Hearing - Harbin Clinic

Patient Portal

There are two types of hearing loss – conductive and sensorineural.

When to get a Hearing Evaluation?

Adults who have one or more of the following signs or symptoms

Friends or family suspect hearing trouble
Loss of clarity or muffled speech
Diizziness, vertigo, or unsteadiness
Hear ringing, buzzing, roaring or hissing in one or both ears (tinnitus)

Pain in one or both ears
Withdraw from conversation
Avoid social settings
Difficulty following conversation, especially when in a group

Children who display one or more of the following

Poor speech
Speech or language delay
Turning TV up louder than normal
Inattentive

Does not startle to loud sound
Does not respond when spoken to
Responds inappropriately

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is dampened on its pathway to the inner ear. This type of hearing loss can often be corrected medically or surgically.

Some of the causes of conductive hearing loss include:

Ear infection (otitis media)
Fluid in the middle ear from colds
Poor eustachian tube function
Scarring on the eardrum from repeat infections or ear surgery
Allergies
Hole in the eardrum

Swimmer’s ear
Foreign object(s) stuck in the ear canal
Absence or malformation of the outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear
Damage to the tiny bones (ossicles) in the middle ear
Benign tumors
Impacted earwax (cerumen)

TREATMENTS

One of the treatments for conductive hearing loss is ear tubes. To learn more about ear tubes, click here.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with the sensory cells in the inner ear or along the pathway from the inner ear to the brain or in the brain. This type of hearing loss often cannot be reversed. Hearing aids are usually very helpful for this type of loss.

Some of the causes for this type of hearing loss include: