Conductive Hearing Loss
What is Conductive Hearing Loss?
Conductive Hearing Loss occurs when sound energy is not conducted well or effectively through your ear canal, by your eardrum or the middle ear bones to the inner ear. You may lose the ability to hear all sound levels or faint sounds. We treat conductive hearing loss with a variety of medical and surgical techniques, depending on the cause of your particular hearing loss.
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What May Cause Conductive Hearing Loss?
- Fluid in the middle ear from colds or allergies, ear infections (otitis media), perforated eardrums, benign tumors, head trauma, and many other situations
- Otosclerosis, a condition in which the third little middle ear bone (stapes) of hearing is unable to vibrate to transmit sound energy to the inner ear (cochlea). Conductive hearing loss from otosclerosis can be managed with a hearing aid or surgery (See Otosclerosis, Stapedectomy)
- Other congenital malformations of your outer ear, ear canal or middle ear (see Aural Atresia)
- Keratosis Obturans, an abnormal accummulation of ear canal skin blocking ear canal. It may due to several causes, some of which are unknown. Medical and/or surgical management may be required.
- Eustachian tube problems, frequently after flying with an upper respiratory infection. Some of the other causes of Eustachian tube blockage are tumor, allergies, and chronic sinusitis
- Absence of bone in the semicircular canals of balance in the inner ear (see Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome)
- Genetic bone metabolism disorders, such as Paget’s disease
- A foreign object lodged in your ear or ear canal
- Impacted ear-wax in the ear canal, particularly when pushed in by q-tips
Modern techniques make it possible to cure or at least improve the vast majority of cases involving problems with the outer or middle ear. Dr. Hammerschlag treats conductive hearing loss using a variety of techniques, always selecting the treatment best suited for you. Contact Dr. Hammerschlag to discuss the method of treatment for your conductive hearing loss.