Sensorineural Hearing Loss

In people who have sensorineural hearing loss, sound is efficiently sent to the inner ear, but some sort of damage to the inner ear interferes with proper hearing. This type of hearing loss occurs when there is either damage to the inner ear structures or the hearing nerve.

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss among adults. It usually is not medically or surgically treatable, but can be treated successfully with hearing aids. Those who suffer from sensorineural hearing loss may complain that people seem to mumble, or that they hear – but don’t understand  what is being said. Aging is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss. As we get older, the sensory cells of the inner ear gradually die.

In addition to advancing age, sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by:

• Injury
• Excessive noise exposure
• Viral infections (such as measles or mumps)
• Ototoxic drugs (medications that damage hearing)
• Meningitis
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• High fever
• Meniere’s disease
• Acoustic Neuroma (tumors)

Source Cited link: http://www.stronghealth.com/services/Audiology/hearing/typeshearingloss.cfm