Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common types of hearing loss that people suffer from. This type of hearing loss is permanent and occurs when the auditory nerve or the tiny hair-like cells of the inner ear are damaged. This prevents signals from being transferred to the brain so that the person can hear properly. When this happens, loudness and sound clarity cannot be determined. These are some of the causes, symptoms and treatments of sensorineural hearing loss.

Causes Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Some people are born with sensorineural hearing loss. This normally occurs due to a problem with the person's genetics or by an infection that is passed from a mother to a baby while it is carried in the womb. If the mother suffers from herpes, rubella or toxoplasmosis, there is a good chance it will be passed on to her child and the child will be born with sensorineural hearing loss.

However, this condition can also occur later in life. If a person suffers from conditions such as mumps, measles, meningitis or scarlet fever, this can also trigger sensorineural hearing loss. Cancerous growths of the inner ear, Meniere's disease, blood vessel diseases and traumatic injuries to the ear can also cause this type of hearing loss. Even otherwise healthy people may develop this condition if they are frequently exposed to loud noise, take certain medications or due to aging.

Symptoms Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

Sensorineural hearing loss may also have a variety of different symptoms. This includes sensitivity to loud noises, difficulty hearing in noisy environments, problems hearing lower voices and difficulty hearing when more than one person is speaking in a conversation.

Those with this type of hearing loss may also hear normal speech as mumbled or slurred. This condition can also cause constant ringing in the ears and feelings of dizziness or being off-balance.

Treatment For Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

While the damage to the hair-like cells in the inner ear or the auditory nerve cannot be repaired, sensorineural hearing loss can be treated successfully depending on how severe the hearing loss is. This is often done by having custom hearing aids or cochlear implants made for the patient who suffers from this condition.

Sensorineural hearing loss can be more easily treated if it is diagnosed early. It is best to seek medical care at the onset of the symptoms so that treatment can begin before hearing loss becomes so severe that it cannot be improved with hearing aids or cochlear implants.

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