness
(deafchildworldwide.info). This means an individual has conductive damage in the outer or
middle ear and sensorineural damage in the inner ear or auditory nerve. There are many causes
to mixed deafness. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused due to genetics, overexposure to
loud sounds, certain medications, or simple aging. Both sensorineural and conductive deafness,
also known as mixed hearing loss can be caused by “birth defects, diseases, infections, tumours
or masses and head injuries” (cochlear.com). Depending on the severity of the mixed deafness,
it may able to be treated with medications, surgery, hearing aids, or an implantable bone
conduction hearing system (cochlear.com).
Unilateral deafness is when an individual’s hearing is normal in one ear but suffers from
hearing loss in the other ear. This deafness can range from mild to very severe. Sometimes
individuals with this type of deafness notice that it worsens over time, however, this does not
occur often. There are many causes of unilateral deafness. Sometimes, sudden deafness does
occur, often without any reason. Physical damage to the ear, pressure on the hearing nerve, inner
ear problems (viral or bacterial), diseases, tumors, and head trauma are some of the various
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possible causes of this deafness (singlesideddeafness.com). There are currently no treatments for
permanent unilateral deafness, but there are treatments for individuals who do not suffer from
severe unilateral hearing loss. Individuals with this type of hearing loss may struggle to find
where sounds are located. This type of deafness, however, does not keep a person from learning
to talk. The individual may struggle with language development, but it is not completely
impossible for them to maintain a conversation (American Speech-Language-Hearing
Foundation).
There are various types of deafness’. From conductive to sensorineural to mixed to
unilateral. These types of deafness’ may be congenital which means it was acquired before birth
or at birth. A deafness can also be considered adventitious which means the individual was born
with normal hearing, but at some time in their lives lost their hearing.
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Works Cited
actionhearingloss.org. Types and Causes of Hearing Loss. 2014. 03 01 2014.
<http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/your-hearing/about-deafness-and-hearingloss/types-and-cause-of-hearing-loss/conductive-and-sensorineural-hearing-loss.aspx>.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation. Unilateral Hearing Loss in Children. 2014. 04
01 2014. <http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Unilateral-Hearing-Loss-in-Children/>.
cochlear.com. Mixed hearing loss. 2014. 02 01 2014.
<http://www.cochlear.com/wps/wcm/connect/au/home/understand/hearing-and-hl/whatis-hearing-loss-/types-of-hl/mixed-hearing-loss>.
deafchildworldwide.info. Types of Deafness. 2014. 04 01 2014.
<http://www.deafchildworldwide.info/childhood_deafness/types_of.html>.
singlesideddeafness.com. Single Sided Deafness. 2014. 03 01 2014.
<http://www.singlesideddeafness.com/more_about_ssd.html>.