Types of Hearing Loss

Some children are born deaf and other children may become deaf later, for example, due to an illness.

There are two main types of deafness.

Conductive hearing loss - This the most common type and occurs when sound cannot pass through the outer and middle ear to the cochlea and auditory nerve in the inner ear. This is often caused by blockages such as wax in the outer ear, or fluid in the middle ear (glue ear). Glue ear is a very common condition, especially in pre-school children. Conductive deafness is usually temporary, but it can be permanent in some cases.

Watch the short video below to see how conductive hearing loss impacts on the ear:

Sensorineural hearing loss - Most cases of sensorineural deafness are caused by loss of, or damage to, the hair cells in the cochlea. This means that the cochlea is not processing the sound effectively. The deafness may be genetic, or caused by an infectious disease, and is permanent.  

Watch the short video below to see how sensorineural hearing loss impacts on the ear:

The term ‘mixed hearing loss’ is often used when a child has a mixture of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. One example of mixed hearing loss is when someone has glue ear as well as sensorineural hearing loss.

Deafness in one ear only is known as unilateral hearing loss, whereas deafness in both ears is known as bilateral hearing loss.