Types and causes

 Only a small portion of adult hearing problems, such as ear infection and middle ear diseases, are medically or surgically treatable.

Sensorineural

Hearing loss that usually develops from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear (hair cells). This damage can occur from disease, illness, age, injury from exposure to noise or certain medicines, or from a genetic disorder.

Mixed

Combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

Conductive

Hearing loss that occurs when sound waves cannot transmit through the outer or middle ear or both. This can, for example, be caused by earwax, fluid in the middle ear space, or a punctured eardrum. Medical or surgical treatment can often restore hearing in people with a conductive hearing loss.