Depending on the type of hearing loss, the causes of the hearing loss can differ. The most common causes for each type of hearing loss will be discussed.
Conductive hearing loss
Outer ear (visible outer part of the ear and the ear canal)
Malformation of the outer ear or ear canal
Earwax
Infection in the ear canal
Foreign objects stuck in the ear canal
Blockage of the ear canal
Middle ear (eardrum, three little bones and Eustachian tube)
Perforated eardrum ?Hardening of the three bones (otosclerosis)
Fluid in the middle ear (“glue ear”)
Middle ear infection (otitis media)
Damage to the three bones (can be due to serious infection or trauma)
Eustachian tube dysfunction
Barotraumas (eardrum bursting due to pressure changes)
Sensorineural hearing loss
Age related (presbycusis)
Hereditary causes or prenatal infections (hearing loss at birth)
Trauma to the cochlea or acoustic nerve
Tumors
Noise exposure
Drug or chemical damage (ototoxicity)
Viral infections (such as influenza, rubella, mumps, herpes simplex)
Vascular diseases (such as leukaemia)
Auto-immune diseases (such as lupus)
Idiopathic (no known cause)
Mixed hearing loss
Combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
