Hearing Loss

See Related: Ear Infections

Hearing loss has a lot of different causes and manifestations. It can be sudden or gradual. It can occur in one ear or both ears. It can be temporary or permanent. It happens to people of all ages. Before discussing causes and treatments for hearing loss, it is important to understand how hearing works.

How We Hear


Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss occurs when sound is blocked in any of the three areas of the ear. The most common cause of hearing loss in children is fluid behind the eardrum (more likely when they are less than 3 years old and/or when they have a "cold"), followed by an ear infections, congenital hearing loss (born with it), and finally ear wax blocking the ear canal.

  • In the Inner Ear: Congenital malformations of the temporal bone in children can result in hearing loss - this basically means that the inner ear did not form correctly in utero. There can also be genetic causes of hearing loss - there are many DNA genes that contribute to the hearing mechanism - if one or more of these genes are abnormal then hearing can be affected.

Other causes of hearing loss include:



Types of Hearing Loss

There are five types of hearing loss:



Hearing Loss Treatments


  • Antibiotics, decongestants and pain medication to overcome ear infections.
  • Hearing aids.
  • Surgery like cochlear implantation in cases of profound hearing loss of both ears.


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