
Sensorineural hearing loss can take place due to many factors when it comes to the inner ear. Learn more about its causes, symptoms, and the subsequent treatment that one must seek if this escalates into something permanent.
Also known as sensorineural deafness or nerve deafness, this condition is a result of problems that happen in the inner ear when it comes to the nerves that are connected to the brain. There are many kinds of hearing loss like conductive hearing loss which takes place somewhere in the outer and middle parts of the ear. Brain tumors can also be a cause for hearing loss, damaging the nerve as it worsens. This hearing nerve that connects itself to the brain, can contain within itself other problems, as well. Even the tiny hair cells, that is the nerve endings that send sound through the ears, could either be prematurely dead or diseased.
Causes
- Age (presbycusis)
- Tumors
- Oxygen reduction
- Leukemia
- Lupus
- Temporal arteritis
- Rubella
- Herpes simplex
- Mumps
- Ear infection (due to fluid present in the ear)
- Influenza
- Birth defects
- Meningitis
- Measles
- Scarlet fever
- Eardrum has traumatic perforation
- Constantly subjected to loud noises (factory, industrial atmosphere etc.)
- Presence of foreign body stuck in ear canal
- Skull fracture of temporal bone
- Measles
- Wax build-up in ear
- Medicines
- Meniere’s disease
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Cockayne syndrome
- Stickler syndrome
- Multiple lentigines syndrome
- Hunter syndrome
- Treacher-Collins syndrome
- Kartagener syndrome
- Hereditary nephritis
- Osteogenesis imperfecta
- Mohr syndrome
- Hurler syndrome
- Trisomy 13
- Waardenburg syndrome
- Ectodermal dysplasia
- Otosclerosis
- Effects of fetal iodine deficiency
- Congenital atresia of external auditory canal
- Barotrauma; due to pressure differences
- Chloroquine
- Quindine
- Aspirin
- Anemia
- Aminoglycoside antibiotics
- Allergies
- Injury to head
- Eustachian tubes blocked within ears
Symptoms
- Sounds are soft or distorted.
- Babies will have trouble responding to sound.
- Frequency of tones is undecipherable.
- Ringing/booming in one’s ears.
- Avoiding social gatherings for fear of not being able to hear what one is saying.
- Sounds are muffled.
- Itching
- Vertigo
- Babies cannot gurgle or make other noises if there is deafness.
- Cannot hear loud sounds.
- Pus or other fluids seep from the ear.
- Listening to the TV or other source of sound on high volume.
- Depression
- Constantly asking someone to repeat what they said.
- Ear pain
- Asking someone to speak loudly and clearly.
- Irritation in the ear.
- Not participating in conversations.
- Can’t hear the phone/doorbell ring.
- Not responding to a question and answering incorrectly.
Treatment
Cochlear Implant
This is a surgical procedure that involves placing a cochlear implant behind the ear to stimulate auditory nerve fibers present in the cochlea. It is embedded under the skin and acts as a receiver and stimulator, aiding those who cannot hear to hear better. It also comes with a lightweight speech processor and a headset that is designed as a directional microphone and is fitted behind ear. An added transmitter is placed over the implanted receiver, held in place by tiny magnets.
Hearing Aid
This is a small electronic device that is fitted into the ear with tiny microphones that pick up sounds. This is then amplified with the help of a volume controller and a tiny speaker that sends sound to the ear. A hearing aid can be switched on or off and tuned according to the convenience of the person using it.