Causes of Hearing Loss

What causes hearing loss?

Conductive hearing problems from the outer ear may be due to:

• Injury or malformation of theouter ear

• Blockages from cerumen (ear wax) or foreign objects

• Swelling or infection (external otitis)

Conductive hearing problems from the middle ear may be due to:

• Infection (otitis media or mastoiditis)

• A hole in the eardrum (tympanic membrane perforation)

• Stiffening in the joints of the middle ear bones (otosclerosis)

• Malformation or a break in the middle ear bones

• Scar tissue or tumors behind the tympanic membrane (eardrum)

• Damaged or malformed blood vessels behind the tympanic membrane (eardrum)

Sensory hearing problems of the cochlea (inner ear) may be due to:

• Loud Noise

• Stiffening or other gradual changes inside the cochlea (cochlear otosclerosis)

• A hole in the cochlea (cochlear fistula)

• Meniere's disease

• Toxic medications or other chemicals that damage the cochlea (ototoxicity)

• Viral or bacterial infections, especially those that cause prolonged fever or high fever

• Genetic traits and syndromes

• Hyperbilirubinemia (Rh factor incompatibility between a mother and baby)

• Kidney disease

• Diabetes

• Prematurity

• Autoimmune system disorders

Neural hearing problems may be due to:

• Tumors along the auditory nerve

• Hyperbilirubinemia (Rh factor incompatibility between a mother and baby)

• Meningitis or encephalitis (an infection of the brain)

• Auditory neuropathy, which interferes with nerve impulses needed for hearing

• Skull fractures affecting the temporal bone

• Strokes or head injuries affecting the temporal lobe of the brain